Leveraging Parallel Wireless ‘ALL G’ approach to OpenRAN, Etisalat will benefit from improved network economics by converging 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, on to one unified software platform that is easy to manage. As a result, this removes the need to maintain siloed legacy networks.
This in turn, will allow Etisalat Group to modernise legacy networks for cost reduction and reduces the complexity and integration expense of rolling out multi-vendor 5G systems.
“We are proud to have partnered with Etisalat for these engagements to deliver coverage and capacity without making extensive capital investments associated with legacy network deployments,” said Amrit Heer, sales director of MENA at Parallel Wireless. We are proud to have been selected to support Etisalat in reimagining wireless infrastructure to be much lower cost ensuring access to innovative digital services in the region.”
By decoupling the programmable RAN software from the hardware and allowing it to run on general-purpose processing platforms, the multi-technology software-defined GPP-based OpenRAN base stations will allow Etisalat to deploy ALL G systems with fully virtualised 2G, 3G 4G technology that is software upgradable to 5G.
Additionally, Etisalat can run simultaneously 2G, 3G and 4G on the same base station to provide commercial data and voice services to Etisalat’s customers, in urban and rural scenarios. Multi-technology RRUs are software-defined and can utilise any 3GPP-compliant RAN split to connect to any COTS vBBU enabling vendor interoperability and supplier cost reduction even further.
The global trials of OpenRAN with Parallel Wireless reiterate Etisalat’s commitment to our vision encouraging us to take the lead in OpenRAN by conducting field trials with various leading technology partners to create an innovative ecosystem in all of our markets,” said Hatem Bamatraf, CTO, Etisalat International. “This is also the world’s first ‘ALL G’ OpenRAN set to provide efficiency and cost benefits for 4G and 5G in addition to setting a roadmap for the next generation of telecom networks.”
