Cloud RAN

Cloud RAN enables new monetization use cases and business models by providing:
 

• Readiness and scalability to support new enterprise and consumer use cases.
• Opportunity to offer and monetize services at the network edge.
• Capabilities for infrastructure cost sharing with multi-tenancy of different workloads.
• Faster time-to-market when introducing new revenue models.

The benefits of Cloud RAN include:
 

• Better resource utilization
• Scalability
• Cost efficiency
• Operational efficiency
• Monetization options through new use cases
• Faster time-to-market
• Energy efficiency

RAN cloudification supports business models that enable new revenue opportunities. With Nokia Cloud RAN, operators have access to more supplier options and opportunities to leverage the latest innovation from the industry ecosystem.

The adoption of cloud technologies and disaggregation is currently ramping up. This means that Cloud RAN will become increasingly significant in hybrid radio networks along with purpose-built systems.

The components of Cloud RAN architecture include:
 

• Cloudified Network Functions (CNF)
• CaaS layer
• Hardware

In Cloud RAN, the cloud-native, disaggregated network functions are Distributed Units (DU) and Centralized Units (CU). The disaggregation of the baseband allows the abstraction of the CU and DU software from the underlying hardware, enabling the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server hardware or or public cloud infrastructure.

Cloud-native DU and CU software and Containers-as-a-Service (CaaS) software, together with COTS hardware or public could infrastructure, bring typical cloud computing benefits to Cloud RAN deployments. The radio units are the same for Cloud RAN and purpose-built RAN.

Nokia Cloud RAN solution gives you access to a wide range of strategic options and innovation from both Nokia and our extensive anyRAN partner ecosystem. Together, we ensure a safe investment for our customers.​
 

We support your cloud strategy and implementation with:
 

• A horizontal solution model, which allows you to choose from a range of options starting from a pre-integrated reference design and going all the way to a fully customized solution.
• Comprehensive service capabilities for Cloud RAN design, deployment, optimization and technical support.
• Common Nokia RAN software that ensures feature and performance consistency with purpose-built RAN.
• Simplified and automated lifecycle management and operations.
• A common radio network management solution for all RAN architectures and mobile core.
• Close collaboration with business partners and systems integrators.