Nokia and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) have announced a partnership to modernise Indosat’s nationwide mobile network in Indonesia through the deployment of 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technologies, including low- and mid-band 5G.
Under the agreement, Nokia will supply radio, baseband and network management and automation platforms as Indosat expands 5G coverage and capacity. Nokia said low-band 5G will be introduced across Indosat’s full network footprint, while mid-band 5G is intended to cover about 80% of the network over the next three and a half years.
The companies said the project is designed to support future AI-enabled services and the development of AI-RAN architecture in collaboration with NVIDIA. Nokia, Indosat and NVIDIA said they are targeting field trials in Indonesia by the end of 2026, following what they described as the first AI-RAN call completed at Mobile World Congress 2026.
Nokia said it will deploy its Habrok and Pandion radio families, Levante basebands, Centralized RAN, and network management and automation platforms. The vendors said AI-driven automation and energy-efficient technologies are expected to improve operational efficiency and energy use.
The announcement positions the network upgrade as a foundation for Indosat’s “AI grid” approach, combining centralised AI “factories” with distributed AI-RAN infrastructure to move AI workloads closer to the network edge. The companies linked this to potential applications in sectors including public services, healthcare, education and agriculture, supported by the AI-RAN Innovation Center in Surabaya and the NVIDIA AI Technology Center ecosystem.
“The next phase of network evolution will be defined by how well operators combine connectivity, intelligence and scale. Together with Indosat and NVIDIA, Nokia is helping build a network that can do exactly that — one that expands 5G, enables new AI-driven services and creates long-term value. This partnership reflects a broader shift in the industry, as operators invest in networks that deliver high performance at scale while supporting greater efficiency, new business models and digital growth,” said Justin Hotard, President and CEO at Nokia.
“At Indosat, we continuously evolve to serve our customers #LebihBaik by understanding their needs more deeply and delivering experiences that truly matter to them. Together with Nokia and NVIDIA, we are building a reliable and AI-ready network foundation that will elevate connectivity and create a more seamless digital experience for every customer. This collaboration strengthens our readiness for the next phase of digital innovation while reinforcing our commitment to empowering Indonesia through inclusive and sustainable digital transformation,” said Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison.
“Indosat and Nokia are showing what it looks like when a 5G network becomes the platform for intelligence. By building on our AI-RAN work together and moving toward field trials in Indonesia, we are helping create an architecture where AI and connectivity can work side by side to improve efficiency, enable new applications and support digital transformation at scale,” said Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President of Telecommunications at NVIDIA.
The move comes as operators in the region continue to invest in 5G capacity and coverage while exploring how AI can be integrated into network operations and new services. For enterprise and government customers, the timeline for AI-RAN field trials and the scale of mid-band rollout will be closely watched, as will the project’s impact on network performance, operational efficiency and energy consumption.
