46 Demos of O-RAN Technology Prepared for MWC Barcelona 2022 or the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition

O-RAN ALLIANCE is excited to announce 46 new demonstrations of O-RAN solutions, with 22 planned to be presented at the MWC Barcelona 2022 exhibition. Many of those demos plus an additional 24 demos will be available online at the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition.

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Intelligent RAN control demonstrations at MWC Barcelona include

• Ericsson presents its approach to SMO as an enabler of automation and value creation in the context of open innovation with rApps. Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform provides multi-vendor and multi-technology support for RAN and empowers CSPs to accelerate in the automation journey and materialize its benefits from day one. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2O60 (Ericsson).
• Juniper Networks and Keysight jointly demonstrate O-RAN based RAN Slice SLA assurance use case using Juniper Non-RT RIC, Near-RT RIC, RAN Slice SLA Assurance rApps and xApps with Keysight RICtest agents (O-CU/O-DU emulators). Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2D21 and 2DMR14 (Juniper Networks).
• Juniper Networks and AirHop Communications demonstrate RACH parameter optimization use case using Juniper Near-RT RIC, AirHop RACH optimization xApp, and O-CU/O-DU emulators as RIC test agents. The demonstration highlights the benefits of O-RAN based Near-RT RIC deployed 3rd party xApp to automatically detect and resolve RACH parameter conflicts. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2D21 and 2DMR14 (Juniper Networks).
• Mavenir demonstrates an O-RAN based AI-powered closed-loop Near-RT RIC platform along with the traffic steering that substantially reduces network overhead and improves cell capacity savings. The demo validates a real-time learning framework using cloud-native network APIs for xApp to xApp communication and integration of 3rd party apps. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2H60 (Mavenir).
• Parallel Wireless demonstrates its Open RAN, ALL G - 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, O-RAN based software platform showcasing an open, secure, and intelligent RAN architecture to deliver wireless connectivity, enabling people to be connected whenever, wherever, and however they choose. Visit the demo at Hall 5 Stand 5C61 (Parallel Wireless).
• Qualcomm Technologies demonstrates the use of O-RAN ALLIANCE framework including disaggregated network components and RAN Intelligent Controller to create a high reliability 5G solution for Industrial IoT use-cases. Visit the demo at Hall 3 Stand 3E10 (Qualcomm Technologies).
• Rakuten Symphony, Intel and Juniper Networks demonstrate Symware, a collaborative effort to pioneer a carrier-grade Open RAN solution for mobile network operators to modernize radio cell sites by leveraging the latest cloud-native architecture, while providing support for O-RAN fronthaul interfaces to the O-RU. Visit the demo at Hall 3 Stand 3E31 (Intel).

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Open RAN demonstrations at MWC Barcelona include

• AccelerComm is demonstrating a fully compliant O-RAN Acceleration Abstraction Layer (AAL) Forward Error Correction (FEC) product for the Xilinx Telco Accelerator cards. This carrier-grade product enables AccelerComm’s high performance 5G NR LDPC encoding and decoding IP solutions to be rapidly and efficiently used as hardware accelerators in industry standard servers across a PCIe bus using the O-RAN AAL interface. Visit the demo at Hall 7 Stand 7C24 (AccelerComm).
• Analog Devices, Intel, VIAVI Solutions and Rohde & Schwarz jointly demonstrate O-RAN open fronthaul conformance. Analog Devices & Intel’s 4T4R O-RU Reference Design is validated by VIAVI’s automated TM500 O-RU tester with R&S SMW200A vector signal generator, R&S FSVA3000 spectrum analyzer and the R&S VSE signal analysis software. Visit the demo at Hall 5 Stand 5A80 (Rohde & Schwarz).
• Analog Devices demonstrates its O-RU Reference design fronthaul conformance testing with Keysight technology. The O-RU integrates ADI’s turnkey 7.2x split low PHY IP with ADI’s latest 8T8R RadioVerse SoC with integrated DFE, connected to Keysight’s Open RAN Studio O-DU emulator and PathWave Test Automation framework for fronthaul conformance testing. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2F25 (Analog Devices).
• Arm and partners demonstrate a low-footprint 5G Network-in-a-box O-RAN solution based on arm Neoverse N1 CPU, suitable for distributed small cells and private networks deployments. The E2E solution comprises O-CU, O-DU, Core and Edge platforms all running on one Gigabyte server using Capgemini and Phluido software and Benetel O-RU. Visit the demo at Hall 5 Stand 5A19 (Arm).
• Casa Systems, Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions jointly demonstrate O-RAN open fronthaul conformance. Casa Systems' Apex 5G Evo O-RU is validated by a setup featuring VIAVI’s TM500 O-RU Tester as DU emulator, O-RU test manager SW interacting with R&S SMW200A vector signal generator, R&S FSW50 spectrum analyzer and R&S VSE Vector Signal Explorer SW. Visit the demo at Hall 5 Stand 5A80 (Rohde & Schwarz).
• Fujitsu, NTT DOCOMO, Wind River and NVIDIA partnered for the 5G Open RAN Ecosystem (OREC) to build vRAN testbed with remote access capability. The demonstration shows Open vRAN using O-RAN open fronthaul interface between O-RU and O-DU. Fujitsu’s 5G Open vRAN ecosystem is very flexible and highly scalable network covering implementation, operation and maintenance. NTT DOCOMO, Fujitsu and the partners will release the Open vRAN network with multi-vendor connective capability. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2G60 (Fujitsu).
• Intel and AT&T jointly demonstrate a network traffic-based pooling, utilizing flexRAN-based vRAN architecture to enable significant capacity gains in cRAN deployments. This demo will walk through a flexRAN pipeline implementation showing a vBBU workload split across servers. Visit the demo at Hall 3 Stand 3E31 (Intel).
• NEC showcases the new massive-MIMO solution including radio unit, based on O-RAN open fronthaul. NEC shows its advanced technologies and commercial deployment experiences in domestic market. In addition, NEC's Global Open RAN Center of Excellence (CoE) will lead the integration and validation of the multi-vendor ecosystem. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2F10 (NEC).
• NEC, Dell, NTT DOCOMO, Red Hat and Xilinx partnered for the 5G Open RAN Ecosystem (OREC) to build vRAN testbed with remote access capability, and demonstrates NEC’s vRAN. The software is consistent with O-RAN Reference Architecture. It is implemented on the latest virtualization infrastructure, and on a commercially available server using the latest microprocessors and hardware acceleration. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2F10 (NEC).
• STL demonstrates 5G Small Cell Split 7.2 O-RU (GARUDA) interworking with ASOCS vRAN for Private Network (CYRUS®), based on O-RAN IoT profiles. The setup included STL O-RU and ASOCS O-DU, CU and Core VM. The scope included demonstration of M-Plane and S-plane connectivity as per the O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2E18 (STL).
• VIAVI Solutions and AMD demonstrate testing of an O-DU with the VIAVI TMLite that does both UE and O-RU emulation with AMD processors in a single commercially available server. This demo is to show that both UE emulation and O-DU testing can be achieved cost effectively in one server. Visit the demo at Hall 2 Stand 2M61 (AMD).

