Kumu Networks announced the industry’s first full duplex chip that provides the self-interference cancellation (SIC) technology required to implement the sub-band full duplex (SBFD) feature outlined in the 5G Advanced proposal. Available for sample upon request, this chip will allow cellular operators and network infrastructure providers to rapidly address the expansion of the 5G Advanced standard into industry verticals that require ultra-reliable low latency (URLLC) capabilities.
After the remarkable success of enhanced mobile broadband, 5G is on track to transform industry verticals that require extremely high reliability and low latency connectivity. SBFD’s ability to utilize adjacent channels in the same band for simultaneous transmission and reception makes it an essential component for reaching the performance levels required by these advanced applications. Implementing SBFD capability in a practical antenna configuration requires the high performance SIC provided by Kumu’s newly introduced Camelot RFICs. SBFD achieves a ten-fold reduction in latency and allows the network to meet stringent 5G URLLC requirements and enables next-generation use cases for Industrial IoT, eXtended Reality (XR), connected car and more.
As defined in 3GPP Release 18, SBFD is a step toward single frequency full duplex (SFFD). SFFD uses the same frequency for simultaneous transmission and reception, which provides magnitudes higher capacity and user throughput.
“We’re proud to introduce Camelot RFIC, a high linearity, high dynamic range and highly integrated RFIC solution that is helping to make 5G Advanced a reality. With this latest product, built on our field-proven SIC technology, we are providing 5G carriers and equipment manufacturers the tools needed to implement SBFD into commercial systems,” said Kumu Networks CEO David Cutrer. “We’re excited to see the industry moving in the direction of adopting the use of full duplex technology in the radio access network. We have products available now to enable SBFD and will continue to leverage our foundational technology towards the ultimate goal of SFFD, considered by many to be the holy grail of spectral efficiency.”
The Camelot RFIC has a very small footprint (4.5 x 4.5 mm) and minimal current draw (about one mAmp); hence can be easily integrated into 5G Massive MIMO radio units. When combined with beam-nulling techniques, it can offer up to 100 dB of isolation between the transmit and receive antenna elements.
To illustrate the value of SIC for building practical SBFD systems, Kumu Networks has developed a proof-of-concept demonstration. The demonstration shows, without SIC, uplink connections experience severe interference, leading to a significant loss of throughput and coverage while requiring higher device transmit power, reducing battery life. Kumu’s Camelot RFIC demonstration illustrates how SIC with SBFD helps make 5G Advanced a technical and financial reality, all without compromising the underlying radio’s performance.
Kumu Networks has been developing the foundational technology of SIC for full duplex systems for over a decade. During this time, the technology has been field deployed in multiple infrastructure use cases. For example, Kumu’s full duplex LTE relay is typically deployed in mid-band spectrum to provide small cell coverage and capacity enhancement without the need for traditional backhaul or additional spectrum. This use case has been tested and deployed by multiple carriers and is also expected to play a prominent role in 5G networks through integrated access and backhaul systems.