Intel's Xeon 6 "Granite Rapids" server CPUs have seen massive adoption from leading telecom operators, courtesy of integrated AI acceleration and much more.
Intel's Xeon 6 Server CPUs See Massive Adoption From Mainstream Network Firs Through Its RAN Innovations
[Press Release]: The telecommunications industry is undergoing a major transformation as AI and 5G technologies reshape networks and connectivity. While operators are eager to modernize infrastructure, challenges remain, such as high capital expenditures, security concerns and integration with legacy systems.
At MWC 2025, Intel – alongside more than 50 partners and customers – will showcase groundbreaking solutions that deliver high capacity and high efficiency performance with built-in AI integration, eliminating the need for costly additional hardware and delivering optimized total cost of ownership (TCO).
Network Transformation and AI Acceleration
Nearly every commercial virtual radio access network deployment runs on Intel Xeon, and now the new Xeon 6 SoC, purpose-built for network and edge applications, is setting a new benchmark for performance-per-watt. By integrating AI acceleration with Intel Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX) and Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (AMX), the SoC boosts AI RAN performance by up to 3.2x over previous generations and redefines performance without the need for discrete accelerators. Moreover, with eight integrated Ethernet ports and a total throughput of up to 200 gigabits per second (Gbps), the Intel Xeon 6 SoC provides robust connectivity.
This combination of optimized architecture and capacity gain means operators can dramatically reduce their server footprint, allowing them to deploy more capacity with fewer servers by enabling consolidation of multi-server open vRAN sites to a single-server footprint delivering optimized TCO. The Intel Xeon 6 SoC also includes the industry’s first integrated media transcode accelerator, Intel® Media Transcode Accelerator, which delivers up to 14.25x performance-per-watt gain for video transcoding, helping video service providers offer near-real-time experiences for live sports, gaming and auctions while significantly reducing 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’s first OpenRAN deployments are demonstrating the competitiveness of networks built on Intel Xeon versus advanced legacy radio access networks (RAN).
- AT&T is 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.
- Samsung leverages 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.
- Ericsson is 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 TELUS are 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’s software optimizations have produced a 3.8x improvement in performance-per-watt versus current CoSPs deployed configurations.
- Nokia has leveraged Intel Xeon 6 processors to deliver a 60% reduction in run-time power consumption for its 5G Packet Core solution.
- Samsung’s next-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 density.
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.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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