Bring 5G-ready remote radio units to market with Flex

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - 5G

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing
Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Autonomous Transport Systems
Vehicle Telematics

Services

Hardware Design & Engineering Services
Software Design & Engineering Services

The Challenge

The customer, a major mobile communications vendor, was faced with the challenge of designing, developing, and manufacturing a high volume of 5G-ready remote radio units (RRUs) for their customers. These RRUs needed to cover a variety of frequency bands and power levels. The emergence of 5G has led to an increase in demand for a wider variety of RRUs with different frequency and power level requirements. The customer needed a partner with strong design, new product development, test engineering, and global manufacturing capabilities as well as scale.

About The Customer

The customer is a major mobile communications vendor. They are a large company with a global presence, serving customers worldwide. The customer is in the telecommunications industry and is focused on the development and manufacturing of remote radio units (RRUs). These RRUs are designed to cover a variety of frequency bands and power levels, and they need to be 5G-ready. The customer is facing a new set of design and operational challenges due to the emergence of 5G, which is driving the demand for a wider variety of RRUs.

The Solution

Flex partnered with the customer to turn their early design into a new, 5G-ready offering. Flex's engineers modified the customer’s existing reference design while maintaining the baseband and power supply elements. They also advised on the mechanical and thermal specifications for the RRUs. Flex worked directly with their lead manufacturing site to effectively test the prototype and drive all required industrialization activities to ensure complete process readiness for volume manufacturing. Given the customer’s global presence, Flex was able to meet their needs with their global manufacturing presence and capabilities. As part of the supply chain solution, Flex also introduced the customer to their subsidiary, Infinex, providing a wide variety of electronic components from basic resistors to more advanced semiconductors.

Operational Impact

Flex was able to modify the customer’s existing reference design while maintaining the baseband and power supply elements.
Flex's engineers advised on the mechanical and thermal specifications for the RRUs.
Flex worked directly with their lead manufacturing site to effectively test the prototype and drive all required industrialization activities to ensure complete process readiness for volume manufacturing.

Quantitative Benefit