Big fight in telecom: Nokia bets on Nvidia for 6G, rivals say no

Three big telecom companies disagree on whether 6G networks will need Nvidia's powerful chips.

Nokia says yes — 6G will require Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs). Ericsson and Samsung say no — there are other ways to build 6G.

Why this matters

Nvidia makes GPUs, the chips that power artificial intelligence (AI). These chips are much faster than older processors for running complex AI tasks. Nokia believes GPUs are the future of radio access networks (RAN) — the technology that connects your phone to the network.

Nokia's position: GPUs are essential

Nokia has already taken a big step. It accepted a $1 billion investment from Nvidia and plans to design its future 5G and 6G products around Nvidia's technology.

Nokia's chief technology officer, Pallavi Mahajan, says GPUs allow network equipment to run advanced algorithms that were previously impossible. She believes Nokia's new approach will double network efficiency by 2028.

"We never used it because it's very mathematically compute-intensive," Mahajan said about older methods. "With GPUs, you can do that, and you get efficiency".

Nokia plans to stop making its own custom chips and rely on Nvidia GPUs instead.

Ericsson's position: Not the only way

Ericsson strongly disagrees. The Swedish company says GPUs are just one option for 6G, not the only one.

"Purpose-built silicon remains relevant where operators need performance, lower energy consumption, and the ability to scale RAN workloads efficiently," an Ericsson spokesperson said.

Ericsson believes future networks will use a mix of different computer chips, depending on what each network operator needs.

Samsung's position: Also skeptical

Samsung sides with Ericsson. Like Ericsson, Samsung has developed software using a combination of Intel CPUs and its own custom chips. The company does not believe Nvidia GPUs are a must-have for 6G.

The bigger picture

This disagreement shows how the telecom industry is splitting over the future of network technology. Nokia is going all-in on Nvidia. Ericsson and Samsung are taking a more careful approach — keeping their options open and using different types of chips.

For now, all three companies agree on one thing: 6G will rely heavily on AI. They just don't agree on whose chips should power that AI.