Unlocking bandwidth efficiency in 5G with AI-driven compression on an Agilex™ SoC FPGA
Modern 5G networks depend on rapid and accurate Channel State Information (CSI) updates to maintain connection quality, optimize MIMO configurations, and deliver a consistent user experience. But as network density and traffic increase, these updates introduce substantial signaling overhead, creating a bottleneck in uplink bandwidth utilization.
At Altera, we’re addressing this challenge with an AI-powered CSI compression solution running on Agilex SoC FPGAs. By applying deep learning models through our FPGA AI Suite software and the OpenVINO open-source toolkit, we significantly reduce update frequency and signaling burden by a factor of 1,000x, while maintaining over 0.9999 correlation between the original and reconstructed CSI data.
Efficient Compression for Next-Gen RAN
In high-mobility scenarios, CSI is typically updated every transmission time interval, placing constant pressure on uplink capacity. Our approach applies neural network-based autoencoders trained on representative channel data to compress and reconstruct CSI with extremely high accuracy. This reduces signaling volume and frees up the spectrum for user data, improving overall network efficiency.
Technical Highlights
- 1,000x reduction in signaling overhead without loss of CSI fidelity
- 0.9999+ correlation between original and reconstructed channel matrices
- Implemented using FPGA AI Suite, OpenVINO, and Quartus® Prime
- Built with MATLAB-based signal processing
- Aligned with 3GPP 5G Rel-17 and adaptable for emerging 6G frameworks
This solution showcases how AI can replace hand-tuned heuristics with data-driven optimization executed at the edge in real time using power-efficient FPGA fabric.
FPGAi for Wireless Efficiency
CSI compression is just one example of how FPGAi, Altera’s AI-native approach to FPGA architecture, enables more intelligent, efficient RAN systems. With Agilex SoC FPGAs, developers can bring advanced AI capabilities into the heart of the wireless signal chain, solving bandwidth, latency, and power challenges simultaneously.
Watch the demo and visit our Wireless Solutions page to see this solution in action and explore its potential for integration. Ready to deploy AI at the edge of your network? Contact our team to learn how to get started with Altera FPGAi.
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