Qualcomm sets up Momentum for Full-Scale Open RAN Commercialization with the Sampling of its 5G RAN Platforms

Qualcomm Technologies has begun sampling the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card and Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform to global customers and partners for integration and verification of next-generation 5G mobile infrastructure solutions. This marks a significant next step in the evolution and upcoming commercialization of full-scale open and virtualized 5G networks. These transformative platforms will simplify and lower total cost of ownership of 5G deployments and help drive the transition towards modern networks by delivering high-performance, O-RAN compliant, energy efficient, virtualized, cloud-native 5G solutions.

Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card and Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform introduce unique and unmatched performance, exemplifying Qualcomm Technologies' pioneering wireless expertise in delivering technology for cellular infrastructure. Some key highlights include:

Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card

· Cutting-Edge Cloud-Optimized Solution with High-Performance and Leading Power Efficiency: Optimized product with integrated hardware acceleration is designed to deliver a high-performance, low-latency, and power-efficient solution expected to enable cloud-native, virtualized 5G networks deployments by offloading server CPUs from compute-intensive 5G baseband processing

· O-RAN Compliant Design with Architectures Flexibility: Supports a range of baseband function split options which spans support of all 7.x split functions providing OEMs and operators with deployment flexibility and facilitates scalable, cost-effective 5G RAN networks spanning mmWave and Sub-6 GHz. The solution is designed with an upgradable architecture of L1 software to enable rapid rollout of future 3GPP release features, extend platform lifespan, and help reduce total cost of ownership

· Fully-Integrated and Customizable Turnkey Solution: Designed to simplify 5G deployments by offering a customizable turnkey solution for ease of deployment with O-RAN fronthaul and 5G NR layer 1 High (L1 High) processing including beamforming processing and support for simultaneous massive MIMO 64T64R sectors

Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform

· Comprehensive High-Performance Modem-RF Solution: Designed for superior radio performance including high-power and high-capacity operation, the high-performance, power- efficient solution supports Massive MIMO capabilities and features a comprehensive 5G Modem- RF System

· O-RAN Compliant Design with Architectures Flexibility: Supports all split options providing OEMs and operators with tremendous flexibility to deploy unprecedented peak speeds with available spectrum resources and facilitates scalable, cost-effective 5G RAN networks spanning mmWave and Sub-6 GHz

· Advanced Cellular Technologies: Scalable solution with support for advanced features like Multi-operator RAN sharing, Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), and digital beamforming as well as 64T64R, 32T32R and non-Massive MIMO solutions

Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President And General Manager, Cellular Modems and Infrastructure, Qualcomm Technologies, commented, “Network operators understand the importance of deploying 5G network infrastructure that can support the demands of next-generation networks, enhance consumer experiences, and unlock new use cases. They require a scalable solution with high capacity and low latency. Sampling of the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card and Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform mark a significant milestone for full-scale Open RAN commercialization as these technologies aim to bring innovative, cost-effective, and power-efficient Open RAN solutions to the marketplace and boost the infrastructure ecosystem.”

Commercial deployments featuring the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card and Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform are expected to take place beginning the second half of 2023.