Mavenir intends to release massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) 5G radios with open interfaces powered by Xilinx silicon later this year. The chipmaker and open radio access network (RAN) software and equipment vendor claim the time is right for open RAN to prove its worth in compute-intensive environments like massive MIMO in a 5G network. 

The wireless industry’s focus is squarely set on massive MIMO as mid-band spectrum 5G deployments continue, particularly following the record high mid-band 5G spectrum auction that concluded in the U.S. earlier this year. Massive MIMO is especially important in mid-band 5G networks because it allows operators to densify network coverage, increase capacity and coverage, and reduce the need for incremental outdoor sites, all of which translates to less labor and lower costs.

Mavenir’s forthcoming massive MIMO 5G radios are responding to multiple trends and proactively aim to address ongoing questions about the performance and cost of open RAN compliant hardware compared to similar equipment from larger RAN vendors. Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung have all released or revealed massive MIMO mid-band 5G radios that support virtualized or open RAN to varying extents.

Mavenir and Xilinx are withholding some key specifications about the equipment, but claim the gear at the top of the portfolio will feature a 64-antenna array for transmitting and receiving signals and support up to 400 megahertz of bandwidth. The initial supply of radios will support C-band spectrum in the U.S., and the companies plan to later support mid-band spectrum for 5G deployments in Europe, the Middle East, and India.

The vendors are coming together to prove that “open RAN massive MIMO radios are a reality, and we will deliver that to the market. Our first open RAN massive MIMO radio will be labs ready by early Q4 and field-trial ready by the end of the year,” Gilles Garcia, a senior director at Xilinx, told SDxCentral. 

The radios are the result of deep hardware and software integration between the two vendors and validation from six global operators that are already testing the equipment, he explained. 

That’s a key point of differentiation because traditional proprietary vendors like Samsung, Nokia, and Ericsson claim massive MIMO is underdeveloped in the open RAN space and performance requirements are best served by the custom silicon they integrate into their RAN products. Mavenir and Xilinx plan to put those claims to a real-world test with the release of their tightly integrated gear later this year.

“For us to be competitive in the marketplace, we’ve got to be of equal size, weight, and power consumption,” Mavenir’s SVP of business development John Baker said, indicating that Mavenir plans to meet or beat the specs already shared by larger RAN vendors.

Mavenir decided to more forcefully become a bonafide supplier of open RAN radios in late 2020 to fuel growth and further prove its capabilities in the market. 

The deal with Mavenir is also significant for Xilinx as it looks to garner a larger piece of the growing open RAN market. The vendor is in the process of being acquired by AMD in a deal valued at $35 billion, and Xilinx is viewed as one of several competitors in the growing open RAN space alongside vendors like Broadcom, Marvell, and new entrant Qualcomm. 

Xilinx inked a similar deal to supply its chip architecture to Fujitsu to power that vendor’s open RAN 5G radio units for deployment in the U.S., and those radios are widely expected to feature prominently in Dish Network’s long-promised greenfield 5G deployment. 

“We are working with a lot of RAN vendors,” Garcia said. “Here we are bringing a complete massive MIMO radio portfolio with Xilinx technology and some additional technologies” from Mavenir. 

The key outcome that Mavenir and Xilinx aim to demonstrate with this hardware is that “you don’t need to go to full custom ASIC any longer to get the cost savings and the power consumption numbers that are generated,” Baker said.