Nokia and China Mobile Research Institute have signed an agreement under which the companies will jointly optimize 5G networks using a more open architecture. Nokia will work closely with China Mobile Research Institute to simplify interoperability between multi-vendor radio access network (RAN) technologies and enable new levels of service performance for customers.
Under the agreement, signed at the China Mobile 2018 Partner Summit, Nokia and China Mobile Research Institute will investigate O-RAN use-cases, optimizing 5G networks to manage a growing array of service needs including:
- Decentralized (CU/DU) split multi-vendor cloud RAN architecture, using real-time and non-real time processing capabilities
- Jointly specifying open radio access network interfaces between multi-vendor components, such as the fronthaul interface connecting the split cloud RAN architecture
- Smart Radio Intelligence control using advanced network analytics
- Commercial off-the-shelf hardware equipment
Nokia embraces a culture of openness and collaboration using open API common interfaces and toolkits to allow customers such as China Mobile Research Institute to access and benefit from network artificial intelligence, machine learning and real-time analytics to optimize network performance.
The companies will share the findings through a series of O-RAN working groups, conducting analysis, studies and demonstrations.
Zhiqiang Yang, Vice President of China Mobile Research Institute said: “China Mobile Research Institute and Nokia share the goal of driving new levels of openness in network architecture. By optimizing multi-vendor network interworking we will be able to access network intelligence and use end-to-end data analytics and machine learning to support the delivery of innovative new consumer and industry services in the 5G world.”
Tommi Uitto, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We are excited to work with China Mobile Research Institute to realize the company’s goals. It reflects our capabilities in end-to-end network technology and the work we are already doing as we build-in openness across our 5G Future X architecture. 5G will enable new use-cases with a wide variety of service level requirements. An optimized and open end-to-end network will enable the levels of automation and artificial intelligence for the network to support with high-performance any demands placed on it.”