NEC and Intel Collaborate on Mobile Base Station Virtualization

Strategic Insights -

NEC Corporation and Intel Corporation are collaborating on the development of a Cloud-Radio Access Network (Cloud-RAN) solution, which will enable the virtualization of mobile base stations. The joint proof of concept trial is set to commence in early 2016 to verify the capabilities of the Cloud-RAN solution. This innovative technology separates the Digital Unit (DU) functions from mobile base stations, allowing for more precise control of radio interference and reducing power and space consumption.

Key Takeaways:

  • NEC and Intel will jointly develop the Cloud-RAN solution for virtualizing mobile base stations, with the goal of improving communication performance and reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of base station equipment.
  • The Cloud-RAN solution separates the DU functions from mobile base stations, enabling the use of general-purpose servers equipped with Intel's multi-core processors.
  • The joint proof of concept trial will start in early 2016 to verify the capabilities of the Cloud-RAN solution.
  • NEC and Intel have a long history of collaboration on network virtualization, including virtualizing mobile core networks and customer premises equipment (CPE).
  • NEC is one of the world's leaders in Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), and actively contributes to various SDN/NFV related standards bodies and industry communities.
  • NEC's partnership program "NEC SDN Partner Space" promotes the development and introduction of applications and solutions utilizing network virtualization technologies, working closely with over 40 partner companies.

Statistics:

  • The joint proof of concept trial for the Cloud-RAN solution is set to commence in early 2016.
  • The Cloud-RAN solution is expected to improve communication performance by allowing for more precise control of radio interference.
  • The solution is also expected to reduce power and space consumption by consolidating the DU hardware.

Sources:

  • [(M2 Communications) http://www.m2.com](http://www.m2.com)
  • [(NEC Corporation) http://www.nec.com](http://www.nec.com)
  • [(Intel Corporation) http://www.intel.com](http://www.intel.com)