- Intel expands Xeon 6 roadmap with 18A-based processors targeting AI in telecom networks
- 288-core Clearwater Forest reduces rack power and improves performance per watts
- Tests show 38% lower runtime rack power compared to comparable Sierra Forest systems
At MWC 2026, Intel introduced its upcoming Clearwater Forest Xeon 6+ processors, built on the 18A process and aimed at edge AI and early 6G infrastructure.
The update adds a higher density option to the Xeon 6 series for network and data center deployments.
First previewed in October 2025, Clearwater Forest follows the current Xeon 6 generation and is expected to arrive in 2027.
AI in networking is not “CPU vs. GPU”
Intel is expanding Xeon 6 across radio access networks, or RANs, which connect devices like smartphones to the wider mobile network, as well as mobile core systems and edge sites.
The strategy keeps network functions, security workloads, enterprise services and AI inference on standard server hardware.
Kevork Kechichian, executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s Data Center Group, said: “AI in networking is not ‘CPU vs. GPU” – this is the correct calculation of the workload.
The idea is that not all AI tasks within a telecom network require a separate accelerator. In many cases, inference can run directly on Xeon processors depending on performance and power constraints.
In RAN, the Xeon 6 SoC integrates Advanced Matrix Extensions and vRAN Boost, allowing inference workloads to run on the same server handling virtualized network software. This may limit the need for additional hardware in certain implementations.
Rakuten Mobile is working with Intel to train and deploy AI models for low-latency RAN workloads using the Xeon 6 SoC. Vodafone has committed to adopting Xeon 6 SoCs for Open RAN and vRAN modernization projects across Europe.
Clearwater Forest, simply labeled Xeon 6+, increases core density and switches to Intel’s 18A process.
In tests by Ericsson, a single 288-core Xeon 6990E+ Clearwater Forest processor reduced runtime rack power by 38 percent, delivered more than 60 percent better performance per watts and improved overall performance by 30 percent compared to a dual-socket 288-core Xeon 6780E Sierra Forest system.
Higher core counts and lower power consumption are at the heart of Intel’s pitch as AI workloads expand within telecom infrastructure and networks move closer to early 6G development.
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