NTT Docomo has started commercial operations of Nokia’s latest base station in a multi-vendor Open RAN (O-RAN) environment, in what the operator describes as the first deployment of the equipment in such a configuration globally. The setup enables the base station to connect with open radio units from multiple suppliers, providing greater network flexibility and operational efficiency.
The O-RAN alliance-compliant base station supports both LTE and 5G and uses Nokia’s Levante and Ponente baseband cards for data and control processing. It also incorporates Nokia’s Massive MIMO network optimisation technology to improve connectivity during periods of high traffic. According to NTT Docomo, the platform can support more radio units while consuming less power than its existing infrastructure.