A theme that stuck out to me at MWC 2023 was that networks are cool again. They’re at the heart of the transformation of an entire industry moving toward agility, self-service, automation and web-scale operations. Central to this is the network’s transition from hardware-centric architecture to software-defined and virtualized.
Virtualization of functionality has already transformed the core network, which now runs as software on general-purpose servers. According to network silicon provider Intel, it’s likely that over 90% of core network deployments will be virtualized by the end of 2023, with almost all known virtualized network servers running on Intel CPUs.
The main benefit of this transition is that it makes upgrades simpler and more cost-effective by reducing component requirements and bill-of-materials costs. Network modernization should also encourage a diverse supply chain: because core functionality is now software-defined rather than based on hardware, it’s programmable, supporting innovation through upgrades and improving return on investment.
But can these gains be brought to bear in the radio access network (RAN)? In theory, a virtualized RAN, or vRAN, would convert RAN functions to software-defined processes, making them more flexible and programmable for different connectivity needs.
Layer 1 of the mobile network is a physical “airwaves” layer — transmitting and receiving radio signals between devices like smartphones and the RAN — and is so demanding in its performance requirements, it raises the question as to whether it can be virtualized and defined in software. Although antennas are still needed to transmit and receive radio frequencies, the process of converting this data into a format that other RAN functions can access can be virtualized.
But radio infrastructure has traditionally been based on fixed-function hardware and not defined in software, making RAN upgrades time-consuming, cumbersome and costly. Designing high-performance, cost-effective and reliable software and hardware for the RAN is even more demanding than for the core network.
Intel has taken up the challenge, developing an architecture for virtualizing the RAN all the way to Layer 1 of the software stack. Based on a flexible, programmable general-purpose chip integrated with acceleration, its 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor with vRAN Boost, launched at MWC, enables full RAN virtualization. This makes it possible to deploy an end-to-end software-defined network from the core to the RAN.
This has a significant impact on operators. In terms of network operations, vRAN enables greater agility, flexibility and scalability. It also supports artificial intelligence algorithms in RAN functionality, evolving intelligence in the network to optimize performance, operations and costs. For instance, operators can implement dynamic power management and network function redistribution, meaning that failures in network operation and upgrades can be handled by moving the network workload to a different server without sending technicians to a cell site.
In terms of services, the edge — essentially, computing power closer to the user — becomes more accessible in vRAN architecture. Using edge computing in a 5G RAN reduces latency and alleviates network congestion, resulting in improved network efficiency and user experiences. This makes multiple applications possible, such as mobile gaming or video streaming, mass-scale Internet of things deployments and even autonomous vehicles.
The benefits for 5G network operators could extend to a greater choice of solution providers. This is where Open RAN, the industry initiative to support standardized interfaces and interoperability between network solution providers, comes into play. Once network hardware and software are fully disaggregated, as in a vRAN, operators buy best-in-class components, compliant with Open RAN, from different suppliers, rather than an end-to-end solution from a single provider.
The Open RAN movement is gaining momentum and is already creating a more diverse solutions ecosystem, conceptually akin to the app store model in which smartphone users access innovations and experiences without upgrading their devices.
In the Open RAN context, because solutions are software-defined, it becomes possible to upgrade 5G network infrastructure in a similar way: by downloading a software update. This gives operators unprecedented control of their relationships with suppliers and their cost of ownership. It also enables them to build detailed road maps for introducing new functions and uses.
As we noted at the time, product launches, demonstrations and customer announcements about vRAN were aplenty among network solutions providers at MWC. Samsung’s vRAN 3.0 launched features for performance optimization, including tools that increase bandwidth support of massive-MIMO radios — by providing a three-cell configuration with 200 MHz of bandwidth support, it can triple the radio bandwidth of previous solutions.
Samsung also announced its Cloud Orchestrator for automating life cycle management of large-scale vRAN, streamlining onboarding and deployment processes, making it easier to manage up to thousands of cell sites from a unified platform.
An important driver of vRAN adoption is enhancing radio performance without sacrificing energy efficiency. To this point, the Samsung vRAN software can analyse hourly traffic patterns to optimize conditions and automate networks, including an automation-based CPU sleep mode in periods of low data traffic, potentially creating significant energy savings. This is vital in the RAN, the most energy-intensive domain in the network — see Reducing RAN Energy Usage with Artificial Intelligence.
Microsoft announced Azure Operator Nexus, an expansion of its Azure Operator Distributed Services, a hybrid, carrier-grade cloud platform designed for the needs of operators running network functions such as packet core, vRAN, subscriber data management and billing policy. It also includes Microsoft services for security, life cycle management, observability, DevOps and automation.
MWC also highlighted progress made by vRAN and Open RAN in moving beyond conceptual to commercial adoption, with several suppliers providing evidence of customer demand. For example, Samsung and Dish Wireless announced that the first Samsung vRAN-supported sites went live across the carrier’s Open RAN cloud-based 5G network in the US. Also, Deutsche Telekom is working with Nokia, Fujitsu, Mavenir and others for initial commercial deployments of Open RAN in Europe. Clients can read our analysis of other network infrastructure developments here; get in touch if you’d like access.
These announcements highlight market traction with operators and indicate how the vRAN and Open RAN solutions ecosystem, driven by Intel, Samsung, Microsoft and others, is maturing. To transition to a high-performance, flexible architecture that’s fit for the diverse connectivity needs of the 5G era and beyond, mobile networks must be leaner and more agile.
Enhanced automation is needed at the core, alongside dynamic, on-demand provisioning of services to make good on 5G investment. Fundamentally, this means 5G networks need software-defined “everything” and to be open-source. Virtualized and open is the new RAN reality.
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