AI-Native Radio Access Network (RAN) Solutions

The agency is seeking AI-native Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions. The project aims to support the development of a secure compute environment that enables or leverages native artificial intelligence capabilities within the RAN. This is intended to generate revenue for operators, achieve cost savings, foster innovative third-party services, and demonstrate a business case for accelerating commercial deployments and the export of open, interoperable, and secure equipment. The scope of work requires an AI-native network fabric with an architecture allowing for full functionality and seamless data exchange. New processing capabilities must support new AI applications, traditional IT, and RAN-related network functions simultaneously on the same infrastructure. This includes processing for AI workloads like model training, inference, data processing, natural language processing, computer vision, and generative AI, as well as services such as streaming, caching, and databases. The project also addresses operational challenges related to traffic management, observability, and resiliency. Eligibility is restricted to Onshore (USA Organization Only) entities. The performance of the work will be conducted Offsite. The agency is seeking proposals and has a 50% minimum cost share requirement. The total funding available is up to $53,000,000, with a maximum of $25,000,000 per project. Complete applications must be submitted through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on September 9, 2026. Awards are expected to be made on a rolling basis.