CommScope today announced a collaboration with Meta Connectivity to join its Evenstar program and accelerate the adoption of Open RAN by developing open reference designs.
As the demand for internet connectivity expands at a rapid pace, the infrastructure that supports it needs to grow and improve. To address this requirement, CommScope will work with Meta Connectivity, alongside a network of industry ecosystem companies in the Evenstar program with the intent to design and build flexible, efficient RAN components.
The collaboration will focus on developing a Massive MIMO (mMIMO) reference design based on O-RAN Alliance interoperability specifications. Massive MIMO substantially increases spectral efficiency to deliver more network capacity and wider coverage. The two organizations will cooperate on high-level architectural requirements, open standardized antenna and radio interfaces, and best practice calibration designs.
“We are excited to have CommScope’s expertise in innovative antenna interfaces as part of our Evenstar program,” said Jaydeep Ranade, Director of Wireless Engineering at Meta Connectivity. “This collaboration will help facilitate an ecosystem of high-quality connectivity – something that becomes more important every day as we move to an increasingly digitally connected world.”
“Open RAN hardware and software are making great progress and we’re starting to see a path toward superior performance,” said Joe Madden, Mobile Experts. “Programs like Evenstar support the industry’s focus on disaggregation of software from proprietary hardware and provides a basis for ecosystem investment that is needed.”
The mMIMO reference design will provide operators with the option to further disaggregate the filter/antenna elements from the radio unit, supporting flexibility and delivering implementation options to the market.
Meta Connectivity is working with control unit and distribution unit software vendors who will manage interoperability testing, while CommScope will support Over-the-Air (OTA) testing and characterization of the antenna within a laboratory environment.
“CommScope is thrilled to be joining Meta Connectivity’s global Evenstar ecosystem,” said Farid Firouzbakht, senior vice president of Outdoor Wireless Networks, CommScope. “Open RAN is gaining momentum in the marketplace and mMIMO 5G deployments will require cooperation and collaboration between vendors based on competitive reference models.”