Facebook parent company Meta and AMD have announced that they are working together on a mobile Internet infrastructure program designed to reduce the cost of base stations for mobile networks.
Launched by Meta in early 2020, the Evenstar program is focused on building general-purpose radio access network (RAN) reference designs for 4G and 5G networks in the Open RAN ecosystem.
While Remote Radio Units (RRUs) were traditionally sold as a package, Meta and its program partners decided to decouple the RRU hardware, distribution unit, and control unit software so that mobile network operators can more flexibly implement solutions to bring Internet access to more people. people.
Although AMD was not initially part of the program, its acquisition of Xilinix, which closed in February, will now offer the chipmaker the opportunity to work alongside Meta under the Evenstar program.
Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC
The partnership between the two companies is already bearing fruit as AMD announced that its Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC has enabled the development of multiple Evenstar radio units to help build a global 4G/5G mobile network infrastructure.
Evenstar RUs with Xilinx Zynq RFSoC architecture provide the flexibility to meet a wide range of requirements for the Evenstar program, including 4G/5G, mmWave, and sub-6GHz using the same base hardware. This leverages the platform to address a wide variety of radio configurations and emerging standards so that radio providers can quickly respond to new market opportunities.
AMD Data Center and Communications Group Vice President Dan Mansure provided more information about the company's commitment to the Evenstar program in a press release, saying:
“Developing Evenstar radios with our in-house adaptive radio technology is a significant achievement for AMD. We are proud to be an ecosystem partner with Meta Connectivity and look forward to continuing our collaborative designs for Evenstar to deliver flexible, scalable and efficient wireless solutions.
We are likely to hear more from Meta and AMD as new devices are created to help build the infrastructure needed for the Evenstar program.
via Reuters