Qualcomm Technologies and NEC have announced a strategic collaboration in which they are partnering on the development of a 5G open and virtualised distributed unit (DU) powered by the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card (pictured above), to drive the transition towards modern networks.

This solution is to be developed under the 5G Open RAN Ecosystem (OREC) initiative, which is led by NTT DOCOMO with the objective to globally accelerate open RAN.

The companies are joining forces to address the demands of next-generation networks, simplify deployments and lower the total cost of ownership by delivering high-performance, O-RAN-compliant, energy-efficient, virtualised, cloud-native 5G solutions.  

Network operators currently face the difficult challenge of deploying cost-effective 5G network infrastructure, while addressing the complexities and demands of next-generation networks that are needed to enhance user experiences. Qualcomm Technologies and NEC Corporation are addressing these issues by developing a high-performance, O-RAN compliant and power-efficient solution that will simplify and lower the total cost of ownership of 5G deployments.

“We are excited about Qualcomm Technologies and NEC Corporation partnering to develop new generation cloud-native 5G RAN technology,” said Sadayuki Abeta, General Manager, Radio Access Network Development Department, NTT DOCOMO. “The development of 5G open and virtualised DU solutions will help drive our OREC activities to make 5G RAN deployment more open and flexible with industry leaders.”

“With the growth in open and virtualised networks, the integration of Qualcomm 5G RAN Platforms within NEC O-RAN products will provide a tremendous advantage to our customers, who demand high performance and power-efficient solutions for nearly any application,” said Katsumi Tanoue, General Manager, 2nd Wireless Access Solutions Division, NEC Corporation.

He added, “The Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card aims to deliver lower power and best in class performance to meet the performance demands at the edge and capture new revenue opportunities. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies.”

“With the significant opportunity poised by open and virtualised RAN, Qualcomm Technologies is committed to driving more innovative and competitive cellular infrastructure to enable operators and industry verticals to efficiently deploy 5G network coverage and capacity where it is needed most with our comprehensive Qualcomm 5G RAN Platforms,” said Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, 5G, Mobile Broadband and Infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Joining forces with NEC is at the heart of advancing the cellular ecosystem and accelerating the innovation cycle to enable the fast track of deploying modern networks at scale.”

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