Together with more than 50 partners and customers, Intel will present innovative solutions at MWC 2025 that offer high capacity and high efficiency performance with integrated AI integration, doing away with the need for pricey extra hardware and providing optimal total cost of ownership (TCO).
As networks and connectivity are altered by AI and 5G technologies, the telecom sector is going through a significant transition. Operators are keen to update infrastructure, but there are still obstacles to overcome, including expensive capital costs, security issues, and outdated system interoperability.
Together with more than 50 partners and customers, Intel will present innovative solutions at MWC 2025 that offer high capacity and high efficiency performance with integrated AI integration, doing away with the need for pricey extra hardware and providing optimal total cost of ownership (TCO).
Network Transformation and AI Acceleration
Intel Xeon powers almost all commercial virtual radio access network deployments, and the recently released Xeon 6 SoC, designed specifically for network and edge workloads, is raising the bar for performance-per-watt.
The SoC redefines performance without the need for discrete accelerators by integrating AI acceleration with Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) and Intel® Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX), which increases AI RAN performance by up to 3.2x over prior generations4. Furthermore, the Intel Xeon 6 SoC offers reliable connectivity with eight built-in Ethernet ports and a maximum throughput of 200 gigabits per second (Gbps).
By enabling the consolidation of multi-server open vRAN sites into a single-server footprint, operators can deploy greater capacity with fewer servers thanks to this combination of improved architecture and capacity gain, which also provides optimum TCO.
The first integrated media transcode accelerator in the industry, Intel® Media Transcode Accelerator, is part of the Intel Xeon 6 SoC. It can achieve up to 14.25x performance-per-watt gain for video transcoding5, enabling video service providers to provide near-real-time experiences for live gaming, sports, and auctions while drastically lowering power consumption.
Comprehensive Security for Modern Networks
As data generation surges at the network edge, security remains a critical focus. Intel Xeon 6 SoC addresses this with its leading-edge security features that enable more secure, zero-trust connections across the edge-to-cloud ecosystem.
The Impact of Intel’s Ecosystem with Partners and Customers
Intel is driving the next wave of vRAN and open RAN innovation, with significant enthusiasm from leading telecom operators:
- Vodafone’sfirst OpenRAN deployments are demonstrating the competitiveness of networks built on Intel Xeon versus advanced legacy radio access networks (RAN).
- AT&Tis teaming up with Ericsson and Intel to build the world’s most open, programmable and reliable RAN network6. This year, AT&T will begin using Intel’s Xeon 6 SoC, a high-capacity, programmable virtual RAN hardware platform, to enable ongoing AI advancements through seamless software updates.
- Samsungleverages Xeon 6 to enhance performance and energy efficiency, accelerating AI integration across RAN and supporting its TCO and AI objectives.
- Verizon has over 40% of its nationwide 5G RAN footprint virtualized, in addition to its entire 5G core and edge. Verizon is developing the next-gen high-compute-density vRAN server, based on Intel Xeon 6, to double RAN compute capacity and enable greater energy efficiency and multitenancy, and a lower TCO.
- Ericssonis industrializing Open RAN and AI RAN innovations with Xeon 6 SoC and has achieved its first Cloud RAN call on Xeon 6, powered by Dell servers.
- Operators including Rakuten Mobile, Reliance Jio, SK Telecom and TELUSare advancing 5G adoption and transforming network infrastructure using Intel Xeon processors for smarter, more flexible and energy-efficient networks.
Driving a More Sustainable Future with Intel Xeon 6
Intel® Xeon® 6 processors with E-cores, launched in 2024, are experiencing widespread adoption among 5G core solution vendors and telecom operators. The addition of Intel® Infrastructure Power Manager (IPM) software enhances energy efficiency and accelerates time-to-market for customers seeking to optimize infrastructure, reduce energy consumption and minimize hardware footprints while maintaining performance.
Partners are actively adopting Xeon 6-based solutions, helping optimize energy efficiency while delivering industry-leading performance. Partner sustainability success stories include:
- Ericsson’ssoftware optimizations have produced a 3.8x improvement in performance-per-watt7 versus current CoSPs’ deployed configurations.
- Nokiahas leveraged Intel Xeon 6 processors to deliver a 60% reduction in run-time power consumption for its 5G Packet Core solution8.
- Samsung’snext-generation Cloud Native Core, expected in the second quarter of 2025, will feature Intel Xeon 6 processors with E-cores to achieve 3.2x better performance and density9.
Advancements in Ethernet for Modern Networks
Intel recently introduced two new families of discrete Ethernet controllers and network adapters: the E830 and E610 product lines.
The Intel® Ethernet E830 family supports up to 200 Gb of bandwidth and includes precision time measurement for real-time vRAN workloads, while the Intel® Ethernet E610 family offers 10GBASE-T connectivity, ideal for power-efficient control plane networking.
Join Intel and its global ecosystem of partners and customers at MWC 2025 to explore the transformative power of the Xeon 6 family, featuring RAN breakthroughs, media and edge advancements, security innovations, enterprise services, and commercial AI PC solutions.
Leadership Comments
“By leveraging cloud technologies and fostering close collaborations with partners, we are helping operators virtualize both 5G core and radio access networks – proving that the most demanding, mission-critical workloads can run efficiently on general-purpose silicon,” said Sachin Katti, senior vice president and general manager of the Network and Edge Group at Intel Corporation. “Through our Xeon 6 processors, we are enabling the future of AI-powered network modernization.”
