The AI RAN Alliance announced that its membership list has now crossed 100 members in just one year since its inception, marking a milestone in the telecommunication sector. The association has now enrolled Vodafone, a leading European telecom operator, among its members, further enhancing its global presence.
Founded in 2024, the AI RAN Alliance seeks to speed up the deployment of artificial intelligence in radio access networks (RANs) with the aim of utilising the power of AI to enhance wireless system operation and development, particularly in next-generation cellular infrastructure.
Calling on participants from over 17 nations, the coalition consists of diverse players—spanning from international technology players and research institutions to service providers and universities. The organisation is dedicated to supporting mass experimentation, sharing practical experience, and delivering actionable advice that can assist with the rejuvenation of network infrastructure.
One of the key aims of the collaboration is to improve mobile network efficiency, conserve energy, and introduce next-generation AI-based automation for existing infrastructure. These are opportune goals considering the ambitions of telecommunication operators to increase 5G capacity and forecast 6G integration. AI-led transformation of RAN needs to create sizeable business value and cost reductions in the long run for the telecom industry.
Founding members include primary industry leaders such as Amazon Web Services, Arm, DeepSig, Telefonaktiebolaget, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Northeastern University, Nvidia, Samsung Electronics, SoftBank, and T-Mobile USA.
Mohamed Awad, senior vice president and general manager for the infrastructure line of business at Arm, commented, “AI will fundamentally change the way wireless services are deployed, and enable broad innovation and operational efficiency across the telco sector. The AI-RAN Alliance brings together industry-shaping companies with expertise from silicon through software to deliver on the promise of ubiquitous AI and 6G.”
AI RAN Alliance targets three innovation streams: “AI for RAN,” “AI and RAN,” and “AI on RAN.” The first is to enhance RAN performance and spectral efficiency through artificial intelligence. The second concerns the more end-to-end integration of AI with network functions—unleashing new monetisation opportunities and infrastructure flexibility. The third concern is to leverage AI-based services at the network edge to support real-time responsiveness and automate operations.
Acknowledging the momentum behind the alliance’s growth, Alex Jinsung Choi, chair of the AI RAN Alliance and principal fellow at SoftBank’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology, stated, “We are thrilled by the extraordinary growth of the AI-RAN Alliance. This milestone underscores the global momentum behind advancing AI for RAN, AI and RAN, and AI on RAN. Our members are pioneering how artificial intelligence can be deeply embedded into radio access networks – from foundational research to real-world deployment – to create intelligent, adaptive and efficient wireless systems.”
Francisco Martin, head of Open RAN at Vodafone, emphasised the company’s commitment to driving innovation in wireless automation: “Vodafone is committed to using AI to optimise and enhance the performance of our radio access networks. Running AI and RAN workloads on shared infrastructure boosts efficiency, while integrating AI and generative applications over RAN enables new real-time capabilities at the network edge.”
As telecom companies continue to evolve, the AI RAN Alliance’s expansion signals growing industry alignment on using artificial intelligence as a strategic tool for scalable, future-ready wireless infrastructure.