Cisco Systems unveiled a new era of AI infrastructure at NVIDIA’s GTC conference in Washington D.C., introducing groundbreaking technologies that redefine network intelligence and cloud performance. Among the major announcements were an AI-native wireless stack designed for 6G capabilities and the launch of the N9100 data center switch, both signaling Cisco’s push toward intelligent connectivity.
The company’s initiative comes as global telecom cloud infrastructure spending continues to surge, projected to grow from $17.4 billion in 2025 to $24.8 billion by 2030. Cisco’s latest innovations aim to help telecoms and enterprises modernize operations through advanced automation, energy efficiency, and AI-driven analytics that can predict and resolve network issues before disruptions occur.
At the heart of Cisco’s AI roadmap is the philosophy of “AI for Wireless” and “Wireless for AI.” The former uses artificial intelligence to enhance wireless performance through real-time spectrum sensing and optimization. Meanwhile, “Wireless for AI” creates a framework where mobile networks function as intelligent computing fabrics, dynamically allocating resources for latency-sensitive applications like drones and smart factories.
A critical milestone in this journey is the AI-WIN project, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, Booz Allen, MITRE, ODC, and T-Mobile. In just six months, the team built an AI-native mobile network stack capable of performing complex integrated sensing and communications tasks. It successfully completed the world’s first user-to-user phone call over an AI-native network, proving the viability of this next-generation architecture.
Beyond strengthening performance, Cisco’s advancements emphasize security and data privacy within AI-driven networks. The company is embedding advanced encryption, access monitoring, and data governance systems into its new platforms to ensure compliance with upcoming regulations and safeguard sensitive information across distributed edge environments. These efforts position Cisco at the forefront of the AI-powered connectivity revolution.
