NEC Corporation and NTT DOCOMO are collaborating on the development of RAN Intelligent Controllers (RIC) in support of intelligent Radio Access Networks (RAN). RICS have the potential to reduce operating costs of RANs by automating base station settings.
The companies expect that, in the future, the RIC control cycle will be advanced from slow control to fast control, and from the base station unit level to a user-based level of control. At the same time, optimization will be performed in conjunction with the control of different elements, such as radio resources and computing resources. Moreover, the companies aim to create new value by optimizing network characteristics, such as ultra-high-speed, large-capacity, ultra-low latency, high reliability, and multiple simultaneous connections to realize a variety of services through upgraded networks.
NEC's subsidiary, Netcracker, provides an Open RAN Domain Orchestration solution aligned with the O-RAN Alliance Service Management and Orchestration framework, including RIC functionality
developed by Netcracker. The solution is based on Netcracker's Digital OSS (operations support system), built from its wealth of experience domestically and internationally, and brings together the orchestration, real-time OSS, and advanced analytics required to fully automate RAN domain operations, from planning and design, to activation, monitoring, and optimization. With end-to-end visualization and optimization, the solution maximizes RAN performance and improves business KPIs for service providers.
