E-T-A to power feed active systems in OpenRAN

The new Radio Network, OpenRAN, has caused a lot of discussion as a upcoming future technology of radio networks.

The mobile, or cellular/wireless network contains two parts; the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Core Network (Core).

RAN is the link between the network and the mobile phone. It is the part of network people are seeing and includes the radio antennas and towers.

The Core has many functions.

  • It provides access controls ensuring users are authenticated for the services they are using,
  • it routes telephone calls over the public switched telephone network,
  • it enables operators to charge for calls and data use, and
  • it connects users to the rest of the world via the Internet.

It also controls the network by making hand-overs happen as a user moves from coverage provided by one RAN tower to the next.

In the OpenRAN there are three main building blocks

  • called Radio Units (RU),
  • Distributed Units (DU) and
  • Centralized Units (CU).

In the OpenRAN the operational tasks are done in DUs and CUs.

What is the benefit of OpenRAN?

In the standard RAN the telco operators normally are dealing with only one single supplier. In OpenRAN the openness of software and hardware gives the opportunity to work with multiple vendors. 

Which products does E-T-A offer for OpenRAN networks?

E-T-A is already one of the qualified suppliers of DU and CU power distributors. As principal of OpenRAN is to have possibility to use systems from multiple vendors E-T-A power distribution units are not load system depending but can feed all systems are integrated to the CUs or DUs.