Tokyo, December 01, 2020

Fujitsu today announced that its O-RAN compatible 5G Radio Unit was selected by KDDI Corporation for the construction of virtualized base station⁽¹⁾ for 5G commercial services in Japan, planned delivery in the second half of FY2021.

Features of the Radio Unit

The newly developed 5G Radio Unit uses O-RAN⁽²⁾ standard specifications for fronthaul interface for communication with base station controllers (CU: Central Unit/DU: Distributed Unit). This makes it possible to establish a flexible network with an O-RAN configuration by connecting base station controllers between different vendors that comply with this specification.

Aiming to accelerate the delivery of 5G services, Fujitsu will make miniaturization and low power consumption a reality for Radio Units that utilize highly-efficient, wide-band power amplification technology. Mounting more antenna elements than conventional MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output, ³ ) technologies enhance the effects of beamforming⁽⁴⁾ and spatial multiplexing and will ultimately help to deliver seamless, speedy mobile communications for users in places where many people gather.

Fig. Conceptualization of Virtualized Base Station Configuration

Future Developments

In the future, Fujitsu will continue its contributions to the global development of O-RAN and support the development of KDDI's advanced 5G commercial services, delivering leading-edge Radio Units that draw on wireless technologies and expertise cultivated over many years.

Through these initiatives, Fujitsu will play a key role in fulfilling real-world communication requirements in a variety of use case scenarios, including smart factories utilizing 5G and autonomous driving.

Comments from Toshikazu Yokai, Executive Officer, KDDI Corporation

"KDDI aims to provide flexible end-to-end network slicing services with 5G network. We expect that Fujitsu's Radio Unit that is O-RAN (Open Interfaces) compliant will contribute significantly to the realization of this plan. As a "company contributing to the sustainable growth of society", KDDI will contribute to increased sophistication in the industry and create new social value through the provision of even more easy to use and highly reliable communication services."

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[[1] Virtualized Base Station

base station equipped with software having base station control function in general purpose server.

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[[2] O-RAN

A common specification developed by the O-RAN Alliance (Open Radio Access Network Alliance), an industry group that promotes standardization with the aim of realizing a next-generation radio access network that is open and expandable, including 5G.

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[[3] MIMO

A technology that enables high-speed communication by simultaneously transmitting different signals from multiple transmitters and separating the signals received by multiple receivers.

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[[4] Beamforming

A technique for concentrating radio waves in a specific direction by controlling the phase (angle) of a signal emitted by an antenna element on an antenna panel.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.