This presentation has three parts.

First, we introduce Rapid.Space, its founders and goals in the vRAN industry.

Second, we introduce the current state of Rapid.Space edge cloud infrastructure.

We then suggest a 18-month plan to cover all areas where 4G or 5G needs extended.

Rapid.Space may be a new name for you. We are going to present here who we are and what is our goals.

Everything except VRAN in Rapid.Space is open source: software (SlapOS), hardware (OCP) and business procedures. VRAN is based on a licensed source stack which may eventually become open source at some point.

The Rapid.Space Handbook explains every aspect to build a Rapid.Space node and operate it, either as a public cloud or as a private cloud. This is a major difference with any other cloud provider which usually keep their operating process secret.

Rapid.Space team can customise any aspects of software, hardware or operation management thanks to in-house skills.

Rapid.Space infrastructure covers all continents.

Implementing 4G and 5G everywhere can start immediately and provide initial results after 3 months.

In order to start deploying 4G/5G everywhere, some prerequisites must be considered.

A typical project with thousands of nodes costs a few million euros. 

It is better to start a project after some real need has been identified: in car parks, inside building, factories, etc. In some countries, 4G/5G is already everywhere. In some other countries, many people are opposed to radio networks. A project will fail in both cases.

In some regions, unlicensed frequencies can be used. In other regions, it is necessary to obtain a commercial or an experimental license.

If we want to reuse existing SIM cards and phone numbers, it is necessary also to find a telecom company with an S1 interface. Without S1 access to a core network, a local core network can be used for data-only service.

Thanks to unlicensed frequencies, the project can start immediately. This will help understanding the problem to solve and consider constraints emerging from the field. A first demonstration can be finished within 3 months with 10 nodes.

Examples of applications include indoor coverage in buildings, in car parks, school, governement office, etc. whenever the structure of the building block radio waves. Factories in remote areas are also a good candidate for 5G low latency applications.

More examples can be found during this phase through assessment of market needs.

Licensed frequencies can be planned in parallel. This requires close collaboration with a telecom company and access to its core network through S1 interface. It is also the right time to deploy a point of presence of Rapid.Space in the same country.

This second phase of the project helps comparing the advantages of licensed and unlicensed frequencies, assess the sovereignty of all technologies involved, setup interfaces with an existing core network and prepare the scale up.

It is also the right moment to tweak some hardware specifications based on field experience.

The first deployment of 1,000 nodes takes about 6 months and includes further evaluation of hardware and software based on field experience. Cost per node at this stage is under 2000€.

Based on results of the previous phase, a batch of 10,000 nodes can be produced with even lower cost per node.