Benetel announced the launch of its flagship BNTL-RAN550 O-RAN radio unit (O-RU). This latest addition to the company’s RU product family delivers 100 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth, with up to 250 mW of output power per transmitter path. 

The combination of elevated performance parameters, small form factor and low total cost of ownership, means this 5G RU is particularly well suited to indoor deployments, which are set to become increasingly commonplace. Enterprises and mobile network operators will both be able to benefit from this solution, using it in access points, private networks, etc. 

The BNTL-RAN550’s highly adaptable modular architecture is fully compliant with the latest O-RAN interface specification, supporting 7.2 split fronthaul network configurations. It comes equipped with two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports for fronthaul network interfacing, and the built-in antennae supports 4T4R MIMO operation. This initial version will support the 5G band n78 (3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz), with additional frequencies (upper band n77 and band n79) already under development.

Available from January, the BNTL-RAN550 O-RUs are designed for ceiling-mount and wall-mount implementations. These CE/FCC-certified units support an operational temperature range of 0°C to +45°C and are powered by a 12 V DC supply (or via PoE++).

“The BNTL-RAN550 offers a deployment-ready O-RAN solution, as well as being highly applicable for those implementing small network trials,” said Adrian O`Connor, CEO of Benetel. “This latest member of our continuously expanding RU product family underlines the ongoing commitment that Benetel has made to stimulating innovation within the 5G ecosystem. Our product roadmap is fully driven by market needs and this initial version will be certified for use in the main global markets.”