Battelle will support the innovation funds objectives by delivering an interoperable open ran radio unit (O-RU) that provides improved performance through its patented aperture design while IT…

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded Battelle Memorial Institute a $43,198,276.80 Project Grant under the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Program (CFDA 11.038). The purpose of the grant is for Battelle to deliver an interoperable open RAN radio unit (O-RU) that provides improved performance and reduces total cost of ownership through equipment consolidation. Key activities include comprehensive interoperability testing with distributed units from multiple vendors to ensure seamless integration into the O-RAN ecosystem, and addressing challenges like capacity demands, small form factor requirements, energy efficiency, 3GPP compliance, and security conformance. The expected outcome is the spin-out of a new company to expand and support a complete O-RU product line, mirroring Battelle's previous multibillion-dollar telecom spinout. The grant is intended to expedite the introduction of Battelle's market-leading, energy-efficient O-RU, which will diminish infrastructure costs for mobile network operators, neutral hosts, and private network providers, thereby promoting a more connected and efficient technological future.

Activities

The investment will support comprehensive interoperability testing with distributed units (DUS) from multiple vendors to ensure seamless integration into the O-ran ecosystem, and will address critical challenges such as capacity demands, small form factor requirements, energy efficiency, 3RD generation partnership project (3GPP) compliance, and security conformance.

Expected outcomes

The end result of this grant will produce a spin-out company that leverages this foothold in the market to expand and support a complete O-RU product line, mirroring the approach with battelle's previous multibillion-dollar telecom spinout, photon integration research INC. (PIRI). The proposed battelle O-RU brings substantial cost savings and new capabilities to domestic and international wireless mnos, neutral host providers, and private network operators by supporting a wide bandwidth not accommodated by existing FR1 RUS and antennas. The cutting-edge FR1 broadband massive multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) capable RU, which incorporates a unique aperture design combined with advanced RF front-end and digital signal processing, allows operators to utilize spectrum between 600 MHZ and 7 GHZ efficiently in a single unit, matching the output power of existing discrete narrowband RUS.

Intended beneficiaries

Battelle O-RU will expedite the introduction of a market leading, energy-efficient RU and will also diminish infrastructure costs for mobile network operations (MNOS), neutral hosts, and private network providers, thereby promoting a more connected and efficient technological future.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not plan to subaward funds.