NVIDIA and SoftBank are embarking on a groundbreaking venture to establish Japan’s most powerful AI supercomputer, utilizing the Blackwell platform from NVIDIA. This initiative will include deploying NVIDIA Grace Blackwell for subsequent phases. Unveiled by NVIDIA’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang, the partnership seeks to bolster Japan’s AI capabilities and fortify its position as a global tech leader. Moreover, it promises substantial revenue potential for telecommunications providers worldwide.
In a pioneering effort, SoftBank trialed the world’s first combined AI and 5G network, leveraging the NVIDIA AI Aerial computing platform. This blend could potentially unlock billions in AI revenue for telecom operators, offering a significant advantage in today’s competitive market.
An AI marketplace is also on SoftBank’s agenda with NVIDIA AI Enterprise software. This marketplace is set to cater to Japan’s demand for secure, local AI computing, aiding AI training and edge AI inference. This strategy possibly positions SoftBank as a central hub for AI in Japan.
Highlighting Japan’s history of technological advancements, Huang emphasized the country’s role in driving innovation. “Japan has a long history of pioneering technological innovations with global impact,” he affirmed. With investments in NVIDIA’s AI platforms, Japan is poised for an AI industrial revolution, benefiting telecom, transport, robotics, and healthcare sectors, marking a shift towards a new growth era.
Junichi Miyakawa, SoftBank’s President and CEO, echoed this enthusiasm for AI’s transformative potential. “Countries and regions worldwide are accelerating the adoption of AI for social and economic growth,” he stated. Through this collaboration, SoftBank is at the forefront of this change, ready to boost innovation globally.
As a critical milestone, SoftBank will receive the world’s first NVIDIA DGX B200 systems. This setup, in conjunction with the DGX SuperPOD supercomputer, will support generative AI activities for various Japanese institutions. Concurrently, plans for a new supercomputer using the NVIDIA Grace Blackwell platform are advancing, promising advanced AI capabilities.
A notable breakthrough is the AI-RAN network, a Softbank and NVIDIA collaboration capable of handling AI and 5G tasks concurrently. In a test in Kanagawa, SoftBank showcased 5G performance while managing AI tasks, revealing a model that could redefine telecom infrastructures.
Smart utilization of excess network capacity offers new AI inference services and potential revenue. NVIDIA and SoftBank foresee a return of up to 219% for each AI-RAN server integrated into the infrastructure.
Recognizing the technology’s significance, Ronnie Vasishta, NVIDIA’s Senior Vice President of Telecom, stated, “Shifting from single-purpose to multi-purpose AI-RAN networks can mean 5x the revenue for every dollar of capex invested.” This shift aligns with the advanced trial, validating AI-RAN’s commercial potential and technological prowess.
SoftBank’s VP and Head of the Research Institute, Ryuji Wakikawa, expressed confidence in their AITRAS solution. “SoftBank’s ‘AITRAS’ is the first AI-RAN solution developed through a five-year collaboration with NVIDIA,” he noted. The innovation is expected to transform mobile operators’ business models, contributing significantly to the telecommunications landscape.
