Ahead of Mobile World Congress, Dell Technologies is pushing deeper into telecom infrastructure with a new outdoor server aimed squarely at Cloud RAN densification and edge compute, alongside AI-driven testing tools and expanded engineered systems with Nokia.
The headline announcement is the Dell PowerEdge XR9700, which Dell describes as an industry-first, zero-footprint, liquid-cooled server designed for deployment directly at the far edge of mobile networks – including utility poles, rooftops and building exteriors.
The vendor claims that server will enable operators to densify 5G networks in areas where cabinet space is exhausted and site expansion costs are rising. It added that it will also enable edge compute use cases for operators to monetise. Although some have doubted the potential for edge AI monetisation, seeing it as another go-round for the doomed MEC vision, some mobile operators this week have shown a willingness to progress on designing an architecture that supports vRAN and edge AI processing.
Charles Tsai, Sr Director Product Management, Dell Technologies, said, “This product is designed to provide open compute resources at the far edge locations, and I believe this will be a key differentiator for many of our telecom providers, that will open new opportunity for their network and also for their business.”
An AWS aside
Interestingly, the launch is happening at the precise moment AWS has admitted that it has “pivoted” away from development of a Cloud RAN server that it announced at MWC 2025. That announcement saw AWS announce its pre-integrated Outposts RAN server based on its Graviton 3 chip, with a form factor and performance designed especially for on-premise deployments at RAN sites. AWS said that different vendors would be able to apply their choice of L1 acceleration to the design, announcing that it had partnered with Nokia to integrate that company’s L1 SmartNIC accelerator.
But on a pre-MWC briefing call with journalists, Amir Rao, Global Director, GTM & Telco Solutions at AWS, said that shortly after that launch, AWS “did a slight pivot on that particular server implementation with Nokia.”
“The reason is that we saw a much bigger demand for us to help the industry, across hardware platforms, come up with a CaaS layer on which they can build their AI solutions. And so we pivoted a little bit on that one, shifting away from the actual physical hardware, focusing now more on the CaaS layer and the stack enabling AI in the RAN itself,” Rao said.
Taking Compute to the edge
But while AWS steps back from RAN server hardware and focusses instead on its CaaS and AI capabilities, Dell, with its hardware background, is forging ahead. Where AWS relied on its own chip, plus an integrated accelerator for L1 processing, Dell’s server is based on the Intel Xeon 6 SoC, with its integrated accelerators.
The XR9700 supports up to 15 5G sectors per server, and Tsai added that the Intel platform with its integrated accelerators in the SOC like ADX 512 and AMX (Advanced Matrix Extensions) would enable operator to offer edge and edge AI applications.
“This provides both future proofing for Cloud RAN as well as opportunities for future low latency sensitive services,” he said.
“What makes the XR 9700 truly different is that it brings the same high compute capability as remote data centres, which allows telecom provider to bring a new business model to their network. This means operator can move beyond connectivity and start delivering differentiated services like real time video analytics, automated industrial control, or latency application for enterprises and smart cities.”
In practical terms, the server targets dense urban deployments where operators are looking to add capacity without negotiating for additional indoor real estate or upgrading HVAC systems. Traditional edge servers, even ruggedised variants, typically sit inside cabinets or shelters. The XR9700 is designed to bypass that constraint. TheIP66-rated platform operates in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +46°C (with solar loading), using a closed-loop liquid cooling system and an intelligent heater module to handle both thermal extremes. The 15-liter system weighs about 18 kilograms, making it suitable for single-engineer installation, according to Dell.
“Many cell sites and cabinets are already full,” Tsai said, ” and with the cost it takes to expand those cabinets, many operators have been telling us they need a zero footprint solution. So as we look at opportunities to help our customer, we believe utility poles or the sides of buildings are the logical answer for where future compute needs to reside for our customers. The challenge we have to face as an equipment provider is, how do we provide those capability at those locations? We know that without the protection of a cabinet, temperature will be a problem, and we also need to protect against dust and humidity.”
Dell also emphasised lifecycle commitments, offering a 10-year support window – a key requirement in carrier procurement cycles.
AI Enters the Test Lab
Beyond hardware, Dell is also attempting to streamline a persistent bottleneck in telco cloud deployments: testing and validation.
Through its Open Telecom Ecosystem Lab, the company introduced an AI-assisted telecom testing and validation capability built on its Solution Integration Platform. The system automates script generation, integrates with CI/CD pipelines and provides predictive insights into how workloads may behave in production networks.
Dell’s pitch is that AI-driven automation can reduce errors, accelerate certification and help operators onboard new cloud-native network functions more quickly.
The company plans to demonstrate the platform at MWC, with customer availability slated for April 2026.
The move aligns with a broader industry shift toward autonomous network operations and zero-touch provisioning – themes gaining traction as operators seek to contain operating costs while expanding edge compute.
Infrastructure Blocks Get Smaller – and Closer to the Edge
Dell also announced new engineered Infrastructure Blocks co-developed with Nokia to support autonomous network and core enterprise workloads.
While cloud-native telecom platforms have matured at scale, smaller-footprint deployments have remained complex. Dell’s updated Infrastructure Blocks aim to deliver a fully functional cloud environment within a single rack configuration, starting with a two-server management cluster and a five-server workload cluster, scalable up to 16 servers.
The system includes a seven-year lifecycle commitment and continuous validation against Nokia software releases – with Dell claiming it is now “deeply embedded into Nokia’s processes”.
For operators rolling out distributed core functions or enterprise-focused mobile services, the approach promises a pre-integrated stack designed to reduce integration risk and accelerate go-live timelines.
Sandro Tavares, Head of Telecom Marketing, Dell Technologies, said, “What we’re trying to solve with these, as part of the value proposition of infrastructure blocks, is to really help communication service providers transition from their legacy way of building networks, to give them the flexibility they need to launch new services faster.
“One challenge the industry has faced is that cloudification of the network has worked well for large deployments, but when you get workloads that require smaller footprints, these types of architecture didn’t scale very well.
“With this new solution, we figured out a way to actually implement a fully functioning cloud infrastructure for smaller footprint solutions utilising a smaller number of servers and switches. With that, we expect that we can accelerate the adoption of Nokia’s Autonomous Network Solutions and help really create this as a foundation for other workloads in the future to be added to to this type of architecture as well.”
Tavares said, “We are talking about full Nokia Autonomous Network Solutions and core enterprise solutions running on one single rack. .”That allows a flexible implementation model where you can scale based on the actual demand of the location where the customer is deploying the solution.
A Broader Ambition
Taken together, the announcements show Dell continuing its evolution from server supplier to telecom platform partner.
The XR9700 expands its ruggedised XR portfolio into true outdoor deployments, directly addressing 5G densification challenges. The AI-assisted testing initiative moves Dell further into operational tooling, while the Nokia collaboration reinforces its role as an infrastructure substrate beneath third-party network software.
Its hope is that vendors capable of delivering carrier-grade hardware with automation and lifecycle assurances may find themselves well positioned in the transition to AI-powered and automated networks.
