Nokia

Recent news

• Jun 17, 2026 · TechNode Global

  Nokia to upgrade Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand subsea cable with 30 Tbps capacity for Symphony Communication

  Nokia was selected by Thailand’s Symphony Communication to upgrade the Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand (MCT) subsea cable system, replacing legacy equipment with Nokia’s Submarine Line Terminal Equipment powered by PSE-6.

  • Main announcement: Nokia will install its PSE-6 Photonic Service Engines (6th-generation coherent optics, 5nm DSP) on the MCT subsea cable, enabling up to 30 Tbps capacity per fibre pair, reducing network power consumption by 60% via intelligent signal optimization and managed by Nokia’s WaveSuite optical network automation platform; the upgrade will deliver low-latency connectivity between Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to support AI inference, cloud bursting, and mission-critical enterprise applications.
  • Background & details: The MCT cable lands in Rayong within Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (Thailand’s primary AI-driven data centre hub); Thailand’s Board of Investment says the country has attracted more than $23 billion in data centre investment across 36 projects. The project expands Nokia’s partnership with Symphony from terrestrial and cross-border networks into the subsea domain (no implementation timeline provided in the article).
• May 17, 2026

  Swedish Software Firm and AT&T Lead Open Access Standards Push in U.S.

  The Open Access Network Forum (OANF) launched Feb. 5, 2026 within ATIS, co-led by AT&T and COS Systems, to develop a unified specification for business, operational, and technical integration of open access fiber networks across North America.

  • Launch details: OANF launched Feb. 5, 2026 and is housed in ATIS (a standards organization with 165 member companies); co-leads are AT&T and COS Systems and the forum will develop a unified specification covering business, operational, and technical requirements for ISPs connecting to open access networks across North America.
  • Context and background: The announcement was presented at Open Access Day 2026 (pre-conference to Fiber Connect) as the industry faces integration cost barriers highlighted by AT&T’s Gigapower joint venture (launched with BlackRock in 2022); the U.S. fiber buildout is also proceeding alongside the $42.5 billion BEAD federal grant program, which the panel warned could prioritize miles deployed over customers connected.
• Apr 27, 2026

  Verda Bets $117M on AI Cloud as Workloads Fragment Across Platforms

  Finland-based AI infrastructure provider Verda has raised $117 million in a combined equity and debt round.

  • Main announcement: Verda raised $117 million (combined equity and debt) — equity led by Lifeline Ventures with participation from byFounders, Tesi, and Varma, plus debt financing from a group of Nordic financial institutions; the company said it will use the funding to speed platform development and expand across Europe, the US, and Asia. Verda is cash flow positive, reporting a revenue run rate doubling to more than $60 million in Q1 2026.
  • Background and details: Verda targets GPU-backed AI workloads (optimised training and inference) rather than general-purpose hyperscaler cloud; it participates in the Nvidia Preferred Partner Program, operates data centres in Finland leveraging renewable energy and cooling advantages, and counts customers including Nokia and ExpressVPN.
• Apr 22, 2026

  Render Networks Announces $14.3 Million Funding Raise From Black Kite Partners

  Render Networks announced $14.3 million in private equity growth funding and the acquisition of mPower Innovations.

  • Acquisition and funding: Render Networks will acquire mPower Innovations and announced $14.3 million in private equity growth funding from BlackKite Partners; as part of the acquisition Render will transition mPower’s digital modeling platform to Esri’s ArcGIS. Greg Calcari (mPower founder) and Jason Brown (mPower CEO) will remain in senior leadership roles at Render. The company is based in Australia with U.S. headquarters in Denver. No specific implementation timeline for the transition or integration was provided in the announcement.
  • Context and background: Render provides an AI-driven SaaS platform for construction data and cites use in BEAD deployment and major infrastructure projects; past customers named include Lumen, Connect2First, and Craighead Electric Cooperative Corporation. BlackKite Partners is an Australian private equity firm that launched in March 2026. The announcement includes executive statements from Stephen Rose (Render CEO) and Adrian Kerley (BlackKite Partners).
• Apr 16, 2026

  Nokia and VarData Selected for Nevada BEAD Rollout

  SkyFiber has selected Nokia and VarData to build a high-speed fiber and wireless broadband network for underserved communities in northern Nevada.

  • SkyFiber selection announced: SkyFiber selected Nokia and VarData as partners to build out a hybrid fiber and wireless high-speed internet network in northern Nevada, leveraging Nokia’s optical transport system and VarData’s existing infrastructure; SkyFiber was awarded $180.6 million in BEAD funds last year after a stalled permitting process.
  • Background and related details: The announcement references a press release describing the hybrid model as making coverage feasible and affordable; separately, NVIDIA acquired a 2.9% stake in Nokia last year for $1 billion, providing Nokia with capital and NVIDIA an entry point into the cellular network space.
• Apr 3, 2026

  Nscale Expands AI Factory Strategy With Power, Platform, and Scale

  Nscale has announced rapid expansion of a vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform, including the acquisition of American Intelligence & Power Corporation (AIPCorp) and a $2 billion funding round at a reported $14.6 billion valuation.

