Rakuten Mobile, NEDO Successfully Test 5G SA Wireless Access Equipment With Virtualization Tech

Japan’s Rakuten Mobile and New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) have announced the completion of their Research and Development (R&D) project focused on deploying fully virtualized 5G Standalone (SA) mobile network radio access network equipment, utilizing general-purpose hardware and cloud technology, according to the official release.

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This R&D initiative, part of NEDO’s “Research and Development Project of Enhanced Infrastructures for Post-5G Information and Communication Systems,” has showcased promising results for the commercial deployment of advanced 5G networks, according to the partners.

Also Read: Rakuten Mobile 4G Coverage Reaches 98.4 Percent of Japan Population

Reduction in CAPEX and OPEX

As a part of the project, Rakuten Mobile harnessed virtualization technology to deploy 5G SA and radio access network (RAN) slicing and improve and extend network functionality. The project’s findings have revealed that the adoption of this virtualised approach could potentially lead to a remarkable reduction of 30 percent or more in capital costs (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX) compared to conventional mobile networks that rely on dedicated hardware and software.

“The successful completion of this research project marks a significant step forward in our mission to accelerate the deployment of economically efficient, 5G standalone mobile networks using general-purpose hardware,” stated Rakuten Mobile.

Also Read: Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Symphony to Open First ORAN Customer Experience Center in UK

Introduce Technology in Commercial Networks

Rakuten Mobile said it has plans to introduce this technology into future commercial standalone 5G mobile networks. Through its subsidiary Rakuten Symphony, the company aims to drive the global deployment of cutting-edge, fully virtualized 5G standalone mobile network platforms developed in Japan.

Looking ahead, integrating these research findings into commercial 5G standalone mobile networks is expected to reduce development and operational costs and enable greater flexibility in addressing the diverse network quality requirements for various services relying on 5G networks.