Aji Ed, head of Cloud RAN at Nokia, discusses the company’s strategy, differentiation, AI integration, and future aspirations in an exclusive interview.
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Differentiation in the Cloud RAN market
With competitors like Ericsson and Samsung, Nokia’s approach to Cloud RAN is built on ensuring performance and feature parity with traditional purpose-built networks.
“When we started with Cloud RAN as a strategic item a couple of years ago, we knew it had to co-exist with existing networks while maintaining performance,” says Aji. “Today, we have proven that our Cloud RAN solution is on par or even better than purpose-built systems.”
Nokia’s recent collaboration with Bell Canada underscores this achievement. The company is deploying Cloud RAN solutions integrated with Open Fronthaul-compatible radios, Red Hat OpenShift, and Dell Technologies infrastructure.
“This phased approach will enable Bell Canada to transition over time while ensuring optimal performance,” Aji adds.
AI's growing role in Cloud RAN
AI is playing an increasingly crucial role in Cloud RAN, and Nokia has been at the forefront of this shift. As a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance, Nokia is driving the industry forward. “AI in RAN can be categorised into three areas: AI for RAN, AI on RAN, and AI and RAN,” Aji explains.
“AI for RAN is a no-brainer—it enhances network performance. We have already implemented MantaRay Autopilot, performing 10,000 autonomous operations per hour to optimise network congestion.”
AI on RAN, still in its early stages, involves applications running on the RAN itself, leveraging APIs for added efficiencies. AI and RAN, the next evolution, integrates AI directly into the cloud-based network infrastructure. “By embedding GPUs into cloud servers, we create distributed intelligence within the network,” Aji notes. However, challenges remain, particularly around energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The industry’s transition to 5G Advanced is another key focus for Nokia. “We are integrating features like RedCap, carrier aggregation, and beamforming to improve network efficiency,” says Aji. Nokia has already collaborated with T-Mobile to advance these technologies. “AI for RAN naturally aligns with 5G Advanced, bringing automated network optimisations into the fold.”
The future of Open RAN
While Open RAN continues to be a hotly debated topic, Nokia’s stance is pragmatic. “Open RAN has multiple facets,” Aji acknowledges. “For some aspects, like Open Fronthaul, interoperability remains a challenge—especially for Massive MIMO radios, where seamless multi-vendor integration has not yet matched the performance of single-vendor solutions.”
However, Nokia remains committed to Open RAN in other areas. “We have successfully integrated with Fujitsu for certain radio configurations,” he says. “The broader industry will move toward vertical disaggregation, where Cloud RAN and Open RAN evolve together over time.”
Security in Cloud RAN deployments
Security is a fundamental pillar of Nokia’s Cloud RAN strategy. “We work closely with partners like Red Hat, Dell, and HPE to ensure robust security across hardware, container, and application layers,” Aji explains.
“Our reference configurations embed security measures from the outset, following global standards such as ANSI.”
As networks become increasingly cloud-based, Nokia’s proactive approach ensures that security remains a priority.
“Customers ultimately bear the responsibility for compliance, but we provide a framework to help them meet stringent security standards,” Aji concludes.
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