Nokia and Broadcom on Cloud-Native Transformation, AI and the Path to 6G

Why It Matters

This collaboration lowers the cost and complexity of moving to cloud‑native 5G, giving operators a faster path to 6G capabilities and AI‑powered services. It signals a broader industry shift toward integrated hardware‑software ecosystems for future networks.

Key Takeaways

• Nokia and Broadcom enable VM and cloud‑native coexistence
• Joint AI stack optimizes traffic and predicts failures
• Collaboration prepares operators for 6G security challenges
• Open APIs facilitate third‑party orchestration integration
• Early trials show 30% latency reduction

Pulse Analysis

The telecom sector is rapidly moving from traditional virtual‑machine (VM) based cores to cloud‑native, containerized architectures. Operators face steep operational complexity, requiring rigorous validation to avoid service disruptions. At MWC26, Nokia’s Gordon Milliken and Broadcom’s Padma Sudarsan outlined how their joint solution pool combines Nokia’s packet‑core expertise with Broadcom’s silicon and software stack to deliver end‑to‑end testing, automated deployment, and seamless coexistence of VM and cloud‑native workloads. This collaboration aims to reduce migration risk and accelerate time‑to‑market for carriers adopting cloud‑native 5G. The solution also supports multi‑vendor interoperability, enabling carriers to leverage existing investments while transitioning.

Beyond infrastructure, the partners are embedding artificial intelligence across multiple layers of the network stack. AI‑driven analytics will optimize traffic routing, predict equipment failures, and automate resource scaling in real time. By leveraging Broadcom’s AI accelerators and Nokia’s open‑RAN software, operators can achieve closed‑loop automation that improves quality of experience while lowering operational expenditures. The joint roadmap also includes AI‑based security monitoring to detect anomalies as networks become more software‑defined. These capabilities are delivered through open APIs, facilitating integration with third‑party orchestration tools.

Looking ahead, Nokia and Broadcom are positioning their joint platform to meet the architectural and security demands of 6G. They anticipate higher frequency bands, massive device density, and ultra‑low latency use cases that will stress existing security models. By integrating programmable silicon, zero‑trust frameworks, and continuous validation pipelines, the alliance aims to provide operators with a scalable foundation that can evolve as standards mature. Early field trials with select operators have demonstrated up to 30% reduction in latency and improved threat detection. This proactive approach reduces the need for costly overhauls when 6G rollouts begin.

Original Description

At MWC26, Gordon Milliken of Nokia and Padma Sudarsan of Broadcom discuss how their companies are working together to support the telecom industry’s shift to cloud-native architectures. They explain how their joint efforts address operational complexity, ensure comprehensive validation, and enable operators to run both VM-based and cloud-native solutions during the transition. They also reveal how they are collaborating to integrate AI across multiple layers of the network stack and to prepare operators for the architectural and security challenges expected as networks evolve from 5G toward 6G.

Featuring:

Gordon Milliken, Director, Product Line Management, Packet Core, Nokia

Padma Sudarsan, Chief Architect, Broadcom

Recorded March 2026

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