OPENAIRINTERFACE software stack powering 5G use-cases exhibited at Mobile World Congress Barcelona

BIOT, France - Feb. 25, 2018 - PRLog -- Open source software OPENAIRINTERFACE™ ("OAI") running over general purpose processors is the underlying software stack powering demonstrations of 5G use-cases at the booths of several OSA members: TCL Communication, InterDigital, Fujitsu, Fraunhofer IIS, and University of Vigo at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

TCL Communication and partners (EURECOM and Creonic), are exhibiting a real-time full software 5G User Equipment (UE) in the 3.5GHz band on 80MHz channels, a configuration applicable to the European and Asia markets, showcasing reduced latency and increased throughput compared to 4G. These experiments allow TCL Communication to take a leading role on the 5G end-users connectivity. For Christian Gatti, Global President Alcatel Business Division and Executive Vice President TCL Communication, "With the full-software implementation announced today we're now able to prototype 5G innovations, perform field trials later this year with operators involved with us in collaborative projects and prepare the introduction of the first 5G products in second half of 2019." – Exhibiting at TCL booth - Hall3, 3D11 during MWC 2018

EURECOM, one of the most prestigious French Engineering Schools is the founding member of OpenAirInterface^TM Software Alliance, and contributes to the gNodeB implementation allowing the end-to-end demonstration; a first 5G version will be released publicly on OAI in the second quarter of 2018. For Raymond Knopp, Professor at EURECOM and General Secretary of OSA, "This 5G-NR demonstration is proof that OAI is the perfect tool for fast and efficient prototyping with this implementation available just two months after the specifications release."

InterDigital is demonstrating a millimeter wave ("mmW") air interface which is one of the key new technologies being introduced into 3GPP's 5G NR standard. The demo will show some of the fundamental concepts enabling mmW 5G integration with the existing LTE standard in non-standalone mode sporting mobility features such as beamforming, beam tracking and handover between the two interfaces. A 4K video resolution is streamed over this network configuration whose resolution changes as handover occurs. InterDigital reports, "The LTE protocol stack implementation for the eNB and core network are using OAI open source framework for an end to end LTE connection using a commercial dongle." – Exhibiting at Hall 7 Stand 7C61

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company. Fujitsu is the creator of a variety of solutions in Network Technologies and Services, Digital Services and Industry solutions through a unique digital co-creation approach. Fujitsu is supporting activities in the OAI platform to bring innovative ideas born in the OAI community to life. At its stand, Fujitsu will present its approach to several important projects using the OAI. These include the creation of a virtualized RAN (vRAN) platform using OAI, and the development of this vRAN on a Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) network based on this vRAN. For Fujitsu, "Open source implementation of the LTE stack and subsequently 5G stack as jointly designed in the OPENAIRINTERFACE™ community is a key driver to accelerating innovation in the telecom industry. We are committed to helping the community along and make it grow." At the booth, demonstration video of multiple UEs connection showcasing the stability of the system under development by Fujitsu will be exhibited. – Exhibiting at Hall 5 Stand 5A80, during MWC 2018.

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) shows an exemplification of visual inspection in an industrial production process and demonstrates the benefits of the new LTE technology with shortened Transmission Time Intervals (LTE sTTI) for industrial use cases. The transmission system, which triggers inspection cameras, is realized twofold: via a low-latency and low jitter connection using the new LTE sTTI and via a standard Wi-Fi connection for direct comparison. The technology is able to provide reduced end-to-end latencies down to one millisecond and reduced jitter. For Fraunhofer IIS, "Open source LTE implementation of OAI is the basis for the implementation of the additional functionality of the new LTE sTTI technology, both on the base station side as well as the user equipment side." – Exhibiting at Hall 7, 7G31 during MWC 2018.

University of Vigo, Spain, is showcasing a network latency management case for critical applications using the OAI. The exhibit shows real-time redeployment of a convenient network slice for a connection after detecting an unacceptable latency for that particular flow. This process includes instantiating new radio elements (a new PHY in the same Software Defined Radio device), moving core network elements to the edge, and reconfiguring of flow handling. University of Vigo is doing this work in collaboration with Cellnex Telecom that is the main infrastructure operator for wireless telecommunication in Europe with a portfolio of over 24,000 sites in Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland and Spain.  According to Felipe Gil-Castiñeira, associate professor at the University of Vigo, "Thanks to OAI we were able to develop a completely operative proof-of-concept where different virtual operators can be dynamically deployed using the same infrastructure, and test the flexibility that 5G provides this allowing instantiation of new functions and real-time redirection of traffic without disruption." – Exhibiting at Cellnex stand Congress Square Stand CS64.

About OPENAIRINTERFACE SOFTWARE ALLIANCE

OSA is a non-profit organization founded by EURECOM and believes in accelerating and democratizing wireless innovation by promoting 3GPP networks using open source Software over Commercial-Over-The Shelf (COTS) hardware. The OPENAIRINTERFACE™ software stack today offers full 4G and 5G Radio Access Network as well as Core Network implementation.

For more information, please visit www.openairinterface.org .

OSA President: Christian Bonnet, christian.bonnet@openairinterface.org