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Realizing the Benefits of Virtualized RAN

Dec 31. 2019

It is unlikely that anyone in the early 2000's envisioned that the concepts used to create cloud-based enterprise applications would find their way into commercial wireless networks. Today's network operators are using networking technologies such as SDN and NFV to virtualize their Radio Access Networks (RAN) to meet the growing demands that require dynamic scalability, increased management efficiencies, and cost-effective operations.

 

 

Virtual RAN - or vRAN - can improve network performance, reduce costs, and simplify infrastructure expansion for network service providers, all while providing the necessary resources that maintain good customer experiences. The new virtualized architecture deconstructs parts of the RAN, which enables operators to gain economies of scale through software-defined functions as well as improve processing efficiency required by latency-sensitive applications.

Improved Network Performance

 

 

In vRAN, the operator uses centralized and virtualized baseband (vBBU) functions, which means that the network performs some baseband processing in a centralized location and completes real-time sensitive tasks near the radio. The vBBU automatically scales processing, memory, and connection resources as demand dictates. With this virtualized approach, network operators can also use pooled servers to host baseband processing. With pooled vBBUs, the RAN can enable on-demand access to baseband functions without any capacity reduction during vBBU maintenance periods.

Reduced Cell Site Costs

 

 

With virtualization of the baseband processing, network operators now use industry-standard x86 hardware, allowing the baseband processing to reside in central offices or centralized data centers. The BBUs no longer use high-cost purpose-built premium hardware deployed at the cell site but reside on standard low-cost server hardware. In addition to the lower CAPEX, these virtualized solutions provide network operators with lower operating costs at cell sites, such as lower power consumption.

Increased Flexibility in Deployment Options

 

 

The virtualized BBU also provides more deployment options for an operator. With virtualized BBUs, the operator can place a cell site in more areas, as these virtualized solutions consume less real estate at the cell site, reducing the cell site footprint requirements. Without purpose-built BBU components that drive power and cooling requirements at the cell site, network operators can also place new cell sites in locations that were previously deemed unsuitable due to the high costs for installing the requisite utilities.

Samsung's vRAN Delivers

 

 

Samsung is providing operators with solutions that use virtualization in many parts of their network, including 4G and 5G RAN, enabling cost efficiencies for operators. Today's 4G vRAN solutions are future proof, as they require only a software upgrade to support 5G. With 5G networks operating in millimeter-wave and sub-6GHz spectrum bands, network operators will require a new level of cell site density for which virtualized RAN components deliver the IT scalability of software-driven functions that enable network scalable and agile network deployments. Samsung's products will play a critical role in evolving carrier networks by offering the flexibility network operators need to develop new innovative services that enable modern cost economies.

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