What are everyone’s thoughts on the private mobile side?
I read a discussion touching on the subject and picked out the most important points here, mainly as a fact-finding mission, as I am interested but not an expert.
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Nokia is launching a 5G/6G radio where AI is close to the edge
- Doesn’t this enable a revolution in industrial construction if 6G enables IoT? 6G also enables physical positioning with better accuracy than GPS, meaning autonomous solutions become more viable. The need for 5G certainly won’t disappear in general use, but is 5G necessary in industry? i.e., does Ericsson also have the opportunity to compete?
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AI in private networks
- The increased use of ChatGPT etc. is the worst nightmare for both CEOs and owners. Could Nokia+NVIDIA mean local mini-data centers without this concern?
- AI + radios could replace operators if they are combined @IoT. Technical staff aren’t needed if AI does the same job.
- In the future, is it better to invest in radios than, for example, Cisco switches? IoT allows for lower cabling costs, and thus the need for local automation cabinets is reduced.
- Could the costs of open-plan offices decrease if a local cloud service that increases computing power is used instead of every engineer having their own laptop with expensive components whose full power is only rarely utilized? Centralization usually pays off.
In my opinion, the private side is still in its infancy. Based on my own gut feeling, Nokia’s combination radios + edge AI seem to be the reason why NVIDIA wanted in and why Nokia wants to keep its radio business. I don’t believe NVIDIA is interested in difficult operators, nor do I believe Nokia would hold onto its underperforming radios just for the sake of customer promises. Something fairly big might be brewing in private networks, especially because it achieves further economies of scale.
These radios suitable for the transition phase may be fit for private networks as they are. Operators might not be excited about the possibility of constant software updates, but this possibility is a huge advantage for regular companies. Private network development remained weak in 2025, but at first glance, this seems like a long-term play.