NTT Docomo July 2023

2023 TO BE THE DEFINING YEAR FOR OPEN RAN

IN ASSOCIATION WITH: DIGITAL REPORT 2023

NTT DOCOMO: 2023 TO BE THE DEFINING YEAR FOR OPEN RAN

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NTT DOCOMO

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Sadayuki Abeta, Global Head of Open RAN Solutions/ OREX Evangelist,

Global interest continues to grow regarding Open RAN, which uses open and standardised wireless base-station specifications to enable the devices and systems of multiple telecom vendors to be interconnected in mobile networks.

However, operators constructing networks incorporating devices from just a single vendor are now facing technical and verification challenges in their efforts to implement Open RAN. NTT DOCOMO, as the world’s only company to have constructed networks implemented with multiple vendors since the 4G era, is leveraging its expertise to support the Open RAN efforts of operators worldwide.

Based on the company’s corporate philosophy of ’creating a new world of communications culture’, today DOCOMO is utilising its individual potential to provide

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Through its OREX brand, DOCOMO is offering a pre-integrated solution that simplifies integration, interoperability and lifecycle management

Reclaim control of your wireless network with Open RAN

Partner with Fujitsu for sustainable, open solutions that will prepare your network for the future. With Fujitsu

Open RAN solutions, you get the network you want.

Sustainable solutions for an open future

The benefits of Open RAN

If you want a sustainable network, Open RAN provides greater choice, flexibility, and agility for 5G and beyond. It delivers faster innovation, supply chain security, simplified operations, and a more competitive vendor ecosystem.

The Fujitsu Open RAN solution encompasses O-RAN-compliant RUs, vCUDUs, fronthaul and backhaul transport, software, and 5G services. While the Fujitsu Open RAN solution is a best-of-breed technology offering, we are committed to Open RAN and know each network is unique. However you want your network configured, Fujitsu Open RAN helps to speed service introduction and reduce total cost of ownership.

Sustainable hardware and software solutions

At Fujitsu, our purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation, which we are applying to the RAN network. For virtual RAN (vRAN), we plan a 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 compared to conventional base stations. Our RUs support advanced sleep mode that automatically turns PA (power amplifier) on and off according to the traffic, which ultimately leads to the reduction in power consumption. Since RUs consume particularly large amounts of power within a radio access network, the reduction in power consumption contributes significantly

to sustainability transformation. Our Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) uses advanced AI technology that can orchestrate and control Open RAN networks. Applications inside of the SMO perform RU and vCU/DU sleep control depending on traffic and user quality conditions so that they can reduce power consumption, delivering a sustainable transformation for your network.

We are an active member of IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) Global Forum, which leads the vision of future communications infrastructure based on leading-edge optical technology and information processing technologies to realize a smarter world in open community with industry leaders (or partners).

Easy Open RAN system integration

Fujitsu Open RAN Systems Integration solutions allow you to create your best open network while we take care of the integration planning and design, the lab deployment and conformance testing, plus network integration and lifecycle management. Fujitsu makes deployment faster and more flexible with capital and operational cost savings. Innovation and new service introductions are quicker, more responsive, and nimbler.

Learn more are

2023

The IOWN GLOBAL FORUM mark and IOWN GLOBAL FORUM & Design logo are trademarks of Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

With our virtual RAN (vRAN) solution, we plan to have a 50% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 compared to conventional base stations.

The IOWN GLOBAL FORUM mark and IOWN GLOBAL FORUM & Design logo are trademarks of Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

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highly personalised communication solutions that truly satisfy customers.

Earlier in 2023, DOCOMO adopted the OREX (Open RAN Ecosystem Experience) brand to strengthen the support scheme for international telecom operators in delivering the Open RAN system.

“OREX provides the Open RAN solution, creating a new network experience that is truly open to the world,” explains Sadayuki Abeta, NTT DOCOMO’s Global Head of Open RAN Solutions and OREX Evangelist.

“WE OFFER THE OPEN RAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS, INCLUDING PRE-INTEGRATION SOLUTIONS OR PACKAGED SOLUTIONS”

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SADAYUKI ABETA GLOBAL HEAD OF OPEN RAN SOLUTIONS/OREX EVANGELIST, NTT DOCOMO

“We closely collaborate with multiple partners across different layers such as software, Communication-as-a-Service (CaaS) or O-cloud, accelerator and server vendors to establish the Open RAN ecosystem while considering commercial operations.

“We offer the Open RAN experience through various means, including pre-integration solutions or packaged solutions,” Abeta adds. “Additionally, we provide a shared open lab where

DR SADAYUKI ABETA

TITLE: GLOBAL HEAD OF OPEN RAN SOLUTIONS/OREX EVANGELIST

COMPANY: NTT DOCOMO

Sadayuki Abeta is global head of Open RAN solutions and OREX evangelist in NTT DOCOMO for creating Open RAN ecosystem globally, and shaping them to meet customer and service provider needs.

