Intel made the case today that its silicon chips and software are accelerating 5G wireless networks at the edge, and the big chipmaker is launching new chips to further improve its position in virtual radio access networks (vRAN) and other 5G technologies.
Intel VP Dan Rodriguez made the announcements in a keynote speech for the virtual Mobile World Congress event. By 2023, experts expect 75% of data will be created outside of the datacenter — at the edge in factories, hospitals, retail stores, and across cities. Developers want to converge various capabilities at the edge, such as AI, analytics, media, and networking, and Intel wants to be there with the right technology.
In a recent survey of 511 information technology decision-makers, over 78% said they believe 5G technology is crucial to keeping pace with innovation, and nearly 80% said 5G technologies will affect their businesses, Intel reported.
With this in mind, Rodriguez said Reliance Jio, Deutsche Telekom, and Dish Wireless are transforming their networks on Intel architecture. The vRAN promises cloud-like agility and automation capabilities that can help optimize the RAN performance and ultimately improve the experience for users.
Intel is also expanding its family of Agilex FPGA (field programmable gate array), or highly programmable chips. The company is adding a new FPGA with integrated cryptography acceleration that can support MACSec in 5G applications. This adds another layer of security to vRAN at the fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul levels.
Above: Intel is unveiling new 5G wireless network tech at MWC 2021.
Intel also said the Intel Ethernet 800 Series family is expanding with the company’s first SyncE capable Ethernet Adapter designed for space-constrained systems on the edge and well-suited for both high-bandwidth 4G and 5G RAN, as well as time- and latency-sensitive applications in industrial, financial, and energy sectors, among others.
Intel summed up the tech as its Intel Network Platform, a technology foundation that aims to reduce development complexity, accelerate time to market, and help customers and partners take advantage of features in Intel hardware — from core to access to edge. Intel says its Intel Network Platform includes system-level reference architectures, drivers, and software building blocks that enable rapid development and delivery of Intel-powered network solutions and an easier, faster path to developing and optimizing network software.
Rodriguez said nearly all commercial vRAN deployments are running on Intel technology. In the years ahead, Intel sees global vRAN base station deployments scaling from hundreds to “hundreds of thousands,” and eventually millions.
Why it matters
Above: Intel’s Mobile World Congress in 2018.
Intel said operators of 5G networks want a more agile, flexible infrastructure to unleash the full possibilities of 5G and edge as they address increased network demands from more connected devices. At the same time, global digitalization is creating new opportunities to use the potential of 5G, edge, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud to reshape industries ranging from manufacturing to retail, health care, education, and more.
Decision-makers also revealed that they view edge as one of the top three use cases for 5G in the next two years. With Intel’s portfolio delivering silicon and optimized software solutions, the company can tap into an estimated $65 billion edge silicon opportunity by 2025. Intel technology is already deployed in over 35,000 end customer edge implementations.
Network deployments
Operators like Deutsche Telekom, Dish Wireless, and Reliance Jio are relying on Intel technology. Reliance Jio announced it will participate in co-innovations with Intel in 5G radio and wireless core and collaborate in areas that include AI, cloud, and edge computing, which will help with 5G deployment.
Deutsche Telekom is using Intel FlexRAN technology with accelerators in O-RAN Town, in the O-RAN network it is deploying in Neubrandenburg, Germany — a city of 65,000 people spread out over 33 square miles. The company is relying on Intel as a technology partner to deliver high-performance RAN at scale.
Dish Wireless is relying on Intel’s contributions to the 5G ecosystem as it builds out the first cloud-native 5G network in the U.S. Its inaugural launch in Las Vegas, as well as its nationwide network, will be deployed on infrastructure powered by Intel technology in the network core, access, and edge.
Cohere is pioneering a new approach to improving spectrum utilization by leveraging capabilities in FlexRAN. It is integrating and optimizing spectrum multiplier software in the RAN intelligent controller. Cohere’s testing shows its Delay Doppler spatial multiplexing technology is improving channel estimation and delivering an up to 2 times improvement in spectrum utilization for operators. That’s what Vodafone has seen in 700Mhz testing in its labs.
And Cellnex Telecom — with support from Intel, Lenovo, and Nearby Computing — is delivering edge capabilities based on Intel Smart Edge Open. This will allow Cellnex to act faster on data, provide service-level management, improve quality of service, and deliver a more consistent experience to its end users. Deployed in Barcelona, this solution will extend to more markets using the blueprint developed with Intel and Nearby Computing.
Intel said its network business grew 20% between 2019 and 2020, from $5 billion to $6 billion. The company’s strong position is the result of early investments in hardware and software.
Intel predicted a bright future for the industry. As 5G blooms to meet its full potential alongside edge computing, experts expect artificial intelligence, the cloud, and smart cities will become the norm. Factory automation is also expected to flourish with Industry 4.0, and retail locations will redesign the shopping experience. For consumers, cloud gaming and virtual and augmented reality over mobile networks will become an everyday experience, Rodriguez said.
Article: Intel launches more silicon and software for 5G wireless networks