The facility will accelerate development of NEC's 5G open ecosystem by pre-integrating partner Open RAN components to form end-to-end commercial-ready solutions according to customer-specific needs. The solutions will undergo end-to-end practical validations on functional/operational performance and quality assurance throughout all layers of the RAN, from network and cloud to service layers. The lab will also be responsible for post-deployment trouble-shooting, life cycle management as well as continuous integration (CI), and continuous delivery (CD) of solutions.

NEC is committed to developing highly reliable, high-quality end-to-end solutions leveraging its expertise accumulated through its long-term experience in the telecom industry and proven capabilities to develop, deliver and operate carrier-grade commercial products and networks across the globe. NEC's capabilities are further enhanced by the orchestration, digital OSS, and automation technologies of its subsidiary Netcracker, resulting in more efficient operations and faster time to market.

NEC aims to maximize the value of its open ecosystem by combining the aforementioned competencies with its advanced products and solutions, and with best-of-breed products from various partners at the forefront of innovation. Initial partners include Altiostar, GigaTera, and MTI, as NEC plans to expand its ecosystem with a broader group of partners in possession of cutting-edge technologies to accelerate operators' commercial adoption of Open RAN.

"Altiostar is excited to work with NEC on the CoE lab to promote and demonstrate the significance of Open RAN as operators transition their networks to 5G," said Pierre Kahhale, Vice President of Field Operations, Altiostar. "We have a strong and growing relationship with NEC, dating to our collaboration on the first cloud-native network at scale in Japan, and continuing with current trials and operator deployment plans across the globe."

"Partnering with NEC allows us to focus on the changing demands of the industry," said Daniel Kim, CEO of GigaTera Communications. "Our innovative approach to engineering new products and NEC's extensive knowledge and background will be an advantage in the ORAN market."

"As one of the leaders in the Open RAN ecosystem, NEC has shown its capabilities in integrating end-to-end O-RAN solutions. NEC's CoE provides the market a great way to demonstrate O-RAN, using components from different suppliers that conform with the O-RAN specifications," said Allen Yen, Chairman and CEO of MTI. "MTI is excited to be one of the initial partners of NEC's CoE lab, and will continue to supply O-RAN compliant radio units to the market."

"We are confident that our firm partnerships with the industry's best talents will enable us to advance the development of cutting-edge carrier grade ecosystems at full throttle," said Kazuhiko Harasaki, Deputy General Manager, Service Provider Solutions Division, NEC Corporation. "NEC will take leadership in curating pre-validated models and facilitating commercial, multi-vendor Open RAN deployment as a viable alternative 5G network for operators."

About Altiostar

Altiostar provides 4G and 5G open virtualized RAN (Open vRAN) software that supports open interfaces and virtualizes the radio access baseband functions to build a disaggregated multi-vendor, web-scale, cloud-based mobile network. Operators can add intelligence, quickly adapt the network for different services and automate operations to rapidly scale the network and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Altiostar collaborates with a growing ecosystem of partners to support a diverse Open RAN supply chain. The Altiostar Open vRAN solution has been deployed globally, including the world's first cloud-native commercial-scale mobile network with Rakuten Mobile in Japan. For more information, visit www.altiostar.com.

About GigaTera Communications

GigaTera is a leading global innovator in mobile wireless connectivity solutions that ensure infrastructure reliability, streamline service operations, and maximize wireless performance. Employing powerful, patented innovations, our expert engineering has proven to lower the cost of operations, ensure quality levels in equipment and unparalleled performance for coverage and high-speed mobile service. Utilizing our extensive knowledge and background, our engineers are continuously working to provide superior solutions that aim to deliver proven results for 5G and beyond.

About MTI

Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI) is a high-technology company that has specialized in wireless communication product development, manufacturing, and global sales for more than 35 years. Based on core competency in RF/ Microwave, MTI has established a leading position in the fields of Remote Radio Heads, Microwave Radios, Satellite Transceivers and ODUs, Broadband Wireless access products, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and modules. With this excellent record of accomplishment, MTI has established valued, long-term partnerships with world-leading partners.

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

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