He has been working for research, standardization and development of the UMTS/W-CDMA, HPSA, LTE, LTE-Advanced and 5G. From 2005 to 2009, he was a vice chairman of 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 and rapporteur of LTE and LTE-Advanced. He is an O-RAN executive committee member. From 2018-2022, he was a General Manager of the Radio Access Network Development Department, which is responsible

NTT DOCOMO

Learn How We Can Help

Innovation for Open RAN and Beyond

Wind River, a global leader in intelligent distributed cloud software, is in the vanguard of businesses driving the digital transformation of missioncritical systems.

One of the areas where the company is helping usher customers into a new era is telecommunications.

“We’re constantly strategizing operations for the future,” says Paul Miller, CTO, Wind River.“5G and virtualized radio access networks (vRAN) are laying the groundwork for applications such as autonomous vehicle control, drone control, and software-based factory automation.”

Looking even further ahead, he predicts that service providers will offer “a fully virtualized environment, from core to edge,” adding that this will be automated “and built on cloud-oriented architecture.”

An important area for Wind River in telecom is its work with Open Telco and Open RAN (O-RAN) deployments.

O-RAN is a key enabler for organizations from many sectors to provide a wide array of new services to their customers. It’s an enabler of edge connectivity and the machine economy, and it provides the foundation for use

cases such as autonomous driving, modern energy grids, and robotics.

Wind River is continually innovating and has leveraged its strategic OREX partnership to share these innovations with the ecosystem.

For example, recent projects include a multi-vendor Open vRAN demonstration with OREX members NTT DOCOMO, Fujitsu, and NVIDIA that showed how an Open RAN system can be energy efficient.

But as well as enabling opportunities, new technologies also bring challenges, most of which concern system integration. OREX helps ease these challenges with activities such as the Open RAN verification environment and the work done recently to define new methods for system integration.

“Distributed networks are complex, so Open RAN solutions must mitigate complexity,” says Miller. “Our focus is on providing ease of deployment, increased levels of automation, and operational efficiency so service providers can better support new 5G use cases.”

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operators can remotely access our lab from their office to test the virtual RAN solution. We also offer operational systems like SMO, leveraging our expertise and experience.

“OREX is committed to making 2023 the defining year for Open RAN. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate global communication gaps through the OREX initiative.”

Pioneering new technologies

NTT DOCOMO is the number one mobile operator in Japan. Having launched its firstgeneration service in 1979, since then the company has pioneered new technologies.

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“In 1999, we introduced the i-mode service, which was the first mobile internet service, making us an internet service provider,” Abeta explains.

“For both 3G and 4G, we were among the first operators to commercially launch these services. In 2020, we became the first operator to commercially launch 5G services with a fully multi-vendor interoperable Open RAN.”

Today DOCOMO has three business segments: enterprise, smart life and telecommunications. It has 87m subscribers, with 20m subscribers enjoying its 5G Open RAN services, with a total revenue of around US$44bn.

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Global OREX partners

An expert in the mobile industry for more than 25 years, Abeta’s career at NTT DOCOMO started as a researcher for

In 1997 the second-generation mobile system was introduced in Japan. Instead of GSM, Japan utilised the Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) system. “During this time, data services over the mobile network were initiated, but the data rate was incredibly low, starting at only 2.4kbps,” Abeta explains. “It’s hard to imagine today, but at that time, only small text messages could be transferred over the mobile network. Eventually, the data rate increased to 28.8kbps.

“In 1999, we launched the i-mode service, marking the beginning of internet services over the mobile network. Our

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customers enjoyed web browsing and games on their mobile devices. Non-voice communication services expanded, but customers had to purchase new handsets to access new applications or games since some applications were hard-coded and only available on specific terminals.”

In 2000, 3G was introduced, with DOCOMO playing a significant role in contributing to the 3GPP standard specification work. “We led technical discussions and managed the discussions as one of the officials, serving as the Chair. We were the first operator to deploy 3G networks nationwide and provided rich content via the 3G network. However, the data rate was still limited to 64Kbps or 384kbps. Later, HSPA technology was introduced, enabling much higher throughput.

“Moving forward, we proposed LTE together with our partners and launched 4G services in 2010,” Abeta describes. “Our 4G radio access network (RAN) was fully multi-vendor interoperable. We defined interfaces that were not initially defined by 3GPP, making us the first operator to deploy a multi-vendor interoperable RAN. The rise of smartphones in conjunction with our 4G services revolutionised the user experience and its benefits are well-known.”

While DOCOMO’s communication services continued to thrive, the company also expanded its non-communication services, evolving into the smart-life service segment.

When it comes to the rollout of 5G, DOCOMO has contributed not only to 3GPP but also to the O-RAN alliance to realise multivendor interoperable Open RAN solutions.

“OREX IS AKIN TO A SINGLE VENDOR SOLUTION, OFFERING A PRE-INTEGRATED SOLUTION THAT SIMPLIFIES INTEGRATION, INTEROPERABILITY, AND LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT”

SADAYUKI

ABETA

GLOBAL

HEAD OF OPEN RAN SOLUTIONS/OREX EVANGELIST, NTT DOCOMO

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NTT DOCOMO

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NTT DOCOMO: 2023 to be the defining year for Open RAN

“In 2018, we established the 5G Open Partner Program, aiming to create new services and address social issues by collaborating with vertical players,” Abeta adds. “Currently, this program has attracted participation from 5,300 companies and organisations.”

