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Nokia’s stock surged following the announcement of artificial intelligence-enabled network partnerships during the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC). This demonstrated ongoing progress with automating telecommunications and modernizing communications infrastructure. The partnership also highlighted how new AI-based RANs can fundamentally transform both the advancement of 5G technology and the preparation for new, future 6G applications that will run natively on AI.
Nokia shares rallied nearly 7% on Monday (March 2, 2026), closing at $8.26, as the Finnish telecom equipment maker showcased a wave of AI-powered radio access network partnerships at Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona.
Nokia and Deutsche Telekom have strengthened their partnership to speed up the development of cloud-based, disaggregated, and AI-native radio access network technologies.
The innovation cooperation program will take place on Cloud RAN technology, as well as creating open interfaces and developing next-generation AI-native RAN solutions for delivery via multivendor mobile networks.
A key pillar of the expanded collaboration is increased integration around Open Fronthaul. The companies are building on earlier achievements that connected Nokia baseband units with third-party O-RAN compliant radio units in Germany.
Nokia will act as Deutsche Telekom’s strategic co-creation partner for AI-native RAN development. The initiative aims to accelerate the deployment of intelligent and autonomous RAN functions across cloud, edge, and radio domains.
The collaboration will develop high-impact AI-native RAN use cases, such as AI-powered receivers, advanced channel estimation and prediction, adaptive beamforming, and predictive network optimization. These capabilities are expected to improve spectral efficiency, enhance user experience, and increase automation levels.
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Pallavi Mahajan, Chief Technology and AI Officer at Nokia, said “AI-native RAN represents a fundamental shift in how networks are built and operated, enabling highly automated and adaptive infrastructures.”
The jump in the share market marks one of Nokia's strongest single-day performances in recent months. It also underscores growing investor enthusiasm for the company's pivot toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. This is a strategy anchored by its deepening alliance with NVIDIA.
