Vodafone completes Open RAN trial with Nokia, Arm, and HPE

Nokia and Vodafone have completed Open RAN lab testing, leveraging Nokia's anyRAN approach in collaboration with partners Arm and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). The trial occurred at Nokia's Open RAN Innovation Center in Dallas, Texas, and showcased the completion of an end-to-end Layer 3 (L3) data call.

"Vodafone is dedicated to supporting the development and adoption of Open RAN platforms by fostering a diverse ecosystem of silicon solutions. The approach offers numerous benefits, including increased choice, enhanced energy efficiency, higher network capacity, and improved performance in wireless networks. We are excited to collaborate with Nokia, Arm, and HPE in this live demonstration, and the initial results have been promising, paving the way for future commercialization," said Francisco Martin, Head of Open RAN at Vodafone.

The test utilized leading technologies including:

• Ampere Arm-based general-purpose processors
• HPE ProLiant RL300 server, Nokia's Layer 1 (L1) accelerator
• Nokia’s RAN software.

The 5G Standalone (SA) RAN architecture was complemented by Nokia's 5G SA Compact Mobility Unit (CMU) Core.

The trial was conducted using Nokia's AirScale massive MIMO radios on the n78 spectrum band (3.5 GHz band). Nokia's intelligent MantaRay NM network management system was deployed for improved monitoring and management.

In the demonstration, commercial user devices were used to conduct data calls successfully. The trial shows that the adoption of Arm Neoverse-based processors on HPE servers, as part of the Nokia anyRAN approach, will offer operators such as Vodafone, the benefits of improved supplier diversity and efficiency through the latest silicon technology.

Commenting on this milestone, Mark Atkinson, Head of RAN at Nokia, said, "Achieving future computing evolution requires a flexible approach to RAN deployments, allowing freedom of choice in server hardware, general-purpose processors and cloud platforms. This trial not only builds upon past accomplishments but also solidifies Nokia's leadership in Open RAN innovation. It is another testament to the openness of Nokia's anyRAN approach, ensuring consistent performance of Open RAN while empowering operators with more options to build their networks."