Qualcomm inline accelerator card tapped for Open RAN virtualized distributed units
Along with the gaining traction of commoditized telecom hardware and disaggregated Open RAN architectures, HPE is leaning into the telecom market with the creation of a Communications Technology Group and development of its Open RAN Solution Stack. At the same time, Qualcomm sees virtualized and Open RAN as an opportunity to expand its 5G RAN Platforms business. Announced this week, the two firms are partnering to help operators more quickly and cost-effectively deploy Open RAN systems without compromising on performance.
Specifically, the virtualized Distributed Unit (vDU) combines HPE’s telco-optimized server, the ProLiant DL110 Gen10 Plus, with Qualcomm’s X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card. According to research conducted by the partners, this equipment configuration can lower 5G RAN total cost of ownership by 60%. Qualcomm also noted the vDU can support mid-band and massive MIMO 5G use cases.
Qualcomm SVP and GM for 5G, Mobile Broadband and Infrastructure Durga Malladi said in a statement, “We are excited for the opportunity to work with HPE to further the capabilities and efficiencies of 5G virtualized networks. Through our collaboration with HPE, we are able to deliver enhanced, powerful and reliable 5G experiences to consumers.”
While it’s most closely associated with providing SoCs and other components for Android smartphones, Qualcomm also plays in the RAN space. Last year the company updated its FSM100xx small cell system with the FSM200 which was an industry-first in terms of being 3GPP Release 16 compliant.
The company went all-in on virtual and Open RAN in October 2020 when it announced RAN platforms for radio units, distributed units, and distributed radio units. In a September 2020 discussion with RCR Wireless News, then company president and now CEO Cristiano Amon said trends in RAN disaggregation “creates a significant opportunity, I think, for Qualcomm. We’re one fo the few companies that have the assets that we can build the engine of the new Open RAn base station and we’re very excited about that opportunity.”
After making the move to the CEO position, Amon unveiled Qualcomm’s “one technology roadmap” which refers to a 10-year plan to grow addressable market to $700 billion by leveraging core mobile expertise to further expand share in computing, RF front end, automotive, AI, IoT and, as evidenced by the latest with HPE, 5G RAN platforms.
