T-Mobile tests Nokia-Nvidia AI-RAN

Verizon and T-Mobile are betting on two very different futures for wireless networks. While Verizon’s CTO is dismissing the idea of putting power-hungry GPUs in radio units as “unnecessarily complicated,” T-Mobile is all-in, preparing to test new AI-powered radios from Nokia and Nvidia that could unlock up to 100% more capacity by 2028. If T-Mobile’s AI-RAN gamble delivers even a slice of that promise, it could mean faster home internet and a major edge in crowded urban markets—but if the tech proves too costly or power-hungry, Verizon’s simpler, CPU-focused approach could look brilliant in retrospect.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile’s CFO is publicly mocking SpaceX’s Starlink mobile ambitions, dismissing the satellite service as no threat for urban customers: “You can’t even get through a Tesla windscreen.” But Starlink isn’t backing down, pitching rooftop antennas as mini cell towers to boost coverage. The challenge: they’d need millions of these, plus regulatory greenlights and a lot of power—not to mention a business model that hasn’t stopped shifting. If Starlink even manages a foothold among rural or fringe users, the whole market could get a shakeup, especially as the FCC weighs in and retail pricing tests the waters.

Featuring insights and reporting from Fierce Network, Reuters, and The Sunday Guardian.

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