Eridan is building the worlds lightest, most power-efficient and cost-efficient openran small-cell radio unit (RU)

This Project Grant award from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Program (CFDA 11.038) provides $46,076,086.71 to Eridan Communications Inc. to accelerate the development of their carrier-grade, open-RAN small-cell radio unit (RU) technology. The work will incorporate laboratory capabilities for a 4-transmit, 4-receive RU at 100 MHz instantaneous bandwidth, execute design improvements for cost, manufacturability, security, and power efficiency, and fund additional software development to meet mobile network operator requirements. The RU technology leverages a switch-mode direct polar transmitter in gallium nitride, which aims to reduce deployment and operating costs for mobile network operators. The project will involve subrecipients CityMesh and Rakuten Mobile to support the deployment of the open Eridan RU. The award period runs from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026.

Activities

The work in this proposal will incorporate laboratory capabilities for a four-transmit four receive (4T4R) RU at 100 MHZ instantaneous bandwidth (IBW) into the existing product architecture, execute a variety of design improvements for cost, manufacturability, security, power efficiency, and fund additional software development to meet mobile network operator (MNO) requirements. The radio will exit the program at TRL 7 and MRL 8.

Expected outcomes

Through this proposal the applicant will address reduced deployment costs, operating costs, and spectrum purchase costs for mnos.

Intended beneficiaries

Mnos that are seeking RU options for power-efficient, mid-band small-cell infill.

Subrecipient activities

Citymesh and rakuten mobile, the subrecipients of this project, will support the deployment of the open eridan RU.