Skoltech 5G Base Stations

The main articles are:

• Development of 5G networks in Russia
• 5G (fifth generation mobile)

2023

Presented Russian base station with simultaneous support for 4G and 5G

On May 4, 2023, the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) announced the creation of a base station with simultaneous support for 4G and 5G networks.

As noted in the press service, the National Technology Initiative (NTI) solution created by Skoltech specialists includes modified software/, 5GLTE as well as the first prototypes of the transceiver and other modules. The developers note that the presence of existing samples of the first domestic 5G base station made it possible to provide support for two communication protocols at once.

Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology

According to Dmitry Lakontsev, director of the Skoltech project center for wireless technologies, "the improvements affected all elements - from our software that manages the network to radio modules." In early May 2023, he also noted that there was still "a lot of work ahead."

According to our assessment, the first version of the product suitable for testing in real networks, we will be able to present this fall [2023]. The next stage will be close work with operators. We will make every effort to bring the decision to a state where it will work stably, if not perfectly. I note that we are developing a domestic LTE base station on an initiative basis. State financing of the project is provided for by the roadmap for the development of the industry, but has not yet been brought to Skoltech, added Lakontsev (quoted by RIA Novosti).

On April 27, 2023, a sample of the new base station was tested, which showed a stable data transfer rate of 100 MBit/s. The development of Skoltech supports the frequency band 2500-2690 MHz (LTE Band 7), this range is widely used by domestic 4G networks. Skoltech added that, in agreement with other operators, the station can be adapted for other frequency bands.^[1]

Creation of the first Russian 5G base station

The Skoltech Institute in mid-April 2023 announced the creation of the first domestic fifth-generation base station (5G). The project was implemented with the support of the National Technology Initiative Fund (NTI).

According to TASS, citing the fund's press service, the base station was developed in accordance with international standards 3GPP and OpenRAN, it supports key services of fifth-generation communication technology. According to the developers, the peak speed of mobile Internet when using equipment is 1.4 Gbps. The Skoltech solution supports the 4.4-4.99 GHz band.

5G base station

According to representatives of the NTI Foundation, a Leading Research Center was formed to create the station, within which 39 months the creation of a software and hardware complex for 5G networks was carried out. The total development budget amounted to 342 million rubles, of which 300 million rubles were received in the form of a state grant. In 2022, the decision passed comprehensive testing with the participation of the Big Four operators, the launch of the project is scheduled for 2023-2024.

By April 2023, Skoltech is participating in the deployment of a 5G network in the Moscow metro, in the creation of private 5G networks for the largest Russian corporations, in two projects in the field of unmanned vehicles and "launching test zones with our equipment in real networks of operators in the largest cities of Russia." The NTI Fund believes that the technology "has export potential." Several "friendly countries have already expressed interest in the project," it is claimed.

We see our development as a platform similar to that used in the creation of modern cars. It is very powerful, but flexible, so it is easily transferred to various modifications of the equipment made by our production partners, "said Dmitry Lakontsev, professor, head of the NTI Competence Center at Skoltech.[2]

2022: Using the 5G OpenRAN solution in testing

The Association of Organizations for the Development of Open Communication Networks Open Network Technologies"" (Association "Open Network Technologies") on September 7, 2022 announced the completion of the first stage of laboratory testing of a base station 5G under the control Skoltech software of an open architecture (OpenRAN) developed in. During testing smartphones , different manufacturers were connected to the 5G network, the download speed exceeded 1 Gbps, voice video calls were also made, made integration with the network core and the base station of a third-party vendor.

Testing took place in June 2022 at the Federal Center for Research and Development of Network Solutions of the MegaFon Operator in St. Petersburg. A stand was created demonstrating a multi-vendor (gNodeB, 5GC) autonomous 5G carrier-class network.

During testing, the functionality, health and key performance indicators of the software, as well as the capabilities of working in a multi-vending network, were checked. The features of configuring and running the software and its compliance with the paradigm of deploying open 5G OpenRAN radio access networks were shown.

The 5G base station, which was controlled by software developed in Skoltech, was implemented on a hardware platform consisting of conventional ones servers on the basis processors Intel available on the Russian market. As a transceiver (O-RU), the company's solution for Foxconn the 4.8-4.99 GHz frequency band was used, which is considered as one of the options for deploying fifth-generation networks in. Russia Domestic analogues of this equipment are being actively developed and will be available on the market in the very near future. In addition, the test bench used the hardware and software part (network core server, exact server time and base station - all operator class) of one of the major foreign vendors, fully emulating the real operator network.

The results of the first stage of testing prototypes of software were recognized as successful: the software performance was confirmed. Successfully checked:

• connections of smartphones from various manufacturers (Huawei, OnePlus, Xiaomi) with sim-cards of one of the operators;
• Data transmission in the downstream channel, with a throughput of more than 1200 Mbps.
• voice and video calls (VoNR, ViNR) using the core of the Skoltech network;
• integration with the core of the network and the base station of a large foreign vendor.

