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Keysight Technologies, Inc. is enabling Intel to develop and validate massive multiple-input, multiple-output (mMIMO) beamforming designs for use in Open Radio Access Networks (RAN) with Open RAN Studio, accelerating the adoption of Open RAN architectures by mobile network operators.

By separating software from hardware through open interfaces and virtualisation, Open RAN network architectures allow mobile operators to mix and match network elements from different vendors for increased flexibility and reduced costs. Operators can further improve network performance by implementing mMIMO, a technique of using large numbers of antennas to send and receive data to boost coverage and capacity. While these offer significant advantages, they also present significant conformance and interoperability challenges.

Implemented on a single Intel Agilex™ 7 system-on-chip field-programmable gate array (SoC FPGA), the Intel solution delivers efficient, high-quality signals through the antenna array using an Open RAN-compliant, weight-based dynamic beamforming method.

Intel ensured that its mMIMO digital beamforming solution could be seamlessly deployed in an Open RAN network by using the Keysight solution to validate its interoperability within the ecosystem. Open RAN Studio enabled Intel to optimize the performance of its complex mMIMO beamforming technology to accommodate the large number of simultaneous connections needed to deliver the high data rates needed for 5G services.

Open RAN Studio: A Powerful Solution for Connectivity

Designed for LTE and 5G Open RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) testing, Open RAN Studio includes powerful focused tools to construct, play, capture, and measure Open RAN traffic over Ethernet fronthaul interfaces. It is is part of the comprehensive Keysight Open RAN Architect (KORA) portfolio that provides test solutions for functional, performance, energy efficiency, security, and artificial intelligence and machine learning training and optimization.

Mike Fitton, Vice President and General Manger at Intel’s Networking Business Division, said: “Keysight’s support and robust equipment enables our engineering teams to develop and validate O-RAN compliant radios with a wide range of complex functionalities. Through our collaborative efforts, Intel and Keysight are empowering not only emerging but also established radio vendors to channel focus on core innovations in pursuit of providing vendor-agnostic O-RAN equipment within the dynamic landscape of 5G RAN.”

Peng Cao, Vice President and General Manager at Keysight’s Wireless Test Group, added: “Keysight continues to play an instrumental role in enabling the Open RAN ecosystem with its world-class test solutions. The successful validation of Open RAN mMIMO technology on Intel’s solution is a significant step in the deployment of Open RAN networks. This milestone will help to accelerate the adoption of Open RAN network architectures by validating massive MIMO beamforming technology.”

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