Parallel Wireless has announced the successful operation of its 5G Open RAN hardware-agnostic solution in the United Kingdom. This deployment, a collaboration with Arm, BT Group, NXP Semiconductors, Real Wireless, and the University of Bristol, and with funding from the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT/DCMS), marks a significant development in the evolution of 5G Open RAN technology.
Parallel Wireless, in partnership with the University of Bristol, deployed a 5G standalone Open RAN solution in the '5GUK testbed' - a private network built to facilitate research and innovation - situated in Bristol Harbor. The project signifies a monumental first as it demonstrates the ability to decouple a common DU (Distributed Unit) software stack from the underlying compute platform and validates the approach on both the Intel x86 and Arm architectures, in an outdoor 5G installation.
This centralized deployment encompasses three cell sites in the Bristol Harbor. The outdoor installation is complemented by an additional indoor cell situated in the University of Bristol Smart Internet lab, exclusively designated for testing and monitoring purposes.
Two of the outdoor cell sites employ Distributed Units with a Physical Layer powered by Arm-based chipsets from NXP. The third cell site leverages an Intel x86 processor.
The deployment is an outcome of Parallel Wireless receiving the DSIT grant for its innovative Proteus project, which productizes processor-agnostic RAN solutions, adaptable for Intel’s x86 as well as Arm-based technologies.
Maria Cuevas, Networks Research Director, BT Group
The success of this trial marks a positive step for Open RAN technology, demonstrating its potential to improve flexibility in the selection of the most suitable hardware technology for different radio deployment environments.
Baruch Navon, President, Parallel Wireless
This remarkable achievement is a testament to Parallel Wireless’s unwavering commitment to advancing open and flexible RAN solutions.
