Home5G & BeyondNEC announces new 5G massive MIMO radio units for Open RAN

NEC announces new 5G massive MIMO radio units for Open RAN

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The new radios will be available next year and are designed for global markets.

NEC says its new radio units will conform to โ€œfronthaul interface specifications defined by the O-RAN Allianceโ€.

They will also be compatible with base station equipment from different vendors, โ€œmaking it possible to realize open, flexible and optimized networks according to a wide range of use cases,โ€ according to the statement.

The units will be compatible with the n77, n78 and C-Band 3.7GHz frequency band (3.3-4.2GHz), which is globally used as a 5G frequency.

The ultra-multi-element antennas use Massive MIMO and digital beamforming for high-precision beams are intended to provide high-speed, high-capacity communications between a wider range of terminals.

Wider faster coverage

The new RUs are said to have higher output and wider bandwidth compared to conventional products, expanding the coverage area and providing high-speed transmission.

NEC claims its proprietary high-density mounting and power-saving technologies, and fanless design are in a lightweight, compact format. โ€จโ€จThe units will conform to O-RAN fronthaul interface specifications defined by the O-RAN Alliance.

Patrick Lopez, VP of Product Management, 5G products, NEC, said, โ€œNEC has long been developing 5G base station equipment for global markets.

โ€œAs illustrated by the announcement from Vodafone earlier this month, NEC is investing to maintain a market-leading position in the Open RAN ecosystem.โ€