vRAN Innovation: Accelleran, Netsia Deliver Programable RAN Slicing

Accelleran and Netsia have presented a live demonstration of dynamically programmable RAN slicing on a fully virtualized RAN (vRAN) platform at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

ProgRAN, Netsia’s innovative RAN slicing solution, enables the virtual partitioning of both the radio access network (RAN) and the core network (CN) components of the cellular network as well as orchestration of end-to-end slicing, effectively enabling Network-As-A-Service for different use and business cases. ProgRAN decouples the data and control planes in the RAN, and allows operators to dynamically create, modify or terminate virtual base stations on an existing base station hardware, each programmatically anchored to a corresponding CN.

Each virtual base station governs a non-overlapping portion of the wireless resources using its own, use case optimized control functionalities. Netsia has recently integrated onto their ProgRAN offering, the capability of design and orchestration of the end-to-end network slice service using ONAP.

Accelleran’s unique vRAN architecture is based on their novel agile, cloud-native, micro-services based realization of the RAN network functions. The vRAN architecture disaggregates the base station into CU and DU, and virtualizes and pools the CU.

Accelleran’s solution allows the CU VNFs to operate not only in server-based environments, such as central servers in the cloud, or distributed servers at the edge, but also on embedded SoCs. Further, the architecture allows the dynamic redeployment of a given CU VNF between these environments. The solution is also well-integrated into a MEC architecture where the CU VNF could be service-chained with edge cloud functions.

“We are very excited to continue our collaboration with Netsia on virtualization, softwarization and programmability of the RAN towards 5G,” said Frédéric Van Durme, CEO of Accelleran. “Multi-tenant solutions supporting our dynamic vRAN solution with Netsia’s ProgRAN running over Accelleran’s E1000 product line which supports a range of LTE bands including 3.5GHz and CBRS, vividly illustrate the power of this partnership towards supporting neutral host deployments and adapting to the real world demand shaped by the upcoming 5G.”

“The combined programmatic redeployment of vRAN architecture with the programmatic slicing of the RAN as a ready to deploy carrier grade offering is an industry-first solution,” said Oguz Oktay, Vice President, Wireless Solutions at Netsia. “We are very happy with our partnership with Accelleran. Together, we continue developing solutions for service providers that desire for more programmatic control of their radio access networks, enabling rapid development of new services for different business verticals over a common virtualized platform.”