  • Acquisition & funding: Nscale completed the acquisition of American Intelligence & Power Corporation (AIPCorp) (bringing the Monarch Compute Campus), and raised $2 billion at a $14.6 billion valuation; the Monarch site is described as up to 2,250 acres with a state-certified AI microgrid and a power runway said to scale beyond 8 gigawatts.
  • Execution details & timelines: Nscale announced a letter of intent with Microsoft for up to 1.35 gigawatts at Monarch with deliveries beginning in late 2027, plans to reach 2 gigawatts by H1 2028 and expand to ~8 gigawatts by 2031, and will deploy Caterpillar G3500 generator sets with equipment deliveries expected between September 2026 and August 2027.
• Mar 20, 2026

  Nokia Sets Early Wi-Fi 9 Vision Around AI, Real-Time Connectivity Demands

  Nokia has proposed a vision for Wi‑Fi 9 that reframes wireless as deterministic, AI-native infrastructure and has begun early engagement with IEEE 802.11 to influence standards.

  • Main announcement: Nokia is advocating for Wi‑Fi 9 to prioritize deterministic performance (targets include consistent multi-gigabit delivery under load, sub-10 ms bounded latency, minimal packet loss, and improved energy-per-bit efficiency) and has been engaging IEEE 802.11 meetings in March 2026 to help shape the standards roadmap.
  • Background and details: Analysts (notably Ron Westfall, HyperFrame Research) said Nokia aims to position Wi‑Fi 9 alongside 6G and align with wireline deployments (25G and 50G PON) to avoid connectivity bottlenecks; the article references Wi‑Fi 8 (802.11bn) prototypes at 2026 events such as CES and frames this as an effort to influence next-decade requirements for AI, XR, robotics, and edge compute.
• Mar 13, 2026

  How AWS is reinventing the telco revenue model

  AWS announced partnerships with Nokia, Amdocs, and Ericsson at MWC 2026 to move telco network functions onto AWS cloud and introduce agentic AI and turnkey stacks.

  • Main announcement: AWS is shifting telcos from a hardware “box-shifting” model to a programmable, as-a-service consumption model by moving 5G core and RAN functions onto AWS, partnering with Nokia, Amdocs, and Ericsson to provide orchestration, agentic AI frameworks, and validated turnkey stacks to enable rapid service deployment.
  • Background and details: The effort includes using agentic AI to enable intent-based network slicing (dynamic, SLA-guaranteed slices for use cases like remote robotic surgery and industrial IoT), a strategic move away from selling Outpost racks toward delivering a full stack to reduce POC cycles from three years to six months, with production examples such as Telefonica Germany; a 24-month window is framed as the test period for operator monetization.
• Mar 11, 2026

  Ajit Pai: The Big Lesson from Barcelona is AI and Wireless Are Converging

  Ajit Pai, CTIA President and CEO, called for harmonized spectrum policy and investment-friendly regulatory frameworks to support the convergence of AI and wireless and to secure U.S. leadership in the AI era.

  • Main announcement/action: Ajit Pai urged rapid allocation of contiguous mid-band spectrum and regulatory reforms, citing specific spectrum opportunities: next year’s upper C-Band auction (>400 megahertz contiguous block), progress on at least 100 megahertz at 2.7 GHz, the 4 GHz band as a major mid-band opportunity, and the 6/7 GHz neighborhood including a Presidential directive to auction 275 megahertz in the lower 7 GHz band. He emphasized urgency for coordinated moves to expand supply and enable AI-driven traffic demand.
  • Background and implementation details: He called for investment-friendly rules (efficient siting and permitting for towers, fiber, data centers, electricity generation, and advanced manufacturing) and quantified the capital need as “hundreds of billions, and likely trillions, of dollars”; he framed this as a competition with China and argued the United States must align spectrum policy with regulatory certainty to attract that capital.
• Mar 11, 2026

  🤖 La Machine #67: Planting A $1B AI Seed Round In Paris

  Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs (AMI) has announced a $1.03 billion seed round and launched as a $3.5 billion pre-money Paris-based AI unicorn.

