Microsoft's AI-RAN Alliance for mobile base stations and cell towers, explained

SoftBank, Nvidia, Microsoft, Nokia, and others have formed the AI-RAN Alliance to make the most out of artificial intelligence in mobile base stations (cell towers) effectively. 

But what is it, exactly? How do Microsoft and these tech giants use AI on cell towers?

Launched a little while ago last month during the World Mobile Congress in Spain last month, their goal is to prevent communication congestion and improve smartphone app usage through generative AI. The alliance then aims to process data at base stations instead of the cloud, reducing power consumption and communication delays. 

SoftBank’s President and CEO, Junichi Miyakawa, stated that the alliance aims to drive societal advancement through AI innovations in the telecom industry. 

A mobile base station, also called a cell tower, is like a hub for mobile communication. It sends and receives signals to and from mobile devices like smartphones. These towers are placed in different locations to provide coverage for phone calls, texts, and internet access. They’re essential for our phones to work wherever we go.

The alliance members will also use their combined tech know-how to focus on three main areas: AI for, and, and on RAN. 

In simple words, they want to make mobile networks better by using AI to improve how they use the airwaves, combine it with the network to make it work smarter and find new ways to profit, and put it right at the edge of the network to make it run smoother and offer new services to phone users.