Institute for Telecommunication Sciences / Research / 5G / 2023 5G Challenge Event
2023 5G Challenge Event
About
The 2023 5G Challenge was the second of two 5G Challenge competitions. In the 2022 event, NTIA/ITS offered a $3,000,000 prize purse to contestants who successfully integrated hardware and/or software solutions for one or more of these 5G network subsystems:
- Central Unit (CU)
- Distributed Unit (DU)
- Radio Unit (RU)
In the 2023 5G Challenge, NTIA/ITS awarded a total prize purse of $7,000,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to high-performing 5G subsystems that showcased multi-vendor interoperability across RUs and combined CUs and DUs (CU+DU).
The 2023 5G Challenge facilitated contestant testing through three stages of integration, each building on the previous stage:
- Wrap-around emulation testing (on each contestant subsystem individually)
- End-to-end (E2E) integration testing, to establish and test an E2E session (CU+DU and RU)
- Mobility testing between two E2E sessions
See the 2023 5G Challenge Official Rules.
The 2023 5G Challenge accepted the following subsystems:
Combined Central Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU), abbreviated CU+DU. The CU and DU could be from the same or different vendors. Contestants having only a CU or only a DU had to partner with another contestant to enter a combined CU+DU.
Radio Unit (RU). The RU had to have the ability to operate with cabled air interface emulation supporting up to 4x4 MIMO (FR1 only).
Contestants were encouraged to submit multiple subsystems of a single type, such as two RUs with different technical specifications.
The 2023 5G Challenge evaluated the following interfaces:
3GPP interface NG (N2/N3) and NAS (N1). RAN interface to 5G core. N1 is a transparent interface between the user equipment (UE) and the 5G core. NG control plane is also known as N2. NG user plane is also known as N3.
O-RAN ALLIANCE interface Open Fronthaul (DU to RU). Includes Control, User, Synchronization (CUS) Plane and Management Plane protocols. Based on lower layer functional split “7-2x” and leverages eCPRI protocols.
3GPP Interface Xn. Call Handover was tested via this interface as well as the N2 interface.
3GPP Interface Uu. Logical interface between RU and UE.
2023 Event Timeline
Host Lab
CableLabs was selected as the host lab and provided two separate 5G test and emulation systems.
Each contestant subsystem was assigned to one of these two systems. Contestant subsystems that passed the emulated testing were integrated with other contestantsʼ subsystems along with the host labʼs baseline system consisting of a 5G SA core and UE emulator. “Plug-and-play” performance was evaluated using a standard corpus of performance metrics.
See the Host Lab Configuration.
Contest Prizes
Mobility Prize
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NTIA/ITS awarded the mobility prize to the top-performing group in Stage Four (i.e., the highest mobility test score).
A $3,000,000 purse was divided equally among the contestants involved.
Best in Show
Best Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
Awarded to the two contestants with the highest rated SBOM and Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX). Each Best SBOM Prize consisted of $100,000 and the Security Testing Prize.
- Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. and partner AT&T
- JMA Wireless
Best Collaborator
Awarded to the contestant that receives the highest collaboration score. The host lab assessed each contestantʼs overall responsiveness during testing. Contestants submitted peer ratings. Lions received the highest score to win Best Collaborator. The Best Collaborator Prize consisted of $20,000 and the Security Testing Prize.
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Security Testing Prize Each winner of this in-kind prize received two weeks of security testing performed by the 2023 5G Challenge host lab. |
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Multi-vendor End-to-End (E2E) Integration Prize
In Stage Three, NTIA/ITS awarded a $2,000,000 Multi-vendor E2E Integration prize purse to the two top-performing CU+DU and RU contestant pairings. The first and second prizes were awarded equally to both CU+DU and RU contestants. Only cold pairings selected by NTIA/ITS qualified. See the Official Rules for details on how each subsystem was tested and scored.
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First Prize
Second Prize
Lab Time Prize
The 1st Prize CU+DU and RU winners received the in-kind prize of three weeks of host lab testing, with a similar level of support from the 2023 5G Challenge host lab as during the contest.
Event Documentation
Videos
2023 5G Challenge Prize Winners
2023 5G Challenge Closing Ceremony
Senator John Hickenlooper (CO) 2023 5G Challenge Awards Ceremony Message
2023 5G Challenge Webinar
Photos
Closing Ceremony Photos Document
Press
- 11/29/2023, Informed, Blog by CableLabs – Building a Smarter 5G Future Through Open RAN Development
- 10/18/2023, PR Newswire – NewEdge Wins Mobility Prize at the ITS / NTIA 2023 5G Challenge
- 10/17/2023, ExecutiveGov – How CHIPS Act Fuels 5G Innovation: JMA’s Rishi Bhaskar Explains
- 09/26/2023, Business Wire – Mavenir Awarded Two Wins at the NTIA 2023 5G Challenge
- 09/25/2023, ExecutiveGov – Capgemini, JMA Wireless Win in Multiple Categories at NTIA 5G Challenge
- 09/25/2023, Business Wire – Radisys Wins the Mobility Prize in Stage Four of the ITS/NTIA 2023 5G Challenge
- 03/13/2023, Business Wire – Keysight O-RAN Solutions Added to CableLabs’ 5G Lab for Support of 2023 5G Challenge
- 03/10/2023, Light Reading – Mavenir, Radisys, Fujitsu, AT&T among 5G Challenge participants
- 03/10/2023, ExecutiveBiz – NTIA, DOD Handpick Vendors to Demonstrate 5G Tech Interoperability
- 03/09/2023, Informed, Blog by CableLabs – NTIA Announces 2023 5G Challenge Contestants
- 02/03/2023, ExecutiveGov – Pentagon, NTIA Unveil 2023 5G Challenge for Open RAN Systems
- 02/03/2023, RCR Wireless News – DOD, NTIA launch 2023 5G Challenge for O-RAN
- 02/02/2023, Defense News – Pentagon kicks off 5G competition to upgrade base communications
- 02/01/2023, Light Reading – NTIA, DoD put up $7M prize for open RAN tech
Press Releases and Blogs
- 10/03/2023, NTIA Blog – One Giant Leap for Mobility: Recapping the 2023 5G Challenge
- 09/21/2023, NTIA Press Release – NTIA, Department of Defense Announce Final Winners of the 2023 5G Challenge
- 08/30/2023, NTIA Blog – 2023 5G Challenge Update: Three Contestant Pairs Pass Stage Three End to End Interoperability Testing
- 06/05/2023, NTIA Blog – 2023 5G Challenge Update: All Nine Contestant Subsystems Pass Stage Two Wrap-around Emulation Testing
- 03/09/2023, NTIA Press Release – Seven Contestants Selected for NTIA, DoD “2023 5G Challenge”
- 02/02/2023, DoD Press Release – DOD and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Launch 2023 5G Challenge for Open RAN with an Eye Toward Future Base Modernization
- 02/01/2023, NTIA Press Release – NTIA and DoD Launch Competition to Accelerate Adoption of Open RAN
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