At the Intel Developer Forum taking place this week in San Francisco, NEC Corp. has begun development of a network functions virtualization (NFV) cloud-radio access network (C-RAN) solution powered by Intel Corp.’s processors in order to reduce the costs of 5G networks.
In base stations, the Central Unit (CU) processes data and distributed units that send and receive radio waves. NEC’s NFV C-RAN solution runs on Intel architecture that functions as the CU. The CU then controls multiple distributed units on a centralized basis, making it possible to flexibly control radio wave output from the CU in line with data volumes, NEC says.
The goal is to reduce the volume of data exchanged between the CU and the distributed units to less than one-tenth, compared to existing architectures. This will enable communications carriers to develop the high-performance networks needed for 5G communication while keeping capital investment to a minimum.
NEC and Intel will be demonstrating the effectiveness of the NFV C-RAN solution during IDF from August 16 to 18.
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