Huawei Unveils SingleRAN Pro to Tackle 5G Challenges, Create Intelligent Network

Huawei has unveiled its 5G-oriented SingleRAN Pro solution on the eve of the Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2018. The solution features three stand out features: 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G on one network, an agile architecture for diverse services, and an automatic intelligent management system.

The purpose is to help operators tackle the challenges of the 5G era, and build a fully connected, intelligent digital world.

The mobile broadband (MBB) industry is undergoing profound changes as 5G approaches. The release of MBB traffic has created a positive business cycle for the industry, allowing operators to find favorable business models for new rounds of growth. The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) is creating hundreds of billions of new connections. Meanwhile, MBB-network-empowered sectors such as the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and VR/AR are experiencing structural changes, offering infinite opportunities for growth and new services.

However, on the path towards 5G, operators cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the following three challenges. Firstly, how to quickly deploy 5G networks with the highest cost-efficiency; secondly, how to flexibly allocate 5G network resources to maximize a networks' value; and thirdly, how to efficiently manage increasingly complex networks with reduced operation and maintenance (O&M) costs.

The newly launched SingleRAN Pro solution specifically addresses these challenges in three ways.

5G All-in-One: A Network that Supports 5G While Remaining Compatible with 2G, 3G, and 4G Platforms

The unified hardware platform supports fast and efficient deployment of 5G target networks while being 2G, 3G, and 4G compatible. Operators can rest assured that their current investment will not be wasted once 5G arrives. 5G all-in-one brings SingleRAN's multi-RAT baseband and RF hardware resource sharing feature to a new level. The latest improvement maximizes resource efficiency while ensuring that operators' investments are future-proof. While SingleRAN boasts multi-RAT, this new solution features a multi-band multi-channel antenna and RF unit.

Massive MIMO series products are specifically designed to suit diverse large-capacity scenarios. In addition, highly integrated hardware platforms such as integrated BBUs are introduced to not only expedite the introduction of 5G, but also substantially maximize site space. These new platforms will also help lower overall site energy consumption and maintenance costs.

Mobile Cloud: An Agile Network Architecture that Supports Operators' Multiple Services

The Mobile Cloud architecture covers three aspects. First, the network architecture is cloudified. Operators can use the same set of software for distributed base station deployment (DRAN), centralized base station deployment (CRAN), and CU-DU split deployment. Second, spectrum resources are cloudified. CloudAIR is featured to enable on-demand rapid spectrum allocation. This accelerates the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, and boosts spectral efficiency. Third, air interface capabilities are cloudified. Network slicing allows for tailor-made interfaces and networks to suit a wide range of services.

Mobile Cloud ensures efficient resource utilization, on-demand base station deployment, and agile service provisioning. These three features will allow operators' networks to host a growing number of diverse services from many different vertical industries while maximizing customers' return on investment (ROI).

Automation: An Intelligent Wireless Network System Marked by Automatic Management

The 5G era presents operators with unprecedented O&M challenges. Network resource management is more complex than ever due to the co-existence of multiple RATs and various services. Meanwhile, differentiated QoS assurance for emerging vertical industry services is another major issue that operators must handle.

SingleRAN Pro delivers intelligent wireless networks with AI-based network optimization, AI-based automatic O&M, and AI-based network capability enablement. This solution simplifies network O&M and spurs the development of intelligent O&M. It also further unleashes networks' latent potential, allowing for new performance breakthroughs. The solution gives rise to many new capabilities and offers automated solutions for issues that go beyond human capabilities. What was once considered impossible is now made possible.

"Huawei launched its SingleRAN solution in 2007 during the initial stages of large-scale 4G deployment. The all-in-one approach is an excellent answer for multi-RAT network deployment and also helps to significantly cut operators' CAPEX," said Dr. Peter Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer, Huawei Wireless Solution. "The release of SingleRAN Pro is the result of continuous innovation combined with extensive experience of several hundred network deployments over the past decade. Huawei looks forward to teaming up with global operators and industry partners to embrace the future challenges and opportunities of the 5G era."