GlobeNewswire·Feb 25, 2026, 12:35 PM ET

AmpliTech Group And Northeastern University Demonstrate First Open-Source Massive MIMO O-RAN System with Category B Fronthaul

AMPG AMPGW

AmpliTech Group's 5G Division & Northeastern University's INSI successfully demonstrated the first open-source prototype of a massive MIMO O-RAN system achieving O-RAN Category B operation in a laboratory.
The prototype integrates AmpliTech's commercial-grade mMIMO Category B radio unit with the OpenAirInterface (OAI) CU/DU stack, marking the first full end-to-end massive MIMO O-RAN system assembled from open, interoperable components.
The INSI team showcased hybrid beamforming capabilities using a 2-layer MIMO configuration, demonstrating sustained throughput under mobility conditions with proper beam management.
The demonstration validates that AmpliTech's radio unit, designed for commercial deployment, can operate at full performance within a fully open, multi-vendor stack without reliance on proprietary solutions.
This achievement addresses the historically vendor-specific nature of massive MIMO systems by proving the full stack from the physical layer to the RAN control plane can be open & interoperable.
O-RAN 7.2 Category B serves as the technically demanding fronthaul interface that enables massive MIMO at scale, a milestone previously unachieved by open-source RAN.
INSI led the system integration, testbed configuration, & validation measurements to provide a reproducible reference implementation for academic & industry researchers.
The results align with growing momentum for Open RAN, emphasizing flexibility, vendor interoperability, & intelligent control for future 5G & 6G deployments.