In New Providence, New Jersey, NEC has opened its North American 5G innovation unit to boost product development and meet the rising demand for Open RAN solutions throughout the world. The newly formed firm, NEC Advanced Networks, was created as a result of the business’s recent acquisition of Blue Danube Systems. It serves as a crucial operational hub for NEC’s activities including the development of new products and the provision of solutions.
Rahul Chandra, a seasoned executive in the telecommunications sector with a focus on technology and business growth, will be the CEO of NEC Advanced Networks.
“We know that the demand for Open RAN-compliant networks and solutions is going to continue growing,” said Rahul Chandra. “We have aggressive plans to deliver Open RAN solutions all over the world – and bulking up our presence in North America helps customers by increasing our footprint in the Western Hemisphere and expanding our reach by leveraging the robust talent pool at our disposal.”
As NEC continues to push for Open RAN 5G solutions based on multi-vendor ecosystems, using the former Blue Danube resources to build a center of innovation and product development can be an important advancement breakthrough. Initially, NEC Advanced Networks will be the driving force behind advancements in the radio unit sector, focusing on devices with AI/ML-based massive MIMO and spectrum optimization. The current staff has a lot of experience in these fields. As the market develops, this hub will serve as a focal point for further NEC expansion.
Demand for Open RAN-Compliant Solutions
“Adding resources in the Eastern U.S. helps us serve our customers better and work closely with our ecosystem partners,” said Mr. Chandra. “It also provides us a stable platform to build from as demand for Open RAN-compliant products and solutions grows exponentially over the coming years.”
“NEC aims to be a global leader in Open RAN 5G and we’ve recently made significant progress, building off several important project wins with Tier 1 operators in Europe, including key achievements with Orange and VMO2,” said Mayuko Tatewaki, Senior Vice President for 5G Strategy and Business at NEC. “As the Open RAN market rapidly grows, we need to expand our presence to achieve global goals. The industry shift to Open RAN is a large undertaking – given our focus on providing solutions and system integration services, creating a home base for Open RAN 5G resources in the U.S. will help us better serve the global market.”
