Arm-based solutions enable dynamic 5G infrastructure

The convergence of edge and 5G technologies are driving rapid evolution in the type of compute needed to develop and deploy the next-generation infrastructure solutions for network and edge applications. The increasing movement from traditional RAN to a more “cloudified” network, and the gaining momentum behind Open RAN indicates that operators are looking to expand choice and flexibility for future systems.

Arm believes that in addition to hardware, software-defined innovation is critical. The company’s Neoverse roadmap is rooted in specialized processing, delivering performance where it’s needed — from DSP to packet processing and even machine learning.

Arm plays an important role in enabling end-to-end 5G networks, and it’s continuing to work within its vast ecosystem to demonstrate what is possible.

Already, there has been innovative solutions from operators such as Vodafone and Dish Networks. Arm’s vast partner ecosystem makes this innovation possible by adopting the company’s compute platform. According to the company, this is evidenced with Lenovo, Marvell, Sunsea, Cap Gemini, Radisys, and many more.

At the recent Mobile Word Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, the momentum for Arm in 5G was on display as its ecosystem demonstrated new technologies that will continue to drive innovation across 5G:

NVIDIA discussed plans to bring more choice to the 5G ecosystem by extending support for Arm in the Aerial A100 telecommunications platform. NVIDIA BlueField-3 A100, powered by 16 Arm Cortex-A78-based processors, will assist enterprises and network equipment makers in delivering high-performance 5G RAN and AI platforms in a highly optimized platform.
Marvell brought Neoverse N2 to market in the OCTEON 10 DPU, delivering 3x the performance and 50 percent lower power compared to previous generations of OCTEON. The newly announced solution is not only the first Neoverse N2 core, but the first designed on a 5nm process.
Finally, it’s not MWC without demos. Arm and partners are demonstrating scalable, 5G-enabled Open RAN systems based on Arm Neoverse N1 CPUs. These solution demos are showcased on the O-RAN Alliance virtual exhibition and show the applicability of the Arm Neoverse platform for a range of use cases from distributed small cells to private networks and macro deployments.

The promise of 5G will bring high speed, high-bandwidth service to a growing universe of people and things, transforming industries and impacting our daily lives.

Alongside Arm’s ecosystem, it’s hard at work on the future hardware and software required to deliver the technologies that will reduce TCO and support open standards. The showcase at MWC is just a sample of the great energy around Arm powering the next-generation 5G infrastructure, and it’s expected this wil continue as partners bring more Arm-based 5G innovations to life.