Domestic software for the Skoltech radio access network was tested at the Federal Center for Research and Development of Network Solutions of PJSC Megafon in St. Petersburg, while several telecom operators belonging to the Association actively participated in the tests. This format of joint laboratory testing became possible after the development of the relevant regulatory framework of the Association and the agreed methodology. The joint testing procedures developed by the Association have confirmed their effectiveness, as they allow avoiding duplication, speeding up the testing processes of domestic telecommunications equipment and at the same time obtaining an opinion from all interested participants, "said Andrei Ushatsky, President of the Open Network Technologies Association.

Tests show that our radio access network software will soon be ready for use in the operator's actual network. Thus, the industry finally has a domestic alternative to foreign solutions for the fifth generation. With software built on OpenRAN standards, a full-featured 5G base station can be quickly assembled and launched. Having bought powerful servers and a transceiver module, the operator will receive a full-fledged analogue of the products of foreign vendors. Even if it is not possible to purchase the most productive components, the base station will still perform its functions, albeit not with maximum efficiency. It is also very important that with this development we have laid a strong foundation for creating domestic solutions for LTE and 5G networks - modern base stations with a high degree of localization, - commented Dmitry Lakontsev, head of the NTI Competence Center for Wireless Communications and Internet of Things Technologies based on Skoltech.

The protocol with the results of the first stage of laboratory testing was agreed and signed by the process participants. By the end of 2022, the next stage of joint testing of the Skoltech solution is planned, preparations for which have already begun.

2020: Obtaining a certificate of state registration of software for a 5G base station

Skoltech on December 18, 2020 announced the receipt of a certificate of state registration of software for the 5G base station.

Software MTS for December 2020, it operates at a base station in the Skoltech 5G pilot zone. In the application Rospatent , it is especially noted that the software complies with the specifications and recommendations of the 3GPP consortium, as well as open international standards OpenRAN. In accordance with the requirements of mobile operators, the software stack of the base station supports the most modern, algorithms protocols and methods of processing data and their transmission channels. The solution can work in all potentially affordable bands for 5G: both below 6GHz and in the millimeter band. In addition, the software allows you to use a large assortment processors and general-purpose platforms for start-up and operation. As of mid-December 2020, support for architectures and x86 has been introduced, and ARM software adaptation to domestic processors is also being discussed.

In total, Skoltech received three state registration certificates for:

1. L2 protocol stack software, which implements all basic base station control functions, such as: radio resource management and allocation, including transport and logical channel switching, dynamic resource allocation, error correction and correction and data exchange between the CU control module and the distributed DU module (certificate issued on November 13, 2020).
2. NSA L3 5G protocol stack software, which implements the functions of the base station to interact with the mobile operator's network core in non-autonomous mode (NSA - Non-Standalone). We are talking about working on top of an existing 4G network, which is critical for the rapid deployment of 5G networks in the Russian Federation (certificate issued on December 10, 2020).
3. Software of the L3 SA 5G protocol stack, which implements the functions of the base station to interact with the core of the mobile operator network in autonomous mode (SA - Standalone). SA networks allow you to most fully realize the advantages of 5G technology, such as ultra-high data rates and low guaranteed signal delay.

In addition, this decision opens up great potential for the creation of non-operator (private) 5G networks in Russia, including for providing communication to critical infrastructure facilities (the certificate was also issued on December 10, 2020).

State registration of software is the next stage in the implementation of the project of Skoltech and its technological partners to create a platform for the serial production of fifth-generation Russian base stations. The project completion date is the end of 2022.

The software we have developed for 4/5G base stations has no analogues in the Russian Federation. And support for open international standards OpenRAN is an opportunity to commercialize our solution not only in the Russian, but also in the global market. State registration of rights to this development allows us to declare with full responsibility that this is domestic software. This is especially important in light of the government requirement to use exclusively Russian equipment in the construction of 5G networks. Our technological partners, Eltex and Radio Gigabit, are responsible for the hardware in the project. Like us, they are moving according to the roadmap and have already developed a layout of a 5G base station. We expect that in 2021, together with operators, we will begin testing prototypes of BS, which will take into account the wishes of market players and create a basis for future demand for our solution, said Dmitry Lakontsev, head of the Skoltech-based NTI Competence Center for Wireless Communications and the Internet of Things

2019: Base station launch as part of 5G test zone

On September 12, 2019, RVC announced that the Skolkovsky Institute of Science and Technology launched the first base station as part of the creation of a 5G experimental zone for Russian equipment developers on the territory of the Skolkovo IC

The radio equipment of the base station (BS) operates in the range of 4.8-4.99 GHz in accordance with the permission to use frequencies, which was issued by the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (GKRF) to create a pilot zone of 5G communication networks.

The Central Committee NTI carried out the first successful BS tests for 5G-smartphones Huawei Mate 20X, during which it was possible to achieve a speed of more than 300 Mbps (in the 50 MHz band). In the coming days, tests of the base station will begin using solutions from domestic manufacturers. The transport network equipment T8(",") ELTEX and the network core (, "") will be tested. NTC PROTEUSIskraUralTel

The base station supports up to 50 MHz bands and 4x4 MIMO technology. Connecting subscriber devices to the network core, also deployed as part of the 5G pilot zone, is provided by the Non-Standalone (NSA) option. The NSA uses a 4G network for the subscriber unit's primary connection with a further switch to New Radio in EN-DC mode.

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By the end of 2019, the functionality of 5G base stations will be expanded. They will support bandwidth up to 100 MHz and MIMO up to 8x8.

Notes