BWA/LTE
TT Correspondent | 28 Jun 2018Aricent, a global design and engineering company has announced support for the Intel® FlexRAN reference architecture for its software framework for developing 4G and 5G wireless network solutions. The 5G framework will be integrated with the Intel FlexRAN reference architecture, supporting features compliant to 3GPP specifications for non-standalone modes.
The Aricent 4G LTE framework based on Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) architecture also supports FlexRAN, enabling Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) to seamlessly upgrade their existing solutions from 4G to 5G. NEPs can monetize the Aricent C-RAN solution which utilizes the Intel® Xeon® processor and integrates with radio functionality. Aricent also provides NFV MANO (Management and Orchestration) - a robust solution for managing complex virtualized network functions which is a key element driving architecture evolution towards 5G.
“As 5G comes to fruition, NEPs can fast track their product roadmaps and be the first to market with innovative solutions that meet the requirements of wireless operators,” said Harmeet Chauhan, President, Software and Internet at Aricent. “Deployed on the Intel FlexRAN platform, this Aricent framework can truly deliver on the promise of 5G: seamless low-latency, ultra-high speed connectivity for a wide range of networking applications.”
“5G is a critical element of the data-centric computing era, offering the scale and scope to enable new insights, drive business efficiencies and create data monetization,” said Caroline Chan, VP and GM, 5G Infrastructure Division, Data Center Group, Intel. “The availability of a robust software framework pre-integrated on the Intel FlexRAN reference architecture enables NEPs to launch innovative new products and realize ROI. It provides an evolutionary path for tomorrow’s networks.”
To support 4G and 5G IoT use cases, the Aricent eNodeB framework with L1- L3 functionality is pre-integrated on the Intel® Transcede™ chipset to provide LTE-Advance features for Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and enhanced Machine Type Communications (eMTC). Aricent also offers a lightweight, cloud-native packet core framework including a Collapsed Signaling Gateway (CGSN) that can handle low-throughput communications with NB-IoT devices such as smart meters and a variety of sensors.