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Rapid.Space demonstrates 6G Ethernet fronthaul interface powered by mature RDMA standard

Rapid.Space announces the first successful implementation of a 6G fronthaul Ethernet interface based on RDMA protocol. Thanks to RDMA, a mature protocol implemented by multiple vendors of Ethernet network interface controllers (NIC) and widely used at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), fronthaul costs could be divided by at least two compared to CPRI. Also, RDMA does not have the design flaws of eCPRI in terms of cost and signal synchronisation.
  • Last Update:2024-02-26
  • Version:002
  • Language:en

PRESS RELEASE

Barcelona, Spain, February 26, 2024 - Rapid.Space announces the first successful implementation of a 6G fronthaul Ethernet interface based on RDMA protocol. Thanks to RDMA, a mature protocol implemented by multiple vendors of Ethernet network interface controllers (NIC) and widely used at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), fronthaul costs could be divided by at least two compared to CPRI. Also, RDMA does not have the design flaws of eCPRI in terms of cost and signal synchronisation.

Jean-Paul Smets, CEO of Rapid.Space, explains: "a pure software implementation Radio over RDMA between two Open Radio Station (ORS) products. was implemented on February 20th, 2024 at Rapid.Space labs in France. It could transfer 3 Mhz of IQ samples over a 1 Gbps standard Ethernet link without any IEEE 802.1 extension or hardware acceleration. This result is very promising. We are expecting 20x performance at least with hardware-accelerated NICs. Rapid.Space will be releasing the source code and protocols of RAN DMA, our RDMA implementation for 6G fronthaum, as an open source software project. We are hoping that it will be encourage its adoption by vendors of Radio Units looking for an alternative to eCPRI."

Video of RDMA transfer of IQ samples between two ORS

About Rapid.Space

Rapid.Space is a resilient 5G edge cloud operator whose international, Fully Open infrastructure is based on principles of openness, transparency, portability and reversibility: open source software, open hardware and open operating procedures. As a co-founder of the SimpleRAN initiative, a member of the Open Compute Project, Euclidia and EANGTI, Rapid.Space strives to be at the forefront of the development of an edge computing infrastructure capable of meeting the challenges of the splinternet, protection of trade secret and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Contact

Jean-Paul Smets - PDG
Tel: +33 (0)6 29 02 44 25
Mail: jp (at) rapid.space

Permanent URL of the press release

https://blog.rapid.space/rapidspace-Press.Release.MWC24.RDMA

Technical references and media materials

https://blog.rapid.space/rapidspace-MWC2024