The benefits of OREX

As Abeta describes, OREX provides an easier solution for Open RAN, allowing the benefits of vendor competition, mitigating supply chain risks and enabling the selection of equipment from around the world.

“Our solution is designed to simplify the process,” he states. “It is akin to a single vendor solution, offering a pre-integrated solution that simplifies integration, interoperability, and lifecycle management.”

In order to implement this solution, there are a number of challenges to overcome. Many operators have conducted

WATCH NOW

“THROUGH JOINT INNOVATION, WE CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL VALUE TO OUR CUSTOMERS”

SADAYUKI ABETA

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GLOBAL HEAD OF OPEN RAN SOLUTIONS/OREX EVANGELIST, NTT DOCOMO

“OREX PROVIDES THE OPEN RAN SOLUTION, CREATING A NEW NETWORK EXPERIENCE THAT IS TRULY OPEN TO THE WORLD”

SADAYUKI ABETA

GLOBAL HEAD OF OPEN RAN SOLUTIONS/OREX EVANGELIST, NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO Tower, Tokyo IMAGE: GETTY

trials of Open RAN. However, only a few operators have launched commercial Open RAN services.

“How DOCOMO can help in introducing Open RAN to their commercial networks poses a high-level challenge,” explains Abeta. “We need to understand their current network and propose solutions for improving it, adding value to their network while reducing the total cost of ownership.”

Another challenge of 5G deployment is the variation in 5G frequencies and frequency bands across different countries. “Allocating wider bandwidth in each country becomes a complex task due to band allocation issues. Scaling the Remote Unit (RU) also presents a challenge.

“However,” Abeta asserts, “Thanks to the open interface, we can leverage

solutions from any vendor. We are engaged in discussions with multiple RU vendors to address this situation and find suitable solutions.

“Another challenge is the coexistence with existing vendor networks. The current vendors are not fully supportive of interoperability with the OREX solution, which requires time and effort to overcome.”

Working with 13 global partners

As part of OREX, DOCOMO is collaborating with 13 global partners to make Open RAN a reality: AMD, DELL, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Mavenir, NEC, NTT DATA, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Red Hat, VMware and Windriver.

“Our focus is on developing vRAN technology,” Abeta explains. “While the ultimate goal is to support full combinations,

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INFRASTRUCTURE OPERATIONS

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NETWORK TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT STRATEGY

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completing this task requires a significant amount of time. Currently, we have multiple supported combinations and are actively testing their performance.

“We are also engaged in discussions on how to simplify the life cycle management process. Typically, we upgrade our system every six months. However, when it comes to multi-vendor solutions, we need to consider the update cycles of each vendor’s software or firmware, which can be quite complex. To address this, we have aligned the update cycles to streamline operations and create a unified experience similar to that of a single-vendor solution.

“Furthermore, we collaborate with our customers by jointly visiting them to demonstrate the benefits of our solutions.”

As Abeta describes, these partnerships are of extreme importance. “Our product is a joint product, and our solution is a joint

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NEC Open Networks:

Creating a better 5G future for all

NEC is committed to the principles of openness because we believe it gives network operators the best chance to capitalise on the enormous promise of 5G and stay a step ahead of the demands of our increasingly connected world.

This commitment means more than simply agreeing upon new technical standards; it means a company-wide understanding that we are open to any business possibility that improves customers' likelihood of success.

Learn more

solution. Through joint innovation, we can provide additional value to our customers. We maintain regular communication with our partners, engaging in discussions almost every day to foster collaboration and drive the development of our joint initiatives.”

Prioritising expanding services

Looking to the future DOCOMO has plans in place across each of its three business areas.

“In the enterprise business segment, we are prioritising expanding services in areas such as car connectivity and smart city solutions,” Abeta explains.

“We work alongside other solutions to provide a comprehensive offering to our enterprise customers.”

Within the smart life business segment, existing areas such as “Finance and Payment” and “Video and Entertainment” will be strengthened, while also venturing into new territories like Utilities, Medical and XR. “Our goal is to create new life values and lifestyles through strategic partnerships, leveraging our membership base, data and seamless integration from services to devices,” Abeta adds.

business area, we strive to expand our customer base by promoting

cross-selling between rate plans and lifestyle-related services that cater to diverse customer needs.

“Additionally, OREX represents our new business area where we provide the Open RAN solution. We offer this solution in combination with value-added 5G services to our customers, working closely with our partners.”

While consumer service remains a top priority, as Abeta describes it is becoming increasingly challenging to identify a groundbreaking application or device similar to the impact of the smartphone in the 4G era. “Nonetheless, we are actively exploring opportunities to introduce devices or applications that can be used both at home and on the go, offering enhanced utility as mobile devices.

“Enterprise service represents a significant focus for us, particularly in

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