Rakuten, Sercomm Unveil Virtualized Small Cell Solution

Rakuten, a global leader in internet services and soon-to-be the newest mobile network operator in Japan, and Sercomm, a leading manufacturer and supplier of telecom equipment, announced what the claim is the world's first virtualized small cell.

Jointly developed by Rakuten and Sercomm, the small cell offers enhanced user experience by leveraging the world's first end-to-end cloud native technology. Adopting next-generation network architecture, the virtualized small cell answers the needs of the telecom industry by providing easy-to-install, high performance, expandable flexibility and seamless migration to 5G networks. 

By splitting the distributed unit (DU) and control unit (CU), the virtualized small cell offers a disruptive solution for mobile networks. Through its powerful CU computing capability, the virtualized small cell, with joint processing and cooperative radio sharing capability, can be dynamically installed as needed. The virtualized small cell enables a true end-to-end cloud native platform which does not only greatly improves reliability, but also facilitates a heterogeneous network. The virtualized small cell supports 4G LTE and is 5G upgradable with renewed DUs. By adopting an open, virtualized and split RAN (Radio Access Network), telecom operators can enjoy cost savings and fast time-to-market without the hassles of traditional base station installation.  

Integrated with 2.4G/5G dual band Wi-Fi capability, in addition to new installation, the virtualized small cells can easily replace the existing Wi-Fi APs on site to reduce deployment effort without sacrificing Wi-Fi functionality. The small cell also supports PoE (Power-over-Ethernet), making it ideal for ceiling or wall-mounted installation at residential, commercial and industrial sites, such as apartments, residential complexes, office buildings, shopping malls and factories.