Indonesian telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) has paired with vendor Nokia and chip maker giant Nvidia to launch an AI-RAN research center in the country.

The research center was opened this week in Surabaya, with the aim of developing AI-powered Radio Access Networks (RAN).

Indosat will combine its network with Nokia's RAN and Nvidia's computing platform as part of the carrier's aims to push its AI strategy.

The theme of the center, Indosat notes, is 'AI made by Indonesians for Indonesians.'

A key focus of the collaboration between Indosat, Nokia, and Nvidia, is around plans to establish the 'AI Grid.' According to Indosat, the AI Grid will serve as the foundation to make AI accessible to millions across the country.

It builds on Indosat's AI efforts, as revealed by CEO Vikram Sinha in a recent interview with DCD.

“As Indonesia accelerates its digital transformation, the AI-RAN Research Center reflects Indosat’s larger purpose of empowering Indonesia. When connectivity meets compute, it creates intelligence— delivered at the Edge, in a sovereign manner," said Sinha this week.

"This is how AI unlocks real impact, from personalized tutors for children in rural areas to precision farming powered by drones. Together with Nokia and Nvidia, we’re building the foundation for AI-driven growth that strengthens Indonesia’s digital future.”

The AI grid connects Indosat’s central AI Factory with new AI-RAN hubs across the country that are capable of hosting AI applications anywhere from data centers to the distributed 5G network.

The partners aim to drive AI-powered applications in sectors such as education, agriculture, and healthcare.

Tapping into Nvidia's compute

Sinha previously stated that Indosat is well-positioned to support AI computing power through its portfolio of data centers, which are equipped with Nvidia chipsets.

The telco has previously partnered with Nvidia to build an AI data center in Surakarta, Indonesia, doing so in April 2024.

More recently, in July, the operator paired with Cisco and Nvidia to support the establishment of Indonesia’s AI Center of Excellence (CoE). In order to fully maximize the potential of AI for Indonesians, Sinha explains that the AI CoE is a key focus for the operator.

“The AI Grid is the biggest opportunity for telecom providers to make AI as ubiquitous as connectivity and distribute intelligence at scale by tapping into their nationwide wireless networks,” said Ronnie Vasishta, senior vice president of telecom at Nvidia.

It's also another partnership in which Nvidia is working with Finnish vendor Nokia, and comes a fortnight after Nvidia invested $1 billion in Nokia to push AI networking.

As part of the investment, Nvidia became the second-biggest shareholder in Nokia, taking a 2.9 percent stake.