  • Main announcement: AMI raised $1.03 billion in a seed round (approximately €890 million) and is valued at $3.5 billion pre-money; the round was co-led by Cathay Innovation, Greycroft, Hiro Capital, HV Capital, and Bezos Expeditions, with participation from backers including Nvidia, Samsung, Temasek, Bpifrance, and others. The fundraising target originally set at €500 million was doubled due to demand.
  • Context and other details: This newsletter is a compilation of multiple announcements: Nscale closed a $2 billion Series C (valuation $14.6 billion) led by Aker to build AI-tailored data centres; Jimmy Energy secured €80 million split €40m equity (Crédit Mutuel Impact) + €40m public support (France 2030) targeting construction of its first micro-reactor by the end of the decade and operations in the early 2030s; HABS gains access to 80 H200 GPUs from Microsoft as part of a partnership, and kyron.bio entered a research partnership with Servier (financial terms undisclosed).
• Mar 10, 2026

  Eridu exits stealth with $200M to rebuild AI networking

  Eridu has launched out of stealth with more than $200 million in Series A funding to build custom silicon and a clean-sheet network switch for AI data center networking.

  • Main announcement: Eridu announced a Series A of more than $200 million (listed as $200 million in company summary) led by Socratic Partners with participation from John Doerr, Hudson River Trading, Capricorn Investment Group, and Matter Venture Partners; the company is headquartered in Saratoga, California, was founded in 2023, and plans to release more technical details and partnership announcements later in 2026.
  • Background and details: Eridu is founded by Drew Perkins (previously co-founded Lightera and Infinera) and has a partnership with TSMC for process technology and advanced system integration; the company has not disclosed product specifications or a GA date and is positioning its offering against incumbents Broadcom, Cisco, and Nvidia.
• Mar 10, 2026

  As 6G Approaches, European Commission Bets Millions on Continental Tech Leadership

  The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) committed €116 million to 20 new telecom network and AI projects at Mobile World Congress to help secure Europe’s leadership in 6G before the 2028 standardization deadline.

  • Primary announcement: The SNS JU committed €116 million ($135 million) to 20 new projects (announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona); the initiative has deployed >€500 million across ~80 projects to date and aims to invest at least €1.8 billion over its lifetime. The SNS JU’s open call for proposals closes April 29, 2026 and 26% of funded amounts to date have gone to SMEs.
  • Background and implementation details: New funding targets AI integration, network architecture, and large-scale industrial trials across manufacturing, logistics, energy, and healthcare; >1,200 organizations have participated in SNS JU projects. The European Commission (DG Connect) is advancing a legislative package this spring including a Cloud and AI Development Act, an open-source strategy, and a second iteration of the Chips Act; the commission also proposed the Digital Networks Act as “a new deal for connectivity.”
• Mar 10, 2026

  UK AI Infrastructure Startup Nscale Raised $2 Billion in Series C Funding at $14.6 Billion Valuation & Plans for IPO in 2026, Launched in 2024 by Founder Josh Payne, Investors Include Sandton Capital Partners, Kestrel 0x1, Blue Sky Capital Managers, Florence Capital, Blue Owl Managed Funds, Dell, Lenovo Fidelity Management & Research Company, G Squared, Nokia, Point72, T.Capital, Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Dell, Jane Street & Linden Advisors

  UK AI infrastructure startup Nscale has announced a $2 billion Series C raise at a $14.6 billion valuation and plans for an IPO in 2026.

  • Main announcement:Nscale raised $2 billion in Series C at a $14.6 billion valuation and plans an IPO in 2026; the company was launched in 2024 by founder Josh Payne and lists investors including Sandton Capital Partners, Kestrel 0x1, Blue Sky Capital Managers, Florence Capital, Blue Owl Managed Funds, Dell, Lenovo, Fidelity Management & Research Company, G Squared, Nokia, Point72, T.Capital, Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Jane Street, Linden Advisors.
  • Background and prior funding: Report references earlier rounds and investments: Series B $1.1 billion (Sept 2025), NVIDIA equity $674 million (£500 million) (Sept 2025), Series A $155 million (Dec 2024), and $30 million seed (Dec 2023); business description: sovereign-grade AI infrastructure with a fully vertically integrated suite and GW+ greenfield data centres across Europe and North America.
• Mar 9, 2026

  Nvidia-backed Nscale Soars to $14.6B Valuation After Latest Funding Round

  Nscale has announced a $2 billion Series C funding round that values the company at $14.6 billion, led by Aker ASA and 8090 Industries with participation from Nvidia, Lenovo, Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Dell, Jane Street, and Nokia.

  • Main announcement:Nscale raised $2 billion in a Series C round (largest single equity raise in Europe’s history) taking the company to a $14.6 billion valuation; the round was led by Aker ASA and 8090 Industries and included return funding from Nvidia, Lenovo, Astra Capital Management, Citadel, Dell, Jane Street, and Nokia.
  • Background and details:Nscale is a UK-based neocloud spun out of Arkon Energy in 2024, previously raised $1.1 billion Series B (backed by Nvidia, Aker, Nokia, Dell), has partnered on a $15 billion OpenAI/Nvidia effort to deploy 300,000 GPUs, announced a $865 million 10-year colocation commitment for a planned Madison, N.C. data center (part of adding “hundreds of megawatts” of capacity), and operates data centers in the US, UK, Norway, Portugal, and Iceland.