Elisa taps NVIDIA and Nokia for its journey towards commercial AI-RAN in Finland
HELSINKI, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Elisa advances its vision to bring AI closer to the users in Finland by deploying distributed AI infrastructure and preparing to validate the benefits of AI-RAN in a live commercial network with NVIDIA and Nokia in 2027. The company has completed Europe's first live-network AI-RAN trials and deploys AI applications on distributed AI-RAN infrastructure.
AI-RAN combines radio access network functions and AI workloads on the same accelerated computing platform: the same computers that run the mobile network can now also run AI. This turns the network into a distributed AI platform, bringing computing closer to where data is generated and consumed. The result is faster responses and local data processing for AI applications, AI inference workloads and autonomous network functions.
In Helsinki, Elisa ran Europe's first voice, mobile data and video analytics simultaneously on the same AI-RAN platform over Elisa's 5G Advanced network. This clears the way for distributed deployment, the evaluation of customer use cases and a path toward commercial AI-RAN services in 2027.?
By combining connectivity and AI computing in the network, the infrastructure can support services such as:?
- A voice assistant that answers instantly. Voice AI services such as Moontalk AIRI deliver natural, real-time conversations.?
- Cameras that spot safety risks on the spot. Video is analysed at the base station site, so sensitive footage stays close to where it was captured.?
- A network that fixes itself. Autonomous AI agents monitor and optimize network operations.?
By successfully running voice, mobile data and video analytics on the same platform in an outdoor 5G environment, Elisa is among the first operators globally to move toward real-world deployment of AI-native network infrastructure.
Sami Komulainen, COO, EVP, Technology and Operations, Elisa, says: "AI is becoming a critical layer of digital infrastructure. Our goal is to bring AI closer to users, enterprises and data by advancing a distributed AI inference network in Finland. AI-RAN is an important step in that journey, enabling us to combine connectivity and AI on a shared platform and laying the foundation for AI-native 6G networks. The Europe's first Cloud AI-RAN call in live network demonstrates that for us, this vision is already becoming a reality."
Ronnie Vasishta, SVP, Telecom, NVIDIA, says: "AI is moving out of the data centre and into the network. Together with Elisa and Nokia, we have shown how accelerated computing lets a mobile network run radio and AI on the same infrastructure, bringing intelligence to where data is generated and consumed."?
Emma Falck, President of Mobile Infrastructure, Nokia, says: "AI-RAN changes what a mobile network can do. By bringing connectivity and AI computing together in the network, operators can make their networks smarter, use infrastructure more efficiently and create new revenue from edge AI services. This is also the foundation for the physical AI era, when networks will not only connect the world, but help sense, understand and act on it in real time. Together with Elisa and NVIDIA, we are moving AI-RAN from demonstration towards commercial reality."
The trial used Nokia's AI-RAN solution and NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer (ARC) with NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Server Edition (BSE) GPU. On top of a Voice over New Radio (VoNR) call and data connectivity, it demonstrated AI-boosted algorithms (AI-in-RAN) and edge AI applications for video analytics (AI-on-RAN).
As part of this work, Elisa is deploying Dell PowerEdge servers featuring NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 BSE GPUs based on NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer configurations at multiple network locations in Finland, creating distributed AI computing capacity for current AI inference workloads and future AI-RAN deployments. Elisa is also utilizing open AI models and NVIDIA's AI software ecosystem to accelerate service development.
The deployment is a building block for the 6G era, where communications and computing infrastructure will increasingly converge. By bringing AI processing into the network now, Elisa is creating the distributed infrastructure needed to support physical AI, autonomous systems and intelligent applications at scale.
More from NVIDIA.
Media inquiries:?
Elisa Mediadesk, mediadesk@elisa.fi, +358 50 305 1605?
Elisa is a Finnish, internationally operating telecommunications and technology company. With over 140 years of experience, we offer sustainable solutions for more than 2.8 million consumer, corporate and public administration customers in our core markets of Finland and Estonia, and software services globally. In 2025, revenue was EUR 2.3 billion. Elisa employs over 6,200 professionals in 35 countries. Elisa Corporation shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. elisa.com
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