Cell phone operators are developing their own 5G virtualised networks, bypassing passing the telecom gear makers such as Ericsson, Nokia or Huawei. These networks are open platforms and are not hardware-centric and hence economical. It is an ambitious plan but it is a work-in-progress.
Rakuten, e-commerce organisation in Japan, is also in the game. It has put the first open platform network known as O-RAN or open radio access network. It proposes to offer 5G in some Japanese cities. This technology will be live tested and with scale. Some telcos are interested in buying Rakuten’s technology.
Service providers such as Orange (France) is rolling out an open-platform- powered 5G in African countries by collaborating with Parallel Wireless. Tech Mahindra here in India is positioning as a system integrator. It has also invested in Altiostar which has provided software to Rakuten.
Sterlite is already working on a 5G radio, and is approaching telcos here and abroad.
The current networks are proprietary technology that requires both hardware and software supplied by the same vendor. The vendor maintains and upgrades the system. It offers limited flexibilitiy to the operators.
Open platforms will offer flexibility to operators to choose hardware and software from different vendors. They can develop the software on their own or by tying up with IT companies for system integration between hardware and software. These networks are more software-centric.
These open-platforms bring the costs down. It leads to a saving of 40% in capex and 34% in operational costs.
Reliance has a team of 1000 engineers working on the 5G project. It has acquired Radisys, US-based firm which specialises Voice over New-Radio (VoNR) software. Reliance has also tied up with Qualcomm to combine its 5G platform with new radio software of Radisys. This combination will power cells. Reliance has strategic partners such as Google, Facebook, Intel and Qualcomm. They are also part of open RAN Policy coalition. They are working on standards for 5G virtualised network.
Is such disruption possible? It is being touted as an answer to Huawei’s domination. Still, it is untested technology. In past, US has failed to boost CDMA and WiMax technology. China has invested time and money in 5G, and it is to be seen whether open-platform technology would dislodge it. At the most, the new telcos will replace the old gear makers.
Nokia has joined O-RAN alliance and is supporting open platforms. European gear makers are in favour of offering of offering separate software and hardware if market dynamics change. Gear makers do not buy that the new technology will be economical. They may save on hardware but they will have to pay for system integration on a continuous basis.
Jio has said that its 5G network solution is ready and it can start trials immediately. They need spectrum for the network and they have approached DoT for assigning 800 megahertz (MHz) spectrum in both the millimetre (26 gigahertz or GHz and 24 GHz) wave (mmWave) bands as well as 100 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band for field trials of its network in a few metros.
The company took 3 years and a few hundred engineers to develop this technology. Some countries are veering towards preference of 28-GHz band for 5G development, while some for 26-GHz band. As such for global presence, Jio needs to have trials on these crucial bands.
Since Reliance is trying to build its own 5G virtualised radio open network (VRAN), Bharti too has collaborated with US-based Altiostar to test its open RAN software architecture. It is waiting for the trial spectrum being made available by the government. Tech Mahindra too will play the role of a system integrator by harmonising the software and hardware sourced from diverse vendors. Tech Mahindra also has stake in Altiostar. The same technology can be extended to Bharti’s Africa market.
Altiostar collaborates with Japanese Rakuten, and the first 5G open radio access network (O-RAN) is being launched in Japan in September, 2020.
Altiostar is building the software architecture for 4G as well as 5G on V RAN for Bharti. Bharti will be able to compete with Reliance which is doing the same thing.
This technology reduces the capital expenditure by 40 per cent and operating costs by 34 per cent.
5G Standards
Telecommunications Standards Society, India (TSDSI) is pushing for India-specific standards for 5G called TSDSI Radio Interface Standard or RIT.
TSDSI is an autonomous standards body with members from telecom operators, telecom gear makers, academia including IITs, chip set makers, R&D Centres and DoT.
IIT, Madras has developed RIT standard and TSDSI believes it suits Indian conditions. It is conducive for rural areas with low speed mobility and large cells with a radius of six km, which could be extended to 12 km. It ensures affordable broadband based on indigenous technology.
The operators would, however, prefer the global standards set by 3rd Generation Partnership Project or 3GPP. This project was handling 3G standards and is now focusing on 5G standards for the globe. India’s RTI has not drawn support from leading global telecom gear makers.
India-specific standard will raise costs, for telecom operators and chipset makers for mobile devices. It is a localised standard. It cannot enjoy global economics of scale.
It will be difficult to integrate a 4G network seam tech to a 5G network. Indian operators would operate an independent network of 5G. Your handset may not work abroad. It is like choosing between CDMA and GSM or Wintax (South Korea). CDMA died. WiMax did not take off. RIT could meet the same fate. There will be problems of making handsets inter-operable. There will be problems of portability.
Even if India opts for RIT, it should not be made mandatory. Operators must enjoy the freedom to choose between RIT and 3GPP.
There are misgiving about the 12km radius.