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Demonstrations of Intelligent RAN control at the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition include

• Groundhog demonstrates O-Cloud and Intelligent RAN control using CovMo™, a cloud-native geo-location solution that detects and mitigate a multitude of challenges currently faced by MNOs including RAN-optimization, VIP-care, and next-generation network rollout strategies. Combining superior accuracy and geo-KPIs, CovMo™ intelligently provides critical insights on the QoS experienced by the subscribers.
• iConNext demonstrates a total containerized end-to-end system, all the way from RAN up to Near-RT RIC. This demo is building and offering a real system that can truly accomplish a smart 5G network concept of Cloud-Native and RIC for the flexible network system deployment. This is a small step to enable an open path, but that's a huge breakthrough from smart to intelligent.
• ITRI demonstrates an O-RAN based intelligent RAN management and control solution – Athena Orchestrator, which consists of SMO, Non-RT RIC and Near-RT RIC that are based on O-RAN architecture. The management and control services conform O1, A1, and E2 interfaces and procedures. rApps and xApps provide intelligent and value added functions.
• ITRI and PEGATRON demonstrate 5G O-RAN system with intelligent control for energy savings. In this demonstration, an Energy Saving rApp is adapted to coordinate the power ON/OFF of the O-RAN gNBs based on traffic loading. The power consumption and throughput performance of the O-RAN gNBs will be evaluated.
• University of Utah demonstrates how the POWDER (Platform for Open Wireless Data-driven Experimental Research) platform APIs and experimental workflow mechanisms can be combined with industry-standard automation tools to run Near-RT RIC test scenarios. POWDER’s automation framework enables continuous interoperability and conformance testing.
• VIAVI TeraVM provided RIC test and UE and gNB emulation capability, connected to the TCS RIC over the O-RAN E2 interface and was used to help show the effect of xAPPs functionality, for example - monitoring the decisions on UEs to see if overall network performance improves as expected.

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Demonstrations of Open RAN at the O-RAN Virtual Exhibition include

