The virtualization of cellular networks has been ongoing for some time. But virtualizing the Radio Access Network (RAN) has always been an enigma and was the final frontier for the trend. The rising star of 5G infrastructure business—Samsung—jumped on to the virtualized RAN (vRAN)...
Nokia expects “full suite” of O-RAN interfaces available in 2021
Adding on to a recent refresh of its virtualized, cloud-based RAN solutions, Nokia today, after weeks of building up to it, made clear its position on open RAN and its role as a global, incumbent...
5G is meant to be flexible so its radio access network should be too
Nokia is unique compared to its competitors Ericsson and Huawei in that the company has amped up messaging around open RAN generally and, specifically, its role in balancing open, interoperable interfaces...
Cisco, Altiostar, WWT creating vRAN hardware/software/services bundle to drive 5G deployment
Building a virtualized radio access network built of best-of-breed components made interoperable through the work of groups like the O-RAN Alliance and Telecom Infra Project is seen as a way to drive 5G scale...
Mavenir announces availability of 4G/5G open RAN solution
This week Richardson, Texas-based vendor Mavenir announced the "launch and availability" of a 4G- and 5G-compatible virtualized radio access network solution based on open interfaces developed by the O-RAN Alliance, a cross-industry group of carriers, vendors and...
Report: Carriers will follow traditional DAS approach to large venues; open RAN a big opportunity for enterprise connectivity
This is by no means new information but worth repeating: Carriers almost exclusively invest in in-building wireless systems for large venues like stadiums and transit hubs. For...
Multi-vendor, open RAN deployment from NTT DoCoMo highlights momentum
For mobile network operators looking to upgrade to 5G, the vendor community is dominated by a limited number of end-to-end suppliers. Aside from the obvious economics this paradigm prescribes, in a software-defined, 5G world, this lack...
SOLiD's Ken Sandfeld shares O-RAN outlook
The move towards fully-interoperable, multi-vendor radio access networks is more of a marathon than a sprint, with operators and vendors actively engaging in specification development through the O-RAN Alliance and collaborating on an assortment of trials. And while the...
Mavenir focused on upending network economics
SINGAPORE--Discussions of 5G are typically focused on the new applications that consumers and enterprises can use. The other side of that coin is the money operators have to spend to do that. Think of operators as manufacturers of capacity--5G...
RAN virtualization changes 5G network economics
LONDON--“One of the challenges as we roll into 5G is thinking the old way. To change economics, to change the speed at which you can deploy, to change the way in which you can be agile to deliver new...
Open RAN development will change carrier/vendor dynamics, set the stage for disruption
LONDON--For mobile network operators looking to upgrade to 5G, the vendor community is dominated by a limited number of end-to-end suppliers. Aside from the obvious economics this paradigm prescribes, in a software-defined, 5G...
Automated network slicing--a fully virtualized network infrastructure capable of creating on-demand data pipes that exactly meet the needs of a given application--is a long-term goal of 5G investment. In pursuit of that goal, Verizon recently tested virtualization of the Radio Access Network using Nokia...
Huawei has 40 5G contracts
Chinese vendor Huawei has already secured 40 contracts to build and operate 5G networks, the company’s rotating CEO, Ken Hu said. The announcement was made at a keynote speech at the vendor’s 2019 Global Analyst Summit at its headquarter in...
Network densification is about a lot more than
beefing up macro sites and deploying new small cells. Connecting all of these
radio sites and tying them back into the core, data centers and other ICT
locations, is fiber optic cabling. And, given current and future densification
needs, fiber...
There are significant changes taking place in radio access networks and at the edge of telecom networks. With so many ways to implement 5G, multi-access edge computing (MEC) and the various flavors of virtualization, there are numerous different deployment models.
This white paper introduces the...
The 5G networks of tomorrow will need to strike the right balance of products and solutions in order to address the complexities of rolling out and servicing the applications that this new standard will foster.
There is no silver bullet when it comes to transforming...
5G updates cover RAN, core, transport, orchestration
Ahead of Mobile World Congress Barcelona next week, Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm made clear that while 5G is the subject of significant marketing hype, "It's not just talk."
Pointing to 5G-related deals with 10 named operators and 42 memorandums of...
The Japanese company aims to launch mobile services in Japan in October 2019
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten announced plans to invest in U.S.-based virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) vendor Altiostar, as the former company is on track to launch a mobile network in Japan using...
Telecom operators around the world have faced the struggles of declining ARPU, intense competition, as well as rising CAPEX and OPEX. With 5G on the horizon, the economics of the mobile industry have to change. The layered approach of adding the next G (generation...
A Q&A with JMA Wireless on virtualized RAN stadium deployment
Earlier this month, JMA Wireless announced the deployment of its virtualized RAN solution, XRAN, and TEKO DAS at the Dacia Arena in Udine, Italy, in partnership with neutral host operator INWIT. To learn more about...
Centralized basebands connected via fronthaul to remote radios supports network densification
Small cells are a fundamental driver of the ongoing network densification that is enhancing LTE networks and building a foundation for 5G. As demand for mobile data and the number of devices continues to...
xRAN Forum recently released it's fronthaul specification
Virtualization of network infrastructure is part and parcel of the evolution for 5G. From the evolved packet core to the radio access network (RAN) operators and industry stakeholders are working to develop interoperability frameworks that will ensure the...
Ice Wireless leverages Parallel Wireless' small cells, HetNet gateways and software-defined radios to deliver rural mobile broadband
In Northern Canada--the provinces of Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut and Quebec--the population density is 0.03 people per square kilometer. A rural population, coupled with harsh conditions, makes this...
Equipment costs could be major roadblock to 5G, reinforcing need for commoditization and virutalization
5G promises to be many things--an enhanced mobile broadband experience, support for massive internet of things communications and mission critical services based on ultra high throughput and very low latency. But...
