Open6G OTIC at Northeastern University to Perform O-RAN 5G Interoperability Testing and End-to-End Demonstration of AmpliTech's O-RAN CAT B 64T64R MIMO Radio

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Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things

Apr 03, 2024, 10:45 ET

BOSTON, April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Open6G Open Testing and Integration Center (OTIC) at the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT) at Northeastern University today announced entering into a partnership and contractual agreement with AmpliTech Group, Inc., a NASDAQ company, to perform 5G interoperability testing (IoT) and conformance testing of AmpliTech's newly released, leading-edge O-RAN CAT B 64T64R MIMO radio unit (O-RU). This activity will take place at the Open6G OTIC in Boston and Burlington, Massachusetts. AmpliTech Group Inc. is a designer, developer, and manufacturer of state-of-the-art signal-processing components for satellite, 5G, and other communications networks, design of complete 5G/6G systems, global distributor of packages and lids for integrated circuit assembly.

The Open6G OTIC will provide a comprehensive platform for automated integration and testing of O-RAN systems, services, and solutions. This activity will demonstrate for the first time an end-to-end, multi-vendor, virtualized O-RAN-compliant Massive MIMO network including core, RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs), and AI. The Open6G OTIC will leverage its 64Tx64R ORAN testing facility powered by Keysight's state-of-the-art E6464A Multi Transceiver RF Test Set (MTRX) to perform IoT and conformance testing of the AmpliTech 64T64R O-RU in a multi-vendor environment, with CU/DU provided by major 5G players in the industry. The tests also involve performance evaluation of the radios to meet the necessary capacity and throughput requirements sought by MNOs (Mobile Network Operators).

The Open6G OTIC is ready to support new market entrants and established players to explore and validate their new solutions for O-RAN systems. The end-to-end interoperability testing, conducted by the Open6G OTIC, will provide a platform for any vendor to bring and test their infrastructure. The Open6G OTIC also recently announced its partnership with the operators AT&T and Verizon as a neutral testing facility to support the Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments (ACCoRD) project.

"We are excited to partner with AmpliTech in this industry-first demonstration of a fully virtualized, O-RAN compliant 64T64R Massive MIMO network," says Tommaso Melodia, Director of WIoT at Northeastern University. "In collaboration with our partners, we lead a unique ecosystem for innovation and testing to support industry, the federal government, and academia toward deploying open, programmable, and AI-native networks."

Fawad Maqbool, CEO of AmpliTech Group, stated "This is yet another major accomplishment in our constant push to bring 5G solutions to the industry. We are proudly teaming up with the Northeastern University Open6G OTIC that provides the broadest set of unparalleled expertise and capabilities in 5G and O-RAN to conduct this key interoperability testing of our radios. Our collaboration extends beyond research, aiming to deliver practical end-to-end systems to MNOs, thereby making O-RAN adoption acceptable to key industry players."

About AmpliTech Group

AmpliTech Group, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) microwave components for global satellite communications, telecom (5G & IoT), space, defense, and quantum computing markets as well as systems and component design consulting services. We are proud of our focused team's unique skills, experience and dedication, which enables us to deliver superior solutions, faster time to market, competitive pricing, excellent customer satisfaction and repeat business.

More information: www.amplitechgroup.com

About the Open6G OTIC

The Open6G OTIC is a one-stop shop for Open RAN innovation. It serves as a hub for the development and testing of next-generation wireless networks utilizing Open RAN technology and Artificial Intelligence, offering a comprehensive range of testing services that facilitates compliance, interoperability, performance, and functional testing for Open RAN products. These services are accessible on state-of-the-art facilities, including RAN and RIC emulators; private 5G RANs with programmable protocol stacks; and Colosseum – the Open RAN Digital Twin and the world's largest wireless network emulator. The Open6G OTIC supports: end-to-end full stack testing, leveraging both emulated and real-world environments; Digital Twinning technology for virtualized testing, accurately replicating real-world conditions; network energy efficiency evaluation in Open RAN deployments; interoperability and conformance testing of disaggregated base stations and RICs across different RAN implementations; and massive MIMO radios testing, as a key enabler for improving the spectral efficiency of Open RAN.

Additional information: https://wiot.northeastern.edu/otic/

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things