Nokia ReefShark

ReefShark Nokia — the chipsets designed to reduce the sizes, cost and energy consumption of operator networks and to meet increased requirements of technology 5G to computing powers and radio resources.

ReefShark Nokia is provided:

• Reduction of dimensions of Massive MIMO antennas twice.
• Reduction of energy consumption of radio units for 64%.

ReefShark chipset components:

• ReefShark Digital Front End for the LTE radio systems and a 5G with support of antenna Massive MIMO technology.
• The module ReefShark RFIC front-end with the transceiver — the solution Massive MIMO Adaptive Antenna.
• The ReefShark Baseband Processor processor is the solution "all in one", capable to support high requirements of a 5G. "Brain" for processing of radio signals.

2018: Announcement

Nokia in February, 2018 announced ReefShark chipsets created based on own developments in the field of processors. Chipsets were developed by specialists of Nokia in Oulu, Espoo, Tampere (Finland) and Sunnyvale (the State of California, the USA). They use innovations of Bell Labs Nokia in the field of artificial intelligence and experience of Nokia in the field of creation of antennas for mobile devices and base stations.

According to the statement of the company, chipsets increase performance of radio systems, including systems working as a part of antenna assemblies. As a result there is an opportunity to twice reduce dimensions of antenna assemblies of MIMO. Besides, by estimates of Nokia, ReefShark chipsets reduce energy consumption of radio systems by 64%.

ReefShark chipsets for computing systems are delivered in the form of the separate blocks connected to the commercial modules AirScale Nokia. Using a software update the modules AirScale can be upgraded for a full support of functionality of a 5G, at the same time the connected ReefShark blocks triple capacity of each module — from present 28 Gbps to 84 Gbps. In addition, serial connection of several modules AirScale will be able to maintain the general capacity of the base station at the level up to 6 terabits per second that will allow operators to meet the growing requirements to consolidation of networks and delivery of mobile broadband services to people and devices in densely populated megalopolises, emphasized in Nokia.

Functions of artificial intelligence in 5G networks will allow to carry out monitoring of radio systems and to upgrade them in real time and also to use such technologies as "segmentation of networks" (network slicing), for the satisfaction of strict requirements to network services in new scopes.

As of February 6, 2018 Nokia uses ReefShark chipsets in networks of 30 operators. In the third quarter 2018 the company intends to start broad delivery of these chipsets to mass market.