DOCOMO Advances 5G Performance Using Ericsson Technology

Japan's telecommunications industry has taken another significant step toward next-generation mobile connectivity as NTT DOCOMO announced the country's first commercial deployment of Ericsson's RAN Processor 6672, a high-capacity baseband solution designed to improve network performance, energy efficiency, and scalability. The rollout marks a major milestone in Japan's 5G infrastructure development while laying the technological foundation for future Open RAN and 6G networks. Developed in collaboration with Ericsson, the new RAN Processor 6672 supports both 4G and 5G networks, enabling DOCOMO to manage growing mobile data traffic while maintaining a stable and high-quality user experience. Alongside this deployment, the telecom operator also plans to expand its use of Ericsson's RAN Processor 6655 to further increase network capacity across the country. The newly launched RAN Processor 6672 is the newest version of Ericsson's baseband system. According to DOCOMO, it has four times the efficiency and 50 percent lower power usage compared to the previous generations of baseband technology. This achievement is especially relevant to the growing demand for resource-intensive applications such as AI-based apps, cloud gaming, high-definition video streaming, and corporate digitalization. A key feature of Ericsson's latest solution is its compliance with O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications. Open RAN enables interoperability between network equipment supplied by different vendors rather than relying on proprietary systems from a single manufacturer. For DOCOMO, this creates greater flexibility when expanding 5G coverage. DOCOMO plans to leverage its large amount of total 280 MHz spectrum in the 3.5 GHz, 3.7 GHz, and 4.5 GHz spectrum bands, enabled through Massive MIMO Units, along with existing base stations.