MTS tested 5G Open RAN equipment on domestic software MTS PJSC

In December 2019, MTS and Skoltech started cooperation on the development of domestic 5G hardware and software complexes based on the open standardized Open RAN radio access architecture. The use of these standards will make it possible to localize the production of telecom equipment in Russia, accelerate and reduce the cost of building new generation communication networks.

"Our partnership with Skoltech was crowned with success – in less than two years we were the first in Russia to bring the Open RAN concept to the stage of a technically replicated solution. All the necessary hardware was purchased on the open market from various suppliers, and the software was developed and provided by Skoltech. Thanks to the flexible and open architecture, MTS specialists managed to assemble the optimal configuration of a network solution, where each of the components worked without conflicts as part of a single whole. These inspiring results demonstrated the fidelity of our chosen Open RAN concept. Its further development will contribute to the emergence in Russia of its own developments and import substitution of telecom equipment, and on a global scale it will strengthen competition among a wide range of developers and suppliers of technological solutions," said Viktor Belov, Vice President for Technology at MTS.

"Telecom operators have become the main drivers of the global Open RAN concept. Thanks to the open architecture, operators regain the freedom to choose optimal solutions when building networks. That is why the Open RAN concept has become a rapidly growing global international project and has received support from various and largely competing players. In Russia, MTS has become a consistent supporter of open architecture, supporting Skoltech's developments in the field of Open RAN at the earliest stage. And today it is especially pleasant that the tests carried out have shown the full viability of the domestic solution," said Dmitry Lakontsev, head of the NTI Competence Center based on Skoltech.

When organizing the solution, MTS specialists implemented a scheme with physically separated base station functionality, which corresponds to the future architecture of mobile networks and cloud services to achieve the best quality of services. The hardware is based on standard IT servers with an accelerator installed. To connect the components to each other, standard transport equipment is used, which combines the base station servers, the OpenRAN radio module and the transport network. The software part is based on the widely used CentOS operating system, the installed software components developed by Skoltech implement a full stack of 5G base station protocols.