HCLTech and Nokia launch AI rApps for 5G automation

HCLTech and Nokia launched four jointly developed AI-driven rApps on Nokia's SMO Marketplace for 5G network automation. The applications cover anomaly detection, energy optimisation, massive MIMO interference mitigation and traffic balancing. The signal is that RAN automation is moving from broad autonomous-network positioning towards deployable software use cases that operators can test in multivendor environments.

• Joint launch moves AI-driven RAN automation from platform promise to deployable software

• SMO marketplace model gains credibility as route for multivendor telco automation

The fact

HCLTech and Nokia have launched four jointly developed AI rApps on Nokia's Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) Marketplace for 5G network automation. The applications target anomaly detection, energy optimisation, massive MIMO interference mitigation and traffic balancing — tasks that drive operational cost and service quality for carriers. They are positioned for multivendor network environments. Commercial terms were not disclosed.

The Assessment

The rApps matter because they turn abstract RAN automation promises into four concrete operational tasks. Energy and interference directly hit carrier OPEX; anomaly detection and traffic balancing affect service quality. HCLTech gains a software-led role beyond systems integration, while Nokia uses its SMO marketplace as a distribution channel rather than a closed platform. The real question: can multivendor rApps compete with vendor-specific optimisation that already works on single-stack networks?

What to Watch

Watch for first live deployments in multivendor networks, and whether carriers publish measurable OPEX savings from the energy optimisation and interference mitigation rApps.