According to the vendor, this unifies all the RAN makers, galvanises them to give their best to 5G
Nokia is to supply its O-RAN fronthaul multi-vendor system to NTT Docomo’s 5G network after successful tests of the integrated fronthaul concept. The company says this means the Japanese operator can use any combination of independent hardware and software to optimise its network in the future.
The trial took place at Docomo’s Lab in Yokosuka, Japan. Nokia’s 5G O-Ran AirScale baseband was successfully integrated and tested with a variety of third-party O-RUs (radio units). Nokia’s O-Ran functions are built into its AirScale software and designed to orchestrate the same performance, functionality and security as Nokia’s radio products.
All we need is radio front haul
Nokia said it’s building open interfaces into its existing systems in a bid to create the ‘network architecture of the future’ through the collective efforts of all the different independent component and equipment makers. It’s also enticing more mobile operators to pursue O-RAN strategies by giving them better options. Nokia says it has ‘made significant investment’ in O-RAN by leading the early deployment of the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and the open fronthaul.
When fibre meets radio
Since the O-RAN Alliance was formed in 2018 it has slowly worked through the vast catalogue of technology interfaces and worked to simplify the creation of multi-vendor RANs by providing universal standards. The Nokia-led front haul interface relates to the connection where fibre meets the radio. Exchanges between the fibre-based connection in the RAN infrastructure, between the baseband unit (BBU) and remote radio head (RRH) are critical to the performance of 5G networks.
Fronthaul originated with LTE networks when operators first moved their radios closer to the antennas. This new link was established to supplement to the backhaul connection between the BBU and central network core.
Talk across the same interface
This technical harmony applies to an eCPRI-based 7-2x open interface between the Radio Unit (O-RU) and Distributed Unit (O-DU). This is the only standardised fronthaul interface that enables multi-vendor interoperability. The upshot is that it minimises the cost of fronthaul transmission as it maximises radio-frequency performance.
“Successful testing with Nokia is an important advance in open RAN commercialisation and its global expansion,” said Sadayuki Abeta, the general manager of NTT Docomo’s radio access network development department. NTT Docomo has been actively driving open RAN standards and commercialisation and was the world’s first operator to deploy use O-RAN for 5G network, Abeta said.
“This project is further evidence of our commitment to leading the open mobile future by investing in Open RAN solutions,” Tommi Uitto, Nokia’s president of mobile networks.