Nashua, NH, February 07, 2024 – Parallel Wireless, the leading provider of Open RAN platform-agnostic solutions, has announced the availability of its O-RAN compliant GreenRAN™ xApps Suite, powered by the Near Realtime RIC (Radio Intelligence Controller) Platform. Applied as an intelligence layer across the network, the MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) Channel Shutdown and the Layer Switch-off xApps are designed to optimize the network cluster power efficiency while maintaining QoE (Quality of Experience) in both uplink and downlink, operating seamlessly in urban and suburban areas.
While the RAN industry has utilized energy-saving techniques for some time, it remains very challenging to conserve power as user demands fluctuate. Traditionally, sites are allocated with bandwidth based on expected usage patterns. While this traditional approach reduces resource during low demand, it fails to respond in real-time, often resulting in inefficient power savings and poor user experience. To address this, Parallel Wireless deploys GreenRAN™ xApps connected over E2 interface to all sites, formalizing a cluster view, and allowing each site to respond to true demand in near real-time by managing users between cell and sites within the cluster, while maximizing user experience and the layer shutdown. In addition, the xApps optimize the user MIMO configuration between MIMO 4×4 to MIMO 2×2 while maintaining UE (User Equipment) channel quality. The shutdowns are performed in near real-time with the ability to respond to frequent network behavior changes. The result is substantial energy savings compared to traditional solutions.
“Parallel Wireless’ xApps, part of our GreenRAN™ solution suite, adjust the power demand at the cluster level by utilizing fewer resources across the network, without compromising signal quality,” said Steve Papa, Founder and CEO of Parallel Wireless. “Along with our other energy-efficient GreenRAN™ solutions, our xApps were developed with our customers’ challenges in mind, to help them reduce TCO (Total-Cost-of-Ownership) and support them in their journey to Net Zero”.
The ability to deploy multiple xApps allows carriers to drive efficiency beyond power demand. The Parallel Wireless MIMO Channel Shutdown xApp improves channels’ usage while reducing antenna use. This constrains the number of Downlink MIMO layers and reduces related costs by an estimated 35% at the cluster-level.
“Our GreenRAN™ xApps utilize low-latency Open RAN technology, allowing operators to focus on specific clusters and enable optimization at the individual handset level,” said Baruch Navon, President and COO of Parallel Wireless. “By leveraging Open RAN capabilities, we can identify the needs of individual handsets and lower resources, such as moving from MIMO 4×4 to 2×2 without impacting user’s experience.”
This is critical in today’s networks where coverage is widespread, but signal quality and bandwidth remain inconsistent due to energy resource challenges.