Qualcomm and Vodafone collaborate to Develop and Test Next-Gen 5G Open RAN Infrastructure

Qualcomm and Vodafone are collaborating to develop, test, and integrate next-generation 5G distributed units (DUs) and Radio Units (RU) with Massive MIMO capabilities to deliver the commercial deployment of Open RAN in Europe.
Image Source: Qualcomm

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Vodafone have a strong, longstanding relationship driving mobile communications innovations in Europe and today the companies announce the next step in that collaboration. By joining forces, the two industry leaders plan to develop, test, and integrate next-generation 5G distributed units (DUs) and Radio Unit (RU) with Massive MIMO capabilities, ultimately delivering the commercial deployment of Open RAN in Europe. This joint announcement builds on the companies’ previous commitment in April 2021 to develop technical blueprints that will help equipment suppliers build 5G networks of the future using Open RAN technology.


Qualcomm Technologies and Vodafone are developing 5G Open RAN Infrastructure solutions powered by the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card and the high-performance Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform. The solutions are expected to offer breakthrough power consumption performance to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) and make networks environmentally sustainable and address demands of next-generation networks with massive MIMO with 64T64R and 32T32R capabilities needed for high-capacity dense urban scenarios.

“We look forward to broadening our collaboration with Vodafone to deliver the next wave of digital transformation and proliferate Open RAN deployments globally with high-performance, energy-efficient radio and distributed unit solutions,” said Dino Flore, vice president, technology, QUALCOMM Europe, Inc. “By combining Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G leadership and Vodafone’s expertise in building large-scale networks, we can transform how modern networks are designed and next-generation services are delivered.”

“We congratulate Qualcomm Technologies on the recent sampling of the Qualcomm X100 5G RAN Accelerator Card and Qualcomm QRU100 5G RAN Platform, and we look forward to working alongside Qualcomm Technologies to test and deliver these platforms” said Santiago Tenorio, director, network architecture, Vodafone. “This significant milestone is an important step forward to deliver the commercial deployment of Open RAN in Europe, and bring innovative, cost-effective and power-efficient Open RAN solutions.”


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Hema Kadia

Hema Kadia is the Founder and CEO of TeckNexus, where she expertly generates and disseminates insights in 5G, private networks, and Open RAN, leveraging over 25 years of experience in telecommunications and technology. At TeckNexus, Hema leads a team dedicated to creating research reports, specialized magazines, whitepapers, and insightful webinars tailored for the evolving tech and telecom industries. Her leadership focuses on establishing TeckNexus as a critical resource and networking hub for industry professionals. Before founding TeckNexus, Hema played transformative leadership roles at Prodapt and Amdocs, where she spearheaded transformative initiatives in SDN-NFV and strategic alliances, significantly enhancing network technologies and shaping future business strategies. Renowned for her strategic vision, Hema has been instrumental in driving digital transformation and advancing next-generation network innovations. Hema holds master's degrees in Computer Applications and Engineering & Technology from M.S. University, India. Her educational background and professional trajectory highlight her deep understanding of both the technical and visionary dimensions of the tech industry. Hema's leadership is marked by a relentless commitment to excellence and a profound passion for empowering industry professionals with innovative solutions and actionable knowledge.
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