Vodafone and Qualcomm Technologies to join forces to develop the technical blueprint for more equipment suppliers to help build the 5G networks of the future using Open RAN technology, announced the companies last week.
The move aims to lower the entry barrier for many companies and drive diversification of network equipment vendors. In particular, the reference designs will be designed to support emerging and established network infrastructure vendors develop high-performance, virtualized, interoperable, and modular 5G networks at scale.
The reference design will combine Vodafone’s engineering expertise at building high capacity, large-scale networks with Qualcomm Technologies’ leadership in developing high performance and low power Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) solutions for device and infrastructure products. This powerful combination aims to ensure Open RAN is ready for use in 5G networks and capable of supporting bandwidth-hungry applications such as virtual and augmented reality devices, even in busy urban areas.
The reference designs, powered by Qualcomm Radio Unit Platform with Massive MIMO capabilities and Qualcomm Distributed Unit Platform, is expected to be published this year with trials expected to start in the second half of 2022, following detailed software development.
Santiago Tenorio, Head of Network Architecture, Vodafone
Following the recent launch of our new Open RAN Test and Validation Lab, combining the creativity of Vodafone Engineering with that of our partners, we’re delighted to be partnering with Qualcomm Technologies to give smaller suppliers the best start.
Dino Flore, VP, Technology, QUALCOMM Europe
Virtualized and Open RAN offer a significant opportunity to make 5G networks more flexible and cost efficient, transforming them into a platform for innovation.