Nokia claims 10 times faster upload with C-RAN for Ooredoo, Elisa

Finnish vendor Nokia Networks and Qatari telco Ooredoo claimed they have made uploading 10 times faster with the Nokia centralised RAN. Demonstrating at the ITU Telecom World event in Doha, Qatar, they said average uplink capacity across a cell was doubled thus extending smartphone battery life because of less interference.

The C-RAN works by linking multiple LTE base stations to work directly with each other. According to Nokia, the solution’s capability to enable more uplink and downlink traffic, it is especially well suited for mass events in stadiums

“In a world where everyone and everything will be connected, Nokia Networks is committed to investing in next generation technologies including 5G to further enable what we call the Programmable World,” Hossein Moiin, EVP and CTO, Nokia Networks, said.

“We have collaborated with our long-time partner Ooredoo to demonstrate our innovations in this regard, sharing our vision and leadership with the global industry ecosystem at ITU.”

The full Smart Stadium solution demonstrated includes Nokia’s C-RAN with Liquid Applications, TDD-FDD carrier aggregation and LTE broadcast (eMBMS).

“We have been at the forefront of introducing new mobile broadband technologies including LTE-Advanced for the best possible customer experience with improved network capacity, speed, and coverage,” Waleed Al Sayed, COO at Ooredoo Qatar, said.

“Qatar is building incredible infrastructure to host some of the world’s most important sports events, and Ooredoo will work with our partners to ensure that visiting teams, fans and spectators across the globe enjoy the best possible experience.”

Nokia has also run similar tests with Finnish ex-incumbent telco Elisa at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki. Nokia said the test was done under extreme load conditions at the packed arena, also achieving 10 times faster upload speeds. The vendor also claimed its C-RAN eliminates uplink congestion by “embracing interference and turning it into useful traffic”.

“We continuously search for new ways to improve our services furthermore,” Sami Komulainen, VP, Mobile Network Services at Elisa, said. “Our co-operation with Nokia guarantees fast LTE-network also in big mass events and our customers can share their experiences in social media.”

According to Nokia, the technology extended smartphone battery life by 33% on average as devices no longer need to transmit at higher power to get passed interference.

“The densely populated area of the Hartwall Arena was perfect for trialling specific technology for mass events,” Ari Leppä, Head of LTE Product Management at Nokia Networks said. “Our Centralized RAN helps Elisa build a dense LTE network to deliver maximum capacity and robust services.”