March 2 (GeokHub) – Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia is expanding strategic partnerships with TIM Brasil and Deutsche Telekom, as it positions itself to benefit from accelerating global adoption of artificial intelligence-driven network technologies.
The agreements follow a multi-year contract signed last week with Telefonica to deliver advanced network solutions for data centers in Spain — signaling a broader shift toward AI-enabled telecom infrastructure.
Expansion Across Brazil
Nokia will extend its existing network modernization partnership with TIM Brasil beyond São Paulo state to an additional 14 states across four regions. The expanded footprint will cover roughly 42% of Brazil’s population.
The collaboration supports TIM Brasil’s rollout of AI-driven services for enterprise customers, powered by AI-RAN platforms developed by Nvidia. These platforms integrate artificial intelligence into radio access networks, enabling smarter traffic management, automation and advanced enterprise applications.
AI-Native Networks in Europe
In Europe, Nokia and Deutsche Telekom are broadening cooperation to accelerate the development of cloud-based, disaggregated and AI-native radio access network (RAN) technologies.
The initiative aims to build programmable and automated mobile networks designed for the next wave of AI-powered connectivity. Industry leaders see these upgrades as critical infrastructure for handling increased data loads driven by generative AI, edge computing and real-time enterprise applications.
Telecom’s Race to 5G and AI
The agreements reflect a broader global push by telecom operators to modernize 5G networks and embed AI capabilities directly into network architecture. For equipment suppliers like Nokia — and rivals such as Ericsson — the AI transition represents a new revenue stream at a time when traditional 5G spending has softened.
Nokia has been reshaping its portfolio to align with the AI boom. Last year, the company acquired U.S.-based optical networking firm Infinera to strengthen its position in high-capacity data transport. That move was followed by a $1 billion equity investment from Nvidia, which acquired a 2.9% stake in the Finnish group.
