NEC is developing a new 5G Sub-6GHz Radio Unit with Massive MIMO as a successor to its current integrated antenna RU, with release planned for the first half of fiscal year 2026, and will be showcased at MWC Barcelona 2026.

The RU consumes about 42% less power in normal operation and up to 30% less at peak, compared with the current model, reducing operating costs and environmental impact.

When integrated with NEC’s vRAN, fronthaul distance between RU and DU can extend from 30 km to as much as 40 km, using software-managed delays to boost deployment flexibility without sacrificing throughput.

The device aims to boost uplink and downlink throughput while being more compact and energy-efficient, enabling flexible base-station deployment and lowering total costs for operators when paired with vRAN.

Some RU technologies were supported by a grant from Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).

Simulation results show about 48% higher uplink throughput and 54% higher downlink throughput versus NEC’s current model, with uplink gains potentially reaching ~55% after a future software upgrade.

NEC will unveil the device at MWC Barcelona 2026 (March 2–5, 2026) and notes the NICT grant support behind the technology.

The RU employs MU-MIMO and real-time beamforming to maintain high-speed, stable connections with multiple users, even in congested or high-mobility scenarios.

NEC has shipped over 50,000 Massive MIMO units since 2020, underscoring extensive experience and global reach in this technology.

Performance evaluations with Japanese telecom carriers are planned for 2026, with a forecasted product launch in Japan in the first half of FY2026 and international launches in the second half.

The RU is designed to be compact and lightweight, reducing volume by about 23% to 23.6 L or less and weight by about 33% to 16 kg or less, enabling installation by a single person due to a fanless design and compact components.

The company will showcase the new RU at MWC Barcelona 2026.