The Intel Xeon 6 system-on-chip (SoC) processor, featuring P-core processors, was unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona last week, promising to enhance performance and efficiency for networking and edge computing.
As AI and 5G reshape the industry, network operators face rising infrastructure costs, security challenges, and legacy system integration issues. Intel says it is tackling these concerns by delivering greater capacity, efficiency, and AI integration. The Xeon 6 powers AI-enabled edge servers with Intel vRAN Boost, media acceleration, and built-in networking.
“By leveraging cloud technologies and fostering close collaborations with partners, we are helping operators virtualise 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, SVP and GM of the network and edge group at Intel. “Through our Xeon 6 processors, we are enabling the future of AI-powered network modernisation.”
Network transformation, AI acceleration
Most commercial virtual radio access networks run on Intel Xeon. Intel says the new Xeon 6 SoC pushes performance-per-watt to a new level.
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, without the need for discrete accelerators.
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 optimised 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 optimised TCO.
The Intel Xeon 6 SoC 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
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.
Intel’s ecosystem
Intel says it is driving the next wave of vRAN and open RAN innovation, with significant enthusiasm from leading telecom operators, including:
- 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 network. 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 virtualised, 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 industrialising 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.
Sustainability
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 optimise infrastructure, reduce energy consumption and minimise hardware footprints while maintaining performance.
Partners are actively adopting Xeon 6-based solutions, helping optimise energy efficiency while delivering industry-leading performance. Partner sustainability success stories include:
- Ericsson’s software optimisations have produced a 3.8x improvement in performance-per-wattversus 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.
Discrete Ethernet controllers and network adapters
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.