Nokia is moving to offer AI-RAN subscriptions in its biggest business, but revenue from the plan is only due in 2027.
- Nokia shares climbed 2.6% after the company launched an AI-native radio platform with NVIDIA Corp NASDAQ:NVDA. The new system offers a subscription model for software-based capacity upgrades.
- Mobile Infrastructure pulled in €2.495 billion in Q1 sales, which is 36% ahead of Network Infrastructure. But Nokia said commercial launch for the new AI-RAN products is pushed to 2027.
Nokia Oyj on Wednesday said it launched what it’s calling the first commercial AI-native radio access network platform, developed with NVIDIA. The company said it plans to offer ongoing performance upgrades via software subscription. Shares traded up 2.6% at €10.54 in Helsinki at 15:01 EEST.
For investors, it’s not really about the 6G label. The focus is on where the dollars end up. Nokia said sales to AI and cloud customers jumped 49% in Q1, but that was still just 8% of total sales. The new platform, though, is for the Mobile Infrastructure unit, which brought in more than half of comparable group revenue.
Radio Networks stayed flat for the quarter. Mobile Infrastructure sales were up 3% on a constant-currency and portfolio basis. The segment’s operating margin hit 8.9%. Nokia said a recurring software layer could bring its AI strategy from optical into the mobile space, but Wednesday’s announcement had no subscription pricing, contract size or revenue target.
| Q1 2026 comparison | Network Infrastructure | Mobile Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|
| Net sales | €1.829 billion | €2.495 billion |
| Reported year-on-year change | up 12% | down 3% |
| Comparable operating margin | 6.7% | 8.9% |
| Main AI signal | AI and cloud customer sales jumped 49% | Radio Networks unchanged |
AI revenue is up at a faster pace, while mobile sales jumped 36% over the last quarter.
Nokia said its platform already delivered over 20% better spectral efficiency, so it can move more data through the same spectrum. The company aims for a 50% boost by 2027 and more than double by 2028. But pilot runs won’t start before late 2026, and commercial rollout is planned for 2027.
| Milestone | Timing | Nokia’s capacity claim | Investor read-through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance shown | July 2026 | Over 20% | Technical milestone |
| Pilots start | End-2026 | Not stated | Customer buy-in |
| Commercial launch | 2027 | 50% goal | Subscription sales possible |
| Long-range goal | 2028 | Above 100% | Spectrum capability about doubles |
The last column interprets Nokia’s published product timeline. It isn’t company guidance.
Chief Executive Justin Hotard said AI-RAN is “the biggest innovation in radio in decades.” Rémy Pascal, analyst at Omdia, called it “an important step in bringing AI-RAN from industry vision to commercial reality.” The statements are bold. The schedule is still just a rollout plan. Nokia Corporation | Nokia
Operators can use the tech with a graphics-processor plug-in on their current AirScale basebands, or go for a standalone AI-RAN node, or run it on cloud server hardware. Nokia said it works with 4G, 5G, and will work with 6G networks. It meets Open RAN standards, so customers can spread out spending and don’t have to swap out a whole network at once.
Nokia’s new deal with Taiwan Mobile Co Ltd (TPE:3045) on Tuesday is an early test for its installed-base strategy. Nokia is set to provide AirScale radios, baseband gear and AI-driven automation tools, but the companies didn’t share financial details. The agreement wasn’t described as a subscription to Nokia’s AI-RAN platform.
The economics aren’t settled yet, and hardware brings more chip risk as AI pushes input costs higher. Swedish competitor Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson Class B STO:ERIC-B said Tuesday that rising memory-chip prices are squeezing the sector. Network sales dropped 8% in Q2 and shares fell almost 12%. “The whole AI build-out is putting quite the pressure on the whole industry, including us,” finance chief Lars Sandström told Reuters. Reuters
Nokia shares are still trading nearly 30% under their 52-week high of €15, even after a move higher on Wednesday. Ericsson in Stockholm is about 23% beneath its own 52-week top. The numbers suggest investors are discounting AI talk from telecom names for now.
Nokia is set to post second-quarter results on July 23. With the AI-RAN platform not coming to market until 2027, investors are watching to see if current optical and mobile orders stay steady. After that, they’ll look for year-end pilots to deliver named subscription customers and public pricing. That’s what takes the story from technology promise to potential earnings.
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