Nokia announced that CTC and Nokia jointly demonstrate advanced machine learning innovations for 5G RAN mMIMO optimization. Under the strategic cooperation agreement between CTC and Nokia signed in October 2018. The ML powered mMIMO algorithms will improve 5G RAN coverage and capacity and provide higher throughput and spectral efficiency.
The average data usage by CTC (China Telecommunications Corporation) 4G customers is growing quickly. This is driving the need for 5G mobile networks, for which CTC is one of the leading providers in the Chinese market. To fully realize the performance gains possible with 5G, massive MIMO (mMIMO) techniques are used in the RAN.
Nokia and CTC signed a strategic cooperation agreement in October 2018, to develop AI/ML applications for 5G RAN. This advanced 5G ML powered mMIMO scheduler at MWC 2019 is one of the first results from the joint team and showcases CTC and Nokia's industry leadership in this area. Nokia developed the original AI/ML-based algorithm and working closely with the CTC team analyzed the performance improvement potential for 5G network and built the proof-of-concept demo. The ML scheduler provides improved spectral efficiency and better user experience.
Another topic of this engagement is in the indoor location area. In highly cluttered, multipath indoor environments, RF fingerprint-based positioning is the superior approach. Nokia has developed AI/ML-based algorithm using RF fingerprint and improved the indoor location precision in cellular network. In collaboration with CTC Shanghai, CTC and Nokia are working on demonstrating good positioning accuracy in a selected indoor scenario in the future.
He Zhiqiang, GM of Technology & Innovation at China Telecommunications Corporation, said: "This exciting demo at MWC 2019 showcases CTC's leadership in bringing the benefits of AI/ML to our customers in China. We are pleased to be working in partnership with Nokia, and proud to demonstrate our early success in accelerating the performance benefits of 5G network"
Mark Atkinson, Vice President of 5G & Small Cells Business Unit at Nokia, said: "We are eager to share the exciting results of our strategic alliance with CTC at MWC this year. The ML-powered 5G mMIMO algorithms are the key components in 5G RAN optimization It underscores CTC's technology leadership in 5G and Nokia's commitment to finding innovative technologies, such as AI/ML, to realize the full potential of 5G networks."
Source: Nokia Press Release