• Baicells demonstrates a whitebox indoor small cell system based on open interfaces (e.g. open fronthaul Interface) enabling a cost effective deployment at large scale.
• Comba Telecom showcases Open RAN Multi-band Remote Radio Unit with advanced technology that maintains a low power consumption level and better receiver sensitivity. The small form factor and improved Mean Time Before Failure performance contributes to installation and maintenance cost saving. These features facilitate fronthaul integration with O-DU partners.
• Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, TIM, Vodafone, Ericsson, Nokia and Mavenir teamed up for the Telco Cloud reference stack – a collaborative project among several Telco Operators and VNF Vendors to release a production grade cloud layer Open Source, in line with O-Cloud specifications. It is covering Open RAN, 5GC, other Network Features and B2B edge use cases. The demo includes Mavenir O-RAN deployed across multiple Telco Operator sites.
• Intel, Radisys and Keysight demonstrate how the O-DU (Intel, Radisys) is validated with Keysight’s O-RU/UE and network impairment emulators. O-RUs and O-DUs are designed for robust operation in live networks with O-RAN specified fronthaul delay management feature optimized to handle delay and packet delay variation (PDV) in the fronthaul networks.
• IP Infusion, Auray and Keysight have collaborated to validate IP Infusion’s Disaggregated Cell Site Gateway (DCSG) for transportation performance over O-RAN specified open fronthaul in Auray OTIC and Security lab with Keysight KORA field-to-lab digital twin emulation framework which includes full dimension emulation of fronthaul, background traffic and realistic network impairments.
• IPLOOK demonstrates a full stack cloud-native and container-based system of end-to-end 4G/5G converged mobile core solution for operators and enterprises. It supports O-Cloud infrastructure for Open RAN equipment suppliers, enabling diverse hardware and software systems to connect with IPLOOK end-to-end mobile core network solution.
• IS-Wireless showcases a Multi MNO scenario supported in the form of a Neutral Host. End-to-end Open RAN network is deployable on any cloud in an automated manner as containers. Splits 7.2 and 2 are showcased.
• Keysight demonstrates its integrated test solution portfolio for pre and post silicon design verification of 5G O-RAN system-on-chip (SoC) thereby accelerating time to market and improving quality for O-RAN O-RU silicon and products. Keysight’s O-RAN pre-silicon automated chip testing solution (IxVerify) is fully virtualized and scalable.
• Keysight Nemo demonstrates high precision latency measurements for testing and validating O-RAN and monolithic networks in meeting URLLC requirements for Industry 4.0 use cases. Keysight Nemo high precision latency measurement solution utilizes different traffic profiles to model real end user applications in various network environments and over different network types.
• Keysight demonstrates how the Keysight Open RAN Architect (KORA) air monitor (WaveJudge Wireless Analyzer), and Open RAN Studio are used to deliver detailed observability on the air and fronthaul interfaces thereby accelerating troubleshooting of issues between the O-RU and O-DU during interoperability, end-to-end and conformance testing of O-RU, eNB/gNB.
• Keysight showcases the PBM solution that controls Real UEs across device models and chipsets to automatically conduct tests as defined in TIFG E2E test specifications in both lab and field. It computes user experience KPIs and performance scores to analyze, benchmark and regressively test different O-RAN blueprints and test conditions.
• LIONS Technology demonstrates LIONS RANathon 5G O-RAN product line, including integrated O-CU/ O-DU kit, fronthaul gateway, indoor O-RU, and outdoor O-RU, for private network applications. It showcases the scalability character of RANathon supporting deployment from pilot project, coverage-centric case, distributed cases, to high density-centric case. Also, partial test results of O-RAN Plugfest, certificates from 3rd party and use cases are presented.
• NTT DOCOMO, Dell Technologies, Intel, Mavenir, NTT DATA and VMware partnered for the 5G Open RAN Ecosystem (OREC) to build vRAN testbed with remote access capability, and demonstrate O-RAN cloud architecture and use case for vRAN with Mavenir virtualized CU deployment as CNF integrated by NTT DATA with VMware Telco Cloud Platform, Dell PowerEdge Server and Intel FlexRAN.
• Pegatron, Auray and Keysight demonstrate 3GPP Security Assurance Specification (SCAS) testing with Pegatron’s gNB in Auray OTIC and Security lab with Keysight’s Security automated test suite. O-RAN ALLIANCE Security Focus Group has recommended the 3GPP SCAS to be mandatory for O-RAN gNB testing and therefore mandatory for O-RAN/OTIC Badging.
• VIAVI Solutions demonstrates the VIAVI TeraVM O-CU Simulator and TeraVM 5G Core Emulator that were used to help verify, integrate, and test the Sercomm O-RU/O-DU combination, ensuring they functionally comply to the specifications of 3GPP and O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications, while demonstrating real UE calls delivered acceptable speeds, end-to-end over an O-RAN network.
• VIAVI Solutions, Intel, Capgemini and IP Infusion demonstrate O-RAN open fronthaul interoperation using the VIAVI TM500 O-DU tester connected via the IP Infusion switch to test a Capgemini combined O-DU and O-CU in an Intel server. The demo shows end-to-end performance testing showing measured throughputs both in the downlink and uplink. 
• Wind River showcases a demostration of CNF orchestration over O-RAN O2 interfaces with Wind River Studio. By integrating O-RAN Software Community INF project’s O2 IMS/DMS reference implementation, Wind River Studio Conductor acting as a SMO communicates with Wind River Studio Cloud Platform, which is O-Cloud, via O-RAN O2 interfaces. This validates the usability of O-RAN O2 specifications.
• WNC demonstrates an O-RAN end-to-end system, with O-CU/O-DU running on a COTS x86 server, supporting NG backhaul, F1 midhaul and 10GbE eCPRI fronthaul. The O-RU is a sub-6 indoor picocell (4T4R with 24dBm output power per channel). The same system passed the third O-RAN Plugfest interoperability test and is currently deployed in a 5G private network belonging to a large telecom operator in Taiwan.

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