Telefónica joins Altiostar, Gigatera, Intel, Supermicro and Xiling for Open RAN 4G and 5G

By Telefónica 

Madrid - Telefónica has reached a strategic collaboration agreement with Altiostar, Gigatera Communications, Intel , Supermicro and Xilinx, Inc., to encourage the development of Open RAN technologies in 4G and 5G. With this association, Telefónica will launch the first tests of Open RAN 4G and 5G in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Brazil this year.

Telefónica, as part of the continuous efforts to lead the transformation of the network towards 5G, is progressing in the design, development, optimization, testing and industrialization of Open RAN technologies on its networks throughout this year. Open RAN represents a paradigm shift in network technology where radio baseband hardware is based on standard servers, interfaces between network equipment are open and standardized by the O-RAN Alliance, and baseband software is run in Telco Cloud adopting capabilities based on Automation and Zero-Touch that the NFV/SDN paradigm can provide.

Collaboration focuses on Distributed Units (DUs) suitable to implement part of the baseband radio functions through the FlexRAN software reference platform and servers based on the Intel® Xeon® processor, Remote Radio Units (RRU) capable of connect through open interfaces based on the specifications of the O-RAN fronthaul, and software capable of managing connectivity in an open Cloud RAN architecture.

Thanks to Open RAN we achieve substantial cost benefits thanks to the greater diversity of network providers provided by the model, especially in relation to baseband hardware that enjoys significant economies of scale associated with the IT industry. A cloudized and open Open RAN architecture also enables faster software innovation and advanced functionality such as network automation, automatic optimization of radio resources, coordination of radio access nodes, access to radio applications. third parties through Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) and Open Interfaces (API), and integration with the virtualization activities of the Network and Transport Core, among others.

Opening the network to third-party applications through the MEC is the cornerstone to provide added value to customers by enabling a wide variety of 5G services, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Online Games, Automobile connected or Internet of Things (IoT), among others. Edge computing applications running on the Telco Cloud can take advantage of the strong capillarity of the access network and therefore adapt the behavior of the service to the needs of the user, as well as the state of the network, in real time.

The main objective is to prescribe the necessary hardware and software components in 4G and 5G, including testing the complete solution in the laboratory and in the field, integrating the model as part of the end-to-end virtualization program (UNICA Next), the maturing of the operating model and the demonstration of new services and automation capabilities offered by the Open RAN model. DUs and RRUs are designed with 5G capabilities, therefore they can operate in 4G or 5G mode via remote software upgrade. Hardware configurations are identical for centralized and distributed network scenarios, thus benefiting from the simplicity and economies of scale of IT components. Finally, open interfaces are at the core of HW and SW development, which enables updates to specific parts of the network without affecting others, in a modular and future-ready manner.

"Once again, Telefónica is leading the transformation necessary to have the best network in our Operations, with clients as fundamental pillars. Open RAN is a fundamental part of achieving that purpose, while at the same time expanding the ecosystem", Enrique Blanco, Telefónica CTIO said.

"Telefónica is known for having a network at the forefront and has championed open vRAN implementations to provide greater agility and flexibility of network service," says Pierre Kahhale, Altiostar Vice President of Field Operations. “By combining the best innovation of the moment, Telefónica seeks to achieve this vision in its network. We hope to promote this transformation of the Telefónica network”.

“Gigatera Communications and Telefónica have been actively working to guarantee the implementation of cutting-edge technologies. We truly value our partnership as we get involved and revolutionize the industry,” President Daniel Kim said.

"Open RAN offers a way for service providers to improve customer experiences and enable new revenue-generating applications," said Dan Rodriguez, vice president and general manager of Intel 's Network Platforms Group. "We are working closely with Telefónica and a broader ecosystem, and we are also participating in initiatives like the O-RAN Alliance, to help accelerate innovation in the industry."

"At Supermicro we are very proud of our association with Telefónica, a leading telecommunications provider, to offer the best 5G solutions based on the Open RAN architecture", Charles Liang, President and CEO of Supermicro . "Working closely with Telefónica in the deployment of 5G in the important EMEA region, with the trajectory that characterizes Supermicro in terms of time to market for advanced high-performance solutions and saving resources, we provide a key component for the implementation successful next-generation applications, which becomes evident as x86 computing platforms migrate to the telecommunications market."

"Xilinx is pleased to collaborate with a disruptive mobile operator, such as Telefónica, during its leadership in the transformation to O-RAN," says Liam Madden, executive vice president and general manager, Wired and Wireless Group, Xilinx. "Our versatile technology supports multiple standards, multiple bands and multiple subnets, giving Telefónica a unique and flexible platform for radio, fronthaul and acceleration for 4G and 5G networks."

About Telefónica:

Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world by market capitalization and number of clients, which relies on a comprehensive offer and on the quality of connectivity provided by the best fixed, mobile and broadband networks. It is a growing company that offers a differential experience, based both on the values of the company itself and on a public position that defends the interests of the client. The company is present in 14 countries in Europe and Latin America and has more than 344 million accesses. Telefónica is a totally private company whose shares are listed on the continuous market of the Spanish stock exchanges and on the New York and Lima stock exchanges.

About Altiostar:

Altiostar provides a virtualized 4G and 5G RAN software solution that supports open interfaces and unbundles the software hardware to build an open and secure web-scale multi-vendor network. This solution supports indoor and outdoor small and macro cells, allowing interference management, carrier aggregation, and dual reception to improve network efficiency and user experience while providing broadband speeds. Operators can add intelligence, quickly adapt software for different services, and automate operations to quickly scale network capacity. More information at www.altiostar.com

About Gigatera Communications:

Gigatera Communications specializes in state-of-the-art RF technologies, including base station antennas and radio equipment. Gigatera designs, manufactures, and offers high-quality products focused on reliability and performance, while pioneering new technologies for the wireless communications industry. Products are 5G ready with an emphasis on O-RAN standards. Gigatera's headquarters and R&D center are located in Fullerton, California.

About Super Micro Computer, Inc.:

Supermicro (Nasdaq: SMCI), the leading innovator in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology, is a leading provider of advanced Server Building Block Solutions® for Data Center, Cloud Computing, Enterprise IT, Hadoop / Big Data, HPC and Embedded Systems all over the world. Supermicro is committed to protecting the environment through its "We Keep IT Green®" initiative and offers customers the most efficient and environmentally friendly solutions available on the market.

About Xilinx:

Xilinx develops highly flexible and adaptive processing platforms that enable rapid innovation in a variety of technologies, from endpoint to edge and cloud. Xilinx is the inventor of the FPGA, Programmable SoCs, and ACAP platform, designed to deliver the most dynamic processor technology in the industry and enable the adaptive, intelligent, and connected world of the future. For more information visit www.xilinx.com.