AmpliTech Group, Inc., a designer, developer, and manufacturer of state-of-the-art signal-processing components for satellite and 5G solutions, has teamed up with the Open6G Open Testing and Integration Center (OTIC) at the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT) at Northeastern University (NU) to perform 5G interoperability testing (IOT) and conformance testing of its newly released, leading-edge O-RAN CAT B 64T64R MIMO radio unit (O-RU). This activity will take place at the Open6G OTIC in Boston and Burlington, Massachusetts.
The NU Open6G OTIC will provide a comprehensive platform for end-to-end and automated integration and testing of the AmpliTech O-RU in a multi-vendor environment. Several CU/DU (Central Unit/Distribution Unit) vendors have expressed interest in conducting interoperability testing with AGTGSS’s 64T64R O-RU. Thanks to the Open6G OTIC support, new market entrants can gain an advantage and explore new solutions for O-RAN systems.
The NU Open6G OTIC and AGTGSS will conduct IOT and conformance testing to ensure that the radios meet the necessary capacity and throughput requirements sought by MNOs (Mobile Network Operators). These major MNOs compel traditional vendors to open their fronthaul for third parties to achieve successful interoperability. From the perspective of MNOs, these stable traditional vendors are deemed capable of accommodating AGTGSS as a third-party radio vendor without compromising key performance indicators (KPIs). Notably, The Open6G Open Testing and Integration Center (OTIC) at the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT) at Northeastern University, also partners with AT&T and Verizon as a neutral testing facility in the Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments Consortium (ACCoRD) framework.
Although AGTGSS has a verbal agreement with a major 5G international CU/DU player to jointly participate in this endeavor, (to be formally announced at a later date), this interoperability testing is not exclusive to a single CU/DU vendor; any CU/DU vendor can participate in the testing. AmpliTech Group and the NU Open6G OTIC can support the creation and testing of multiple options for MNOs, aligning with the multi-vendor and interoperability core principle of Open RAN. The end-to-end interoperability testing, conducted by the Open6G OTIC, will provide a platform for any vendor to bring and test their infrastructure. AGTGSS teaming up with Northeastern University extends beyond testing, aiming to incorporate orchestration and automation-based RIC companies to develop xApp and rApp for both Near-Real-Time and Non-Real-Time applications.
Given the Department of Defense's (DoD) emphasis on "Buy and Purchase in the USA", supported by MNOs, it is essential to have such labs in the US to conduct high-configuration radio testing and other end-to-end activities.
AGTGSS has implemented pre-coding to its CAT B O-RU, effectively reducing congestion on the fronthaul. This differs from older technology CAT-A radios, where each antenna requires a direct connection to the DU via RF chains, leading to fronthaul congestion due to numerous RF chains. Leveraging our existing CAT-B, 64T64R configuration, Northeastern University and AmpliTech Group are prepared to explore ULPI (CAT-A, CAT-B, & Class A), which promises further enhancements in radio performance.
Fawad Maqbool, CEO of AmpliTech Group, stated, “This is yet another major accomplishment in our constant push to bring 5G solutions to the industry. We are proudly teaming up with the Northeastern University Open6G OTIC to conduct this key interoperability testing and certification of our radios. Our collaboration extends beyond research, aiming to deliver practical end-to-end systems to MNOs, thereby making O-RAN adoption acceptable to key industry players.”
Click here to learn more about AGTGSS, AmpliTech's 5G division.
