The radio unit adopts ADI’s fourth-generation wideband RF transceiver solution to achieve high precision Massive MIMO and possesses a 5G open vRAN (virtual RAN) interface corresponding to Rakuten Mobile’s end-to-end fully virtualised cloud-native mobile network.
It delivers large capacity transmission with high efficiency by using 3.7GHz frequency Massive MIMO*1 and digital beamforming technology.
The cloud-native virtual network heralds shift in how communications providers can offer high-speed internet access worldwide, at significantly lower costs, made possible without the maintenance, upkeep, repair and labour costs associated with the physical infrastructure that hinders conventional networks.
NEC has already started shipping the 5G Network Massive MIMO Antenna Radio Unit to Rakuten Mobile.
“The new wave of 5G-based network connectivity is defined by flexibility,” said Greg Henderson, Senior Vice President at Analog Devices. “By working with NEC to drive the first Massive MIMO installation for Rakuten Mobile, we’re laying the groundwork to propel 5G connectivity forward. The ecosystem is incredibly intricate and complex, but the primary goal is for all parties to work seamlessly together to inspire efficiencies across the board: cost, time and capital equipment. These are the pieces that will help us move to the next step of a truly virtualised network.”
