The world’s largest operator China Mobile, together with equipment vendor Nokia, trialed a centralised RAN in a TD-LTE network at a stadium to show how the combination can meet high-speed, high-bandwidth demands required at large sporting and entertainment events.

Nokia and China Mobile carried out what they said was the first deployment of a centralised RAN in a TD-LTE network at the Beilun Stadium in Ningbo and boosted upload speeds by 62 per cent, compared with existing TD-LTE networks in high-traffic locations, for the estimated 6,000 spectators.

During peak usage times, devices were receiving data at speeds of 12Mb/s or more, while the power efficiency of the devices was also improved by up to 33 per cent, Nokia said. The trial allowed China Mobile to monitor the signals of up to six radio cells, combining those of the best four to communicate with subscribers’ devices and turn interference into useful traffic.

Nokia’s centralised RAN technology can be deployed via a software upgrade to an existing Flexi Multiradio 10 base station network, the vendor said in a statement, which added that a centralised RAN is a key step in operators’ evolution to a cloud RAN network.

Wang Yong, assistant to the general manager at Ningbo Mobile, said the trial has shown that centralised RAN technology can eliminate the 4G network strain typically caused at large events. “As mobile data use continues to rise, innovations… will help us meet the demands for high-quality service from our subscribers in densely populated stadiums and other areas.”