ZTE successfully verifies dynamic 5G network function deployment in 5G RAN split architecture

18 September 2017, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, has today become the first to successfully complete the high-layer test of experimental wireless-network prototypes and the verification of basic wireless-network architecture and functions in phase II of China’s national 5G technical network architecture testing. The 100 percent successful verification covered industry-leading functions such as basic functions of the central unit/distributed unit (CU-DU) split architecture, seamless mobility based on dual-connectivity, and dynamic resource deployment based on site and traffic changes.

This successful completion follows the air interface tests of national 5G technical testing phase II. 5G labelling service scenarios require a high data rate (more than 10 Gbps for single-user peak throughput), low latency (less than 1 ms), and massive connections (more than 1 million connections), which are an unprecedented challenge for the existing network architecture and network elements. ZTE's virtualized and modular 5G network architecture meets every requirement for each scenario. The architecture adopts ZTE-developed general processing hardware to form a virtualized general resource pool based on datacenter technology. Network functions and network devices are decoupled on a unified ICT PaaS platform. The flexible deployment of virtualized network functions ensures that they are placed in the spots of the network to best meet the requirements of users and scenarios.

In the high-layer test of experimental wireless-network prototypes, ZTE used its cloud-ready CUs based on ICT PaaS platform and a one-click new radio (NR) system with CU-DU split architecture. Using virtualized container technology, ZTE 5G network architecture supports distributed deployment of multiple datacenters and virtualized joint deployment of the core network and access network. The exceptional results of this test have demonstrated the technical competitive edge of ZTE and paved the way for the commercial use of 5G.

Bai Gang, General Manager of ZTE 5G, said,

“The ZTE 5G network is general and virtualized. It is user-centric and service-oriented. It supports flexible customization, dynamic deployment, and scalability. It caters to a wide range of service features and paves the way for communications network architecture evolution. The 5G technical testing organized by the IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group plays an important role in 5G development, and is critical in promoting 5G key technologies, verifying 5G solutions, and supporting the freezing of a unified 5G standard. ZTE will continue to fully engage in phase III work.”

In the air interface tests of China’s national 5G technical testing phase II, ZTE showcased a full range of products such as pre-commercial 5G high- and low-frequency products and virtualized core networks. The connectivity tests conducted together with instrument and chip vendors as well as lab and field tests went well, with testing results meeting the key performance requirements of seven typical scenarios such as higher spectrum efficiency, higher connection density, higher reliability, and lower air interface latency. ZTE will continue to push the commercial use of 5G products and pave the way for the start of commercial 5G use in 2020 in China.