The AI-RAN Alliance morphed from a group of 11 companies to an ecosystem of 75 members across 17 countries in the space of 12 months, with the number of service providers in the mix climbing from two to seven.
Alex Jinsung Choi, chair of the AI-RAN Alliance and principal fellow of SoftBank Corp’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology, noted in a briefing the collective efforts of members is driving innovation at “an unprecedented pace, enabling AI-RAN to supercharge 5G and open RAN”.
He noted the alliance is also laying the foundation for AI-native 6G networks.
Service provider members include T-Mobile, SoftBank Corp, Globe Telecom, KT and SK Telecom.
In addition to the operators, the group now brings together 43 technology companies, 15 academic institutions, six industry associations and four laboratories.
India-headquartered global provider of technology consulting and digital services for enterprises Tech Mahindra is its latest member.
Membership is up from close to 50 members in November 2024.
The chair outlined some of its activity scheduled for the upcoming MWC25 Barcelona event, including ten real-world demonstrations illustrating the transformative impact of AI on wireless networks by improving network efficiency, opening new revenue streams and enabling novel services.
Choi will join executives from founding members Nvidia and Samsung in a panel on AI-Driven RAN Automation: Transforming Networks for a Smarter, More Efficient Future on 5 March from 14:30 to 15:15 at the Marconi Stage in Hall 6 of the Fira Gran Via where MWC25 Barcelona is being held.
The Alliance was founded at MWC Barcelona 2024 by major players including Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Microsoft, SoftBank Corp and T-Mobile US to conduct research into using AI to improve the efficiency of RAN infrastructure. Reducing power consumption is a top priority.
It has three working groups: AI-for-RAN, AI-and-RAN and AI-on-RAN.