Parallel Wireless to Deliver on Etisalat’s OpenRAN Vision across Middle East, Asia and Africa

The announcement is aligned with Etisalat Group objectives of achieving digital transformation with the deployment of best-in-class technologies to support 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G connectivity.

Parallel Wireless enables a shift to open, software-based, and virtualized OpenRAN network architectures to overcome deployment and cost challenges, while also delivering network agility and much lower deployment and maintenance cost. 

The cloud-native and software-based Parallel Wireless OpenRAN approach across ‘ALL G’ significantly improves network economics by converging ‘ALL G’, including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, on to one unified software platform that is easy to manage. This eliminates the need to maintain siloed legacy networks dedicated to just one G service resulting in the OPEX cost reduction to maintain networks. This approach will allow Etisalat Group to modernize legacy networks for cost reduction and reduces the complexity and integration expense of rolling out multi-vendor 5G systems.

The Parallel Wireless OpenRAN has shown cost benefits while for the first time simultaneously delivering all 3 RAN technologies (2G, 3G, 4G/LTE) with:  

• 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 virtualized 2G, 3G 4G technology that is software upgradable to 5G. 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 utilize any 3GPP-compliant RAN split to connect to any COTS vBBU enabling vendor interoperability and supplier cost reduction even further. 
• OpenRAN Controller, O-RAN compliant software, lowers the cost of RAN through simplification, automation via real-time SON, and full virtualization of networks. It will provide seamless mobility between different technologies, local breakout, and low latency for the best subscriber experience for Etisalat’s customers. The software enables OpenRAN architecture by using standard-based and open interfaces, simplifies network management and integration of new RAN products into the core and enables a clear and cost-effective technology evolution.