SKT announced plans to lead the Open RAN ecosystem with global operators.

SKT announced on the 20th that it has jointly published a technical white paper with Japanese telecommunications company NTT Docomo containing key requirements for telecommunications operators in the process of introducing and developing virtualized base stations.

'Virtualized RAN (vRAN)' is a technology that incorporates various network functions of Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment in the form of software, and is considered a core element of Open RAN.

Virtualized base stations are an essential technology in the process of advancing 5G and establishing 6G standards. They have the advantage of being implementable by installing only the necessary software on a general-purpose server, without the need for the base station's hardware and software manufacturers to match.

On the other hand, the need for performance improvements in certain areas, such as capacity and power consumption compared to existing base stations, has been pointed out.

In the white paper released this time, the two companies presented the key elements necessary to improve the performance of virtualized base stations compared to existing base stations. Representative examples include the evolution of hardware accelerator technology, the development of virtualization-specific technologies (such as pooling), the development of power saving technologies, improved integration between virtualized base station components, and consideration for evolution to 6G networks.

SKT stated, “This white paper is significant in that it shares key considerations for virtualized base stations, deliberated from an operator's perspective, with various global manufacturers and operators within the Open RAN ecosystem, and presents the direction of future technological evolution.”

In addition, both companies predicted that hardware accelerator technology, a critical component of virtualized base stations, would evolve in various directions—such as accelerator-embedded CPUs and inline accelerators—to improve the cell capacity and power consumption of virtualized base stations.

It emphasized the importance of selecting an accelerator structure that considers the network architecture and requirements of each operator, and also introduced the factors that need to be considered.

Meanwhile, the two companies signed a strategic partnership in 2022 centered on cooperation in three areas: telecommunications infrastructure, media, and the metaverse. Following the publication of a joint 5G and 6G technical white paper last year, they have continued their close collaboration, culminating in this white paper on virtualized base stations. At the upcoming MWC 2024, they plan to discuss ways to revitalize the global Open RAN ecosystem based on the contents of this white paper.

Ryu Tak-ki, Head of Infrastructure Technology at SK Telecom, stated, “This is a meaningful white paper that captures realistic considerations and efforts regarding the development of core areas of Open RAN from an operator’s perspective,” adding, “We plan to lead the global Open RAN ecosystem based on close cooperation with global operators.”