Lime Microsystems and its partners are honoured to have received the Communications and IT Award at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Excellence and Innovation Awards for the Secure 5G Platform, a software-defined open radio access network (open RAN) base station built atop Lime’s software-defined radio (SDR) technology.
The IET Excellence and Innovation Awards, held this year at the world-class Glasgow Science Centre on the banks of the River Clyde, focus on projects and initiatives which are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – with a focus this year on social and environmental impacts, the minimisation of potential harms and the maximisation of positive benefits for the world.
“Being presented by this award is an honour for all of us involved in this project, which we truly believe represents the sustainable and equitable future of communications networks in the UK and beyond,” said Lime chief executive officer Ebrahim Bushehri following the ceremony. “The Secure 5G project is proof that democratised open RAN technologies are not a future-gazing prediction but very much a turning point in the present, and we’re thrilled that the IET recognises its potential to change the world for the better.”
Funded in 2021 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) and the Future RAN Competition (FRANC), the Secure 5G Platform project is a partnership between Lime, Slipstream Engineering Design, Arqit, and the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult to build an open wideband cellular RAN platform using a high-efficiency power amplifier and Lime’s field-programmable radio frequency (FPRF) technology. True to its name, it also delivers a new security layer built around Arqit’s QuantumCloud platform – delivering quantum-proof security.
“Harnessing the UK’s innovation and technological expertise will deliver the world-leading digital infrastructure that is so fundamental to growing our economy. The Secure 5G project will pave the way for more secure and competitive telecoms networks in the UK, benefiting industries across the board,” opined Sir John Whittingdale, Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, of the initiative. “This cutting-edge technology will accelerate that process while cutting business costs, boosting communications security, and supporting UK supply chains.”
More information on the IET Excellence and Innovation Awards is available on the IET website.