Open RAN Policy Coalition – Alliance calling for 'open and interoperable' 5G systems

guest · May 8, 2020

More than 30 firms join alliance calling for 'open' 5G systems
May 6, 2020
https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tec...in-alliance-calling-for-039open039-5g-systems

More than 30 technology and telecom firms unveiled an alliance on May 5 to press for "open and interoperable" 5G wireless systems that eliminate the need for a single supplier.

The move comes amid heightened global debate over politically sensitive deployment of the ultrafast fifth-generation networks in a market led by Chinese-based Huawei, along with European-based Nokia and Ericsson.
Click to expand...

The new Open RAN Policy Coalition said an open-standards system with competitive bidding for various components in a "radio access network" would avoid depending on any single technology supplier.
The alliance of 31 firms is "letting (wireless) providers know there are options" other than "a single vendor with a closed proprietary system," said Diane Rinaldo, coalition executive director.

The group includes large technology firms Microsoft, Google, IBM and Cisco; carriers including AT&T and Verizon in the United States and global operators Vodafone, Rakuten and Telefonica; and hardware and chip-making firms Qualcomm, Intel and Samsung.
Click to expand...

It added that there are already examples of successful mobile deployments of 4G or 5G networks using open standards in Japan, India and other parts of the world.
"Our coalition is helping to amplify the message on this."
Click to expand...

Open RAN Policy Coalition: Welcome

Welcome to the Open RAN Policy Coalition blog. Earlier this year, several of our member companies came together as an ad hoc group, to advocate for government policies supporting the development and adoption of open and interoperable solutions in the Radio Access Network. We have grown since then and are excited to officially launch today with 31 global technology companies as members.

The unifying principle for our membership is the belief that by “opening” the protocols and interfaces between the various subcomponents (radios, hardware and software) in the RAN, we will move to an environment where networks can be deployed with a more modular design, and without being dependent upon a single vendor.
We believe that open interfaces will help ensure interoperability across different players in the ecosystem and lower the barrier to entry for new innovators.
Click to expand...

guest · May 8, 2020

Industry Reactions to Alliance for Open 5G Systems: Feedback Friday
May 8, 2020
https://www.securityweek.com/industry-reactions-alliance-open-5g-systems-feedback-friday

The alliance promotes the adoption of open and interoperable Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions — this includes 5G technology — in an effort to “create innovation, spur competition and expand the supply chain for advanced wireless technologies.”
Multiple vendors providing the different components of a mobile network makes it easier for operators to manage their network and upgrade infrastructure, while also making it easier to address security threats — in case vulnerable network equipment needs to be replaced or protected in response to a threat.

SecurityWeek has reached out to several companies, including some members of the new alliance (Intel and Juniper Networks provided comments), to find out more, particularly about security aspects. We have also reached out to Huawei, but the company did not want to comment.
Click to expand...

guest · May 27, 2020

Nokia joins the Open RAN Policy Coalition
Finish comms tech provider reinforces its commitment to the development of future secure mobile radio technologies for 5G
May 26, 2020
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252483647/Nokia-joins-the-Open-RAN-Policy-Coalition

Giving a huge boost to the open and software-defined network technology consortium, leading Finnish communications technology supplier Nokia has joined the Open RAN (O-RAN) Policy Coalition.

By disaggregating hardware and software components and leveraging open interfaces, O-RAN technology has the potential to enrich the mobile ecosystem with new solutions and business models, and an expanded multi-vendor ecosystem.
Such capability is seen as particularly useful for coverage in hard-to-reach rural locations, such as an area with a very small population, or where a sharing model is more cost-effective, such as dense urban locations where large numbers of small cells are required.
Click to expand...

Nokia was the first major vendor to join the O-RAN Alliance and it already co-chairs the workgroups that are defining the Open Fronthaul Interface and the Near Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), which will help automate and optimise the network.
In explaining its decision to join O-RAN Policy Coalition, Nokia said it would help enable a comprehensive and secure approach to 5G and future network generations.

“Nokia believes that policymakers, operators and equipment providers should work together to support research and development of emerging network technologies that include open systems, advanced 5G technologies and foundational 6G research [...]” commented Brian Hendricks, vice-president of government relations Americas at Nokia.
Click to expand...

Nokia: Nokia joins the Open RAN Policy Coalition

guest · May 28, 2020

Ericsson is not following Nokia into the unChinese Open RAN Policy Coalition
May 27, 2020
https://www.lightreading.com/servic...nese-open-ran-policy-coalition/d/d-id/759929?

Joining an anti-China club would be a risky move for a company that owed a major slice of its business to the Chinese market. While the recently established Open RAN Policy Coalition has never identified itself as anti-Chinese, its entire raison d'être is to secure government support for a technology seen by some hawkish US officials as the weapon to fight Huawei, China's biggest maker of network equipment. Most existing members are American. None is Chinese.

Its wariness of the latest association came across in a statement emailed to Light Reading. "Ericsson is not a member of the Open RAN Policy Coalition," said a spokesperson when asked if Ericsson would join.

"We believe in open and fair competition. To stay ahead in the 5G race, the US and other governments should maintain their market-based approach through technology-agnostic policies. [...]"
In other words, Ericsson does not approve of government support for one technology – in this case open RAN – over alternatives. Its lack of enthusiasm for open RAN does not surprise Ericsson's opponents. By opening up the interfaces between different parts of the RAN, that technology would allow an operator to build its RAN using products from different vendors.
Click to expand...

Ericsson has not ruled out membership and insists it is "committed to work with all relevant players and alliances in the industry." But right now, its preference is for technologies based on 3GPP specifications, and not the largely unproven open RAN alternatives.
Click to expand...

guest · Jul 7, 2020

Nokia accelerates Open RAN availability with performance, security enhancements
July 7, 2020
https://www.computerweekly.com/news...bility-with-performance-security-enhancements

As part of its ongoing strategy to lead a mobile communications technology industry towards an open future, Nokia is enhancing its open solutions portfolio by ramping up the adoption of open radio access network (O-RAN) interfaces in its AirScale portfolio.

The communications technology supplier says the enhancement to the portfolio has the aim of enabling an open ecosystem of innovation and a