ZTE FRMCS Innovation Center Advancing 5G-R Commercialization and Industry Innovation

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the 5G-R frequency band in October 2023, accelerating its commercialization. To support this, ZTE set up the FRMCS Innovation Center, which is equipped for comprehensive software and hardware testing and verification of 5G-R products. The center will handle the R&D, testing, and innovation for ZTE’s 5G-R products. In addition, ZTE has established close partnerships with China Academy of Railway Sciences, Beijing Jiaotong University, and other manufacturers in the industry to advance digital transformation and technological innovation in the railway sector.

Full Range of 5G-R Hardware Products Covering All Commercial Scenarios

The FRMCS Innovation Center has deployed a full range of 5G-R hardware products that cover all railway communication scenarios and has the capability for end-to-end service testing and verification.

• Covering CTCS-2 and CTCS-3 Scenarios

The FRMCS Innovation Center deploys all ZTE 5G-R hardware products, including macro-coverage 8T RRU, 4T RRU, and indoor-coverage Qcell products. ZTE focuses on two key scenarios: single-BBU scenarios for CTCS-2 and dual-BBU scenarios for CTCS-3. Additionally, the network deployment covers various scenarios such as tunnels, stations, and cross-connected lines.

• Offering 5G-R End-to-End Service Testing

Professional testing in a comprehensive environment for 5G-R ensures the efficient, stable, and secure operation of the FRMCS system. The FRMCS Innovation Center also allows for thorough testing of railway-dedicated terminals, base stations, core networks, mission critical x-service (MCX) and multimedia dispatching system (MDS).

System Software and Hardware Development and Testing Facilitating Field Commercial Deployment and Operational Assurance

The FRMCS Innovation Center plays a critical role in 5G-R R&D and field commercial testing, and has undertaken a number of key tasks.

• Preliminary research and transformation of innovative topics in the railway industry: ZTE actively participates in topic innovation and key technology research within the railway industry. By studying 5G-R features and application challenges, ZTE delves into cutting-edge technologies and actual industry needs. At present, ZTE has planned 12 preliminary research topics focused on 5G-R system reliability. These research initiatives aim to enhance the reliability of FRMCS and promote its commercial deployment.
• Software and hardware development and testing: In the FRMCS Innovation Center, hardware and software are deployed and tested. ZTE has developed the 4T, 8T, and Qcell series equipment and completed the software development and verification for tests conducted by China Academy of Railway Sciences and for commercial use.
• Interoperability testing: The FRMCS Innovation Center has worked closely with industry manufacturers to actively introduce terminals, dispatching consoles, MCX, and MDS from various sources. It has conducted interconnection tests to ensure that the end-to-end railway-dedicated mobile communication system operate stably and in coordination.
• End-to-end testing: all NEs including onboard terminal, BBU, RRU, 5G core, MCX and MDS can be tested at the FRMCS Innovation Center. Before commercial deployment, the FRMCS Innovation Center conducts preliminary testing of various network scenarios and services to ensure the stability and reliability of the entire system.
• Troubleshooting: The FRMCS Innovation Center can quickly respond to and reproduce faults, assisting R&D personnel in rapid troubleshooting and field fault location, ensuring the continuous operation of FRMCS.

The FRMCS Innovation Center handles all topics of 5G-R wireless research, all-product software and hardware R&D, all-interoperability testing, all-NE verification, and all-field fault reproduction. Through these key tasks, the FRMCS Innovation Center will play an important role in the R&D and commercial deployment of FRMCS, driving technological innovation and development while contributing to the digital transformation and intelligent advancement of the railway industry.

Collaborative Innovation

ZTE will continue to enhance its collaboration with China Academy of Railway Sciences and Beijing Jiaotong University by leveraging each party’s technical strengths, integrating resources, and pursuing research on cutting-edge technologies and applications. The establishment of the FRMCS Innovation Center further strengthens and expands this partnership. In addition, ZTE will actively work with industry manufacturers on interoperability testing and verification, broaden industry cooperation, and jointly promote the development and progress of the entire sector.

The FRMCS Innovation Center is dedicated to establishing a comprehensive and reliable FRMCS. It provides the deployment of a full range of 5G-R products and oversees preliminary research, development, testing, and other related tasks. By strengthening collaboration with third-party research institutions and manufacturers, it contributes to the digital transformation and intelligent development of the railway industry, driving the sector towards a brighter future.