JMA Wireless partner INWIT deploys XRAN in Dacia Arena

JMA Wireless, a global leader of wireless technology systems, announced today the installation of JMA’s XRAN virtualised RAN software in Italy’s Dacia Arena, connected to a high capacity indoor coverage system based on JMA TEKO DAS (Distributed Antenna System), to offer high quality voice and data connection.

The system was commissioned by Infrastructure Wireless Italian, S.p.A. (INWIT), the leader in wireless managed infrastructure and services across Italy.

The solution marks the emergence of true all-software RAN technology, empowering a radically new approach in large venues, delivering on significant efficiencies, and enabling flexibility to deliver new capabilities faster than ever before. Moreover, it earmarks the shift toward managed service providers like INWIT, who provide the ability to operate edge network elements such as VRAN in collaboration with mobile operators.

Giovanni Ferigo, CEO at INWIT, said:

XRAN fits perfectly our Neutral Host DNA, as provider of multi-operator and multiband solutions. Never before has the wireless industry had such a breakthrough that enables this level of network efficiency and agility to adapt to fast changing demands. XRAN changes everything.

Dacia Arena, home to Serie A football club, Udinese Calcio, and familiarly known as the ‘Diamond’, is located near the Italian city of Udine, in the Northern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is a convergence point where some of the world’s most allegiant fans gather to watch their favourite matches and share their experience with family and friends.

Since it’s most recent modernisation, completed in 2016, the stadium now boasts a capacity of 25,144 for football matches and around 35,000 for non-sporting events. The demand for connectivity during matches is ever increasing, and this system brings the fans significant new capacity.

Remo Ricci, President of TEKO Systems at JMA Wireless, said:

Cost, simplicity, footprint, power, and cooling changes dramatically with XRAN. XRAN was designed from its inception to close the gap between rapidly growing in-building mobile connectivity demands and today’s complex, proprietary hardware solutions that were unable to evolve and adapt for multi-operator services.

INWIT has a propensity for leveraging leading technology innovation and demonstrating industry firsts. Their selection of XRAN for Dacia Arena further illustrates this and demonstrates to the world what the evolution to software RAN can deliver. XRAN provides significant cost efficiencies by utilising standard commercial servers, digital fibre connectivity, and tools that streamline operations. With XRAN, INWIT can reduce installation time up to 70 percent, reduce power and cooling by up to 75 percent, and reduce the head-space required by up to 95 percent.

INWIT, the first Italian Neutral Host, is also ready for increasing indoor and outdoor mobile service, leveraging JMA Wireless XRAN along with the TEKO Cell Hub technology announced by JMA in 2018.

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