KDDI has been developing O-RAN compliant 5G Open vRAN sites using Samsung’s virtualized solutions
Japanese operator KDDI announced that, in cooperation with Samsung Electronics and Fujitsu, it initiated commercial deployment of O-RAN-compliant 5G Open Virtual Radio Access Network (Open vRAN) sites in Osaka, Japan.
“The expansion of 5G services promises a variety of exciting new applications that offer the possibility of a more connected world, realized through unprecedented speeds achieved with leading edge communication technologies. The sudden increase of different network-connected devices is also expected to lead to a rapid increase in communication volume, however, creating strain for communications networks,” the telco said.
“Building advanced systems that can handle this increase in traffic, as well as achieving faster deployment and lower costs for network technologies represent an urgent priority for vendors working to build 5G network infrastructure,” KDDI added.
To meet these growing demands, KDDI has been developing O-RAN-compliant 5G Open vRAN sites using Samsung’s virtualized solutions. For the new sites, KDDI updated the software of an O-RAN-compliant 5G Open vRAN site it had successfully turned on in February 2022. Samsung’s 5G virtualized CU (vCU) and virtualized DU (vDU) and Fujitsu’s radio units are interconnected with an open interface. Also, wireless controllers are equipped with fully-virtualized RAN software on general-purpose servers to realize network functions, the Japanese telco said.
KDDI also said that core functions are implemented as software to enable flexible and efficient management of network resources. KDDI further updated the software of the new sites to support the 5G NSA solution connected to existing 4G sites and functions that were realized in conventional sites using dedicated equipment including Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO). “As a result, customers with existing 5G NSA smartphones will be able to enjoy the same comfortable communication as before. Moreover, this is the world’s first commercial MU-MIMO implementation with O-RAN compliant multivendor interoperability,” the telco said.
In addition, KDDI constructed a Zero Touch Provisioning system to automate configuration tasks when the base stations start operating. The system automates the setup of servers and virtualized platforms from different vendors and contributes to rapid base station deployment nationwide, including in rural areas. Based on the knowledge gained from its operation in Osaka City, the parties aim to expand the scope of application of this system in 2024 to realize full-scale deployment of Open vRAN sites.
Moving forward, KDDI, Samsung and Fujitsu will continue to develop solutions for Open vRAN in Japan and promote nationwide deployment of 5G SA services for KDDI.
