Japan's SoftBank and Sweden's Ericsson have announced a collaboration to explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Radio Access Networks (RAN), aiming to boost network efficiency and performance. The two companies will jointly conduct techno-economic analyses, develop prototypes, and conduct lab demos to explore shared network infrastructure solutions, enabling both AI and RAN to operate on the same platform.
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Optimising AI and RAN Convergence
"Ericsson and SoftBank will explore common network and compute infrastructure solutions that allow both AI and Radio Access Network (RAN) to operate on the same network infrastructure. The goal is to unlock new use cases for communications service providers by using the power of AI to enhance network efficiency," the companies said in a joint statement.
The partnership will focus on optimising the convergence of AI and RAN at the edge, emphasising Centralised RAN (C-RAN) architectures and assessing the potential for shared hardware resources between AI and RAN applications. They will also examine workload distribution and software portability across different platforms.
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson, says: "We look forward to this collaboration with SoftBank in exploring the potential convergence of AI and RAN infrastructures. This reaffirms our commitment to innovation and excellence, and we believe it will lead to new solutions that empower communications service providers to build more open, efficient and versatile networks."
Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO at SoftBank Corp., says: "SoftBank welcomes this new collaboration with Ericsson, which aligns with our strategy to invest in AI infrastructure that enables the overlay and optimisation of RAN. This partnership reflects our vision of leveraging AI to enhance communication networks and opens up opportunities for collaboration with key industry players."
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AI-RAN Alliance Membership
Ericsson and SoftBank are key members of the newly formed AI-RAN Alliance, unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2024, which aims to advance RAN and mobile networks through AI integration.
