LG Uplus validated a long-distance fronthaul technology with Ericsson that can extend the connection distance between base station equipment by up to three times while maintaining stable communications quality.

LG Uplus said on Wednesday it conducted a proof-of-concept for long-distance fronthaul technology and network automation functions with Ericsson.

Fronthaul refers to the segment that connects radio units (RU), which serve as antennas at base stations, and distributed units (DU), which process data. It is a key element for implementing AI-based radio access networks (AI-RAN) and cloud-based networks that have recently drawn attention in the telecommunications industry.

LG Uplus used fronthaul equipment and network automation functions provided by Ericsson for the validation. It checked interoperability with its own base station equipment and tested communications quality and automation functions in long-distance connection environments.

It confirmed it could expand the connection distance between base station equipment by up to three times compared with the existing level while maintaining stable communications quality. It also validated a DU redundancy technology that automatically switches to backup equipment when equipment failures occur.

Sang-heon Lee (이상헌), head of advanced network development at LG Uplus, said the validation was meaningful in that it verified core technologies needed for future network environments. He said the company would continue to identify new technologies needed for the next-generation network era.

Ji-hyun Lee (이지현), executive director and head of network solutions at Ericsson Korea, said the validation checked the feasibility of implementing next-generation networks based on long-distance fronthaul and network automation. She said the companies would continue cooperation to develop and validate technologies needed for future network environments, including AI-RAN.