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The company aims to provide this software to telecommunications carriers in Japan and internationally, and to deploy more than 50,000 vRAN base stations by fiscal 2026.
vRAN is a system that will serve as the foundation for the development of network technologies in the future, including further enhancement of 5G services, optimization and streamlining of operational costs, flexible network design, accelerated area deployment, and collaboration with the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN®) concept proposed by NTT. This is expected to facilitate the development and introduction of new technologies through Open RAN, and promote innovation while reducing power consumption.
NEC's vRAN achieves carrier-grade network quality that complies with the specifications defined by the O-RAN ALLIANCE (*1). In addition, because it complies with open interface specifications, it is guaranteed to work in conjunction with equipment from different vendors and cloud environments. By using this software, it is possible to achieve a RAN configuration that is optimal for the specifications required by telecommunications carriers. In addition, it uses a fully containerized architecture and is based on 5G hardware base station technology and knowledge that is cloud-native, has a proven track record of large-scale commercial use, and it is compatible with cutting-edge general-purpose servers. Furthermore, it uses Qualcomm Technologies' inline accelerator, the Qualcomm Dragonwing X100, to speed up processing, and achieves the high speed and large capacity communications that are characteristic of 5G.
NEC has already deployed a 5G core network (5GC, •2) that uses virtualization technology, and the commercialization of this software for vRAN will enable the construction of a total cloud-native 5G network from the core to the RAN. This will make it possible to provide a high-quality 5G network that can flexibly respond to diverse service requirements.
Furthermore, by utilizing this software, resource reallocation through virtualization is possible, enabling as much as a 65% reduction in total device power consumption when compared to existing 5G base station equipment (*3).
In addition, NEC has developed a Near Real-time RAN Intelligent Controller (Near-RT RIC) to enhance the functionality of vRAN. This enables dynamic customization of RAN operation in response to diversifying service demands, and enables functional expansion such as quality improvement, SLA guarantees, and power saving (*4). Moreover, when combined with NEC's solutions for advanced network operation management, the construction time for mobile infrastructure can be reduced by approximately 70% compared to conventional methods, enabling large-scale commercial deployment of 5G networks in a short period of time.
"NEC is excited to announce the commercialization of our vRAN software, which will play a critical role in shaping the future of network technologies," said Takashi Sato, Corporate Senior Vice President at NEC. "Our vRAN solution not only adheres to strict O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications but also leverages open interfaces and a fully containerized architecture to ensure optimal integration with multi-vendor and cloud environments."
"We are very pleased to see our strong collaboration with NEC moving forward with commercial deployment of the Virtualized Distributed Unit (vDU) using the Qualcomm Dragonwing X100 accelerator card," said Gerardo Giaretta, VP & GM of 5G RAN Infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-performance, energy-efficient and cost-effective 5G solutions that meet the evolving needs of network operators around the world."
Going forward, NEC will continue to work towards providing high-performance 5G networks that are geared towards 5G Advanced and 6G, as well as networks with high scalability and flexibility that can respond to diversifying service requirements.
Note:
(*1) O-RAN ALLIANCE:
An international industry organization that promotes standardization with the aim of realizing open and scalable next-generation wireless access networks, including 5G.
(*2) 5G core (5GC)
A mobile core network system that accommodates 5G wireless.
(*3) Based on NEC's evaluation criteria.
(*4) Press release: NEC Develops Near Real-time RIC for High Performance 5G vRAN
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