PRESS RELEASE: At the Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2023, Zhao Zhenlong, Vice President of Huawei’s Wireless Network MAE Product Line, attended the IntelligentRAN panel discussion, where he delivered a keynote speech titled “IntelligentRAN: Harnessing New Technologies to enable emerging applications and provide new capabilities to create new business opportunities.” In his speech, Mr. Zhao pointed out that IntelligentRAN has gained wide recognition in the industry, but there is yet to be more further research and exploration in key technologies – such as intelligent air interfaces, digital twins and intent-driven systems – to overcome challenges posed by emerging wireless applications and scenarios.He also mentioned that IntelligentRAN enables networks to support a wider variety of innovative applications through open APIs, and that Huawei is actively collaborating with global carriers and industry partners to create an open and cooperative ecosystem that promotes 5G commercial prosperity.
IntelligentRAN has gained wide recognition in the industry
Network intelligence and automation has become a major focus in the industry, with operators making significant progress towards integrating it into their core strategies.
For example, 3GPP released Autonomous Network (AN) level standards in version 17. intent and assurance of slice service experience.
Emerging applications require development of key new technologies IntelligentRAN
Since the release of IntelligentRAN, Huawei has made significant progress in its commercial deployment through collaborations with more than 30 operators in China, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. To cope with the emergence of new applications and new scenarios such as Ultra Large Scale MIMO (ELAA) Massive Antenna Array, Key Event Assurance and Intelligent Capability Coordination, Huawei believes that IntelligentRAN requires the following key technologies:
Smart air interface: The introduction of intelligent channel assessment and prediction capabilities enables IntelligentRAN to perform accurate beam management and real-time tracking in ELAA scenarios, thereby improving air interface performance. Improved smart receivers are more effective at reducing scenario-level interference and noise, as well as improving network coverage. In addition, the intelligent integrated channel design enables channel reconstruction across multiple domains and improves resistance to interference, which helps increase network capacity.
Double digital: Virtual network coverage prediction allows simulation models to dynamically self-evolve, and online iteration improves prediction accuracy. Digital twin-based network optimization eliminates the need for optimization iteration, resulting in “zero” downtime and shorter optimization periods. In addition, multi-method parallel optimization and multi-objective integration are supported, which speeds up the customization response.
Intent-driven: Intelligent orchestration of user expectations into real-time network operation and maintenance intentions can be achieved through easy interaction between users and networks. Intelligent orchestration and awareness enable the system to perform self-optimization based on user intents and formulate and adjust policies, as well as cooperate with intent conflict management to improve performance. network performance, user experience and energy efficiency.
IntelligentRAN embraces openness and continuous innovation of practices
CAMARA, an open source project launched by the GSMA and the Linux Foundation at MWC 2022, uses an open source framework to achieve globally standardized Open Gateway APIs. Huawei’s IntelligentRAN is compatible with the CAMARA architecture and seeks to leverage intelligent technologies to develop differentiated wireless network capabilities for operators. In wireless, Huawei has incubated the first set of high-value use cases through network APIs, such as QoD-based Slice Service Experience Assurance API and knowledge of the network status.
QoD-based slice service assurance API: Emerging services such as cloud gaming, uplink live streaming and autonomous driving are very demanding in terms of network quality, delay and reliability. IntelligentRAN enables SLA-based differentiated resource allocation, second-tier SLA visualization, minute-level fault diagnosis, and dynamic RB adjustment for upper-layer applications on network APIs, ensuring a service experience optimal slice.
Network Status Awareness API: IntelligentRAN can obtain real-time cellular congestion status and predict cellular coverage. This allows higher-layer applications, such as TikTok and YouTube, to quickly detect the status of network resources via network APIs and adjust bitrate and video resolution accordingly. This avoids jerky videos and improves user experience.
As it drew to a close, Zhao called for close cooperation across the industry in areas such as architecture, standards and the industrial ecosystem to accelerate the advancement of the smart industry. He called on industry partners to accelerate the deployment of IntelligentRAN applications, develop more innovative applications, define open intent interfaces, and build an open and collaborative ecosystem to evolve together towards the intelligent world in 2030.
