AWTG leads the Flexi-DAS winning consortium for DCMS’s Open RAN R&D collaboration with the Republic of Korea
London, December 13, 2022 – AWTG is leading the way in significantly improving power-efficient network coverage and capacity expansion by integrating next-generation materials and technologies. A grant from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Open RAN Research & Development (R&D) fund gives AWTG and the Flexi DAS partners a great opportunity to push the boundaries of saving energy while extending network coverage and capacity at the same time as diversifying the supply chain. There is potential to make a real difference in the lives of people around the world.
The Flexi-DAS consortium includes AWTG, University of Surrey 5G/6G Innovation Centre; BAI Communications, Lime Communications, and Virgin Media O2. The Consortium will build on Flex-5G’s end-to-end Open RAN compliant 5G Stand-Alone network. This new scheme will develop a next generation Distributed Antenna System (DAS) using cutting edge technologies such as world’s first use of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS).
The Open RAN R&D collaboration with the Republic of Korea is part of the UK government’s Open Networks Programme, which will deliver on the £250 million 5G Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Strategy through a range of telecoms R&D projects. To facilitate deeper collaboration between the UK industry and the Republic of Korea – recognised as leaders in wireless infrastructure – this project will receive a total of more than £3 million and aims to improve knowledge sharing and best practice in Open RAN deployment; this is the first international project under The Open Networks R&D Fund programme, and we anticipate real synergies between the two projects.
Open RAN technology is a game-changer for the UK’s telecoms supply chain. It allows operators to combine equipment from different suppliers and is an integral part of the government’s £250 million strategy to make 5G networks more diverse, competitive and secure. This initiative will go a long way in reducing our reliance on a small number of companies to build and maintain our 5G infrastructure.
Original News article here: https://awtg.co.uk/awtg-flexi-das-collaboration-korea