• NVIDIA and SoftBank are collaborating to build Japan's most powerful AI supercomputer and create the world's first AI-5G telecom network.
  • SoftBank's AI-RAN solution, powered by NVIDIA, promises to transform telecom networks into AI-driven revenue-generating systems worldwide.

NVIDIA has announced a significant partnership with SoftBank Corp. to drive forward Japan’s AI initiatives and strengthen its global standing in technology. This collaboration, revealed during the NVIDIA AI Summit in Japan, involves building Japan’s most powerful AI supercomputer using NVIDIA’s Blackwell platform, with future plans for a second supercomputer powered by the NVIDIA Grace Blackwell platform.

This venture between the two companies aims to position Japan as a leader in the AI industrial revolution while offering global opportunities for telecom providers. The key breakthrough in this collaboration is the creation of the world’s first AI and 5G integrated telecom network. This network, using NVIDIA's AI Aerial platform, has the potential to unlock billions of dollars in revenue for telecom operators worldwide by allowing them to monetize excess network capacity for AI services.

SoftBank is set to receive the world’s first NVIDIA DGX B200 systems, which will form the core of its new supercomputer, DGX SuperPOD, expected to be Japan’s most powerful. This supercomputer will be used for generative AI development and other AI-related work across various sectors, including universities, research institutions, and businesses.

A key highlight of the collaboration is the development of an AI-RAN (Artificial Intelligence Radio Access Network) infrastructure that enables both AI and 5G workloads to run concurrently, which could turn traditional telecom networks into revenue-generating assets. A successful trial conducted in Kanagawa, Japan, demonstrated that this AI-RAN solution achieved carrier-grade 5G performance while also running AI inference workloads.

“Japan has a long history of pioneering technological innovations with global impact,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “With SoftBank’s investment in NVIDIA’s full-stack AI platforms, Japan is leading a new era of growth across industries like telecommunications and robotics.”

This collaboration not only represents a leap in AI development for Japan but also sets the stage for global AI advancements that could redefine how telecom operators utilize their networks.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah