This joint effort is aimed to position Japan as a global leader in AI, while creating new business opportunities across industries like telecommunications, healthcare, and robotics.
The collaboration, unveiled by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, is expected to accelerate Japan’s AI initiatives while unlocking new revenue opportunities for telecom providers worldwide. Notably, SoftBank has piloted the world’s first network that combines AI and 5G using the Nvidia AI Aerial platform, which could potentially create billions in AI-driven revenue streams for telecommunications operators.
In parallel with this, SoftBank is planning an AI marketplace powered by Nvidia AI Enterprise software, which will provide secure, local AI computing services to meet Japan’s growing demand for AI solutions. This platform will serve as a hub for AI training and edge AI applications, helping position SoftBank as a leading AI enabler in Japan.
“Japan has a long history of pioneering technological innovations with global impact,” said Huang. “With SoftBank’s significant investment in Nvidia’s full-stack AI, Omniverse, and 5G AI-RAN platforms, Japan is leaping into the AI industrial revolution to become a global leader, driving a new era of growth across the telecommunications, transportation, robotics, and healthcare industries in ways that will greatly benefit humankind in the age of AI.”
SoftBank is set to be the first to receive Nvidia’s DGX B200 systems, marking the start of its construction of a DGX SuperPOD supercomputer. This high-performance system will support AI-driven research and development for universities, research institutions, and various industries across Japan.
In addition to the SuperPOD, plans for a new supercomputer based on the Nvidia Grace Blackwell platform are underway. This future system will include Nvidia’s cutting-edge GB200 NVL72 multi-node, liquid-cooled technology, combining Grace CPUs with Blackwell GPUs for enhanced processing power.
SoftBank has already made strides with its AI-RAN solution, which transforms telecom infrastructure through simultaneous handling of both AI and 5G workloads, with projections of up to 219% return on investment for each AI-RAN server added to the network.
A recent field trial in Kanagawa demonstrated that AI and 5G can operate in tandem, providing new revenue opportunities through AI-driven services.
The initiative signals that Nvidia and SoftBank are setting the stage for Japan to become a global leader in AI and telecommunications innovation.
