NTT DOCOMO and Nokia Launch Multi-Vendor O-RAN Base Station Platform
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NTT DOCOMO began commercial operations on September 9 for a multi-vendor base station platform built on open radio access network standards in Japan.
The deployment allows DOCOMO to combine Nokia base station equipment with O-RAN-compliant radio units supplied by different vendors across LTE and 5G networks.
DOCOMO deployed Nokia AirScale equipment incorporating Levante data-processing and Ponente control-processing technologies to handle more radio units while reducing power consumption.
Hardware Details and Power Savings
This updated equipment handles more radio units per site than DOCOMO’s previous Nokia gear while drawing less power. Lower electricity demand directly reduces operating costs across dense urban grids where base station density is highest.
Under open interface specifications, engineers can pair the central processing base with high-power transmitters for suburban coverage or compact transceivers for city spaces. DOCOMO uses this modular mix to adjust capacity without replacing full base station stacks.
Multi-Vendor Flexibility in the Field
Japanese mobile operators have adopted open architecture faster than carriers in North America or Europe. By ending single-supplier reliance on base stations and antennas, DOCOMO forces vendors to compete on unit price, form factor, and power efficiency.
Field maintenance and troubleshooting carry the main technical risks. Coordinating software upgrades and diagnosing network faults across hardware from different vendors creates operational friction that proprietary setups avoid.
High-Density Event Deployments
On September 12, the carrier brought the multi-vendor setup into field service at the 59th Joso Kinugawa Fireworks Festival. DOCOMO mounted the platform inside a mobile cellular vehicle, pairing it with Nokia Dual Boost Massive MIMO hardware to handle surges in data uploads and voice traffic.
Engineers plan to expand the base station architecture nationwide. Initial site conversions will focus on metropolitan sectors, stadiums, exhibition centers, and outdoor entertainment venues where mobile traffic spikes.
Roadmap to Autonomous Networks
Work on the rollout stems from a technical memorandum of understanding DOCOMO and Nokia signed on August 12. That agreement established joint trials for virtualized radio access networks, cloud infrastructure, and AI-directed network management systems.
Joint testing now focuses on running Self-Organizing Networks and RAN Intelligent Controller automation tools across mixed-vendor hardware fleets as DOCOMO prepares its transmission grid for 5G-Advanced and early 6G standards.