Japanese consortium promotes domestic production and cost reduction for 5G core technology
28 November, 2022
The University of Tokyo, Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ), APRESIA, and Fujitsu Limited have successfully developed open source software for the Private 5G/6G Mobile System, realizing a domestically produced, low-cost 5G core network (5GC), the core technology of the 5G mobile network.
The initiative was conducted by the partners as part of NEDO's Research and Development Project of the Enhanced Infrastructures for Post-5G Information and Communication Systems Feasibility Study.
5GC software plays a central role in controlling cell phone networks, but the need for domestic production and cost reduction represents ongoing challenges to making related technologies, like private 5G, a reality.
With the development of this new technology, IIJ, APRESIA, and Fujitsu developed a practical version of 5GC based on open source software with commercial-level functionality, performance and stability. The University of Tokyo contributed a user plane function (UPF) that handles more advanced data transfer and route selection by combining 5GC with previously known properties and have applied for a new patent.
The partners said they anticipate that the eventual, real-world deployment of this technology will allow users to introduce private 5G systems at lower cost for use in practical settings, leading to the wider adoption of private 5G in various industries.
Combining multiple private 5G networks and 5G services provided by major telecommunications carriers will ultimately make it possible to deliver more versatile communication environments than individual private 5G networks alone.
Source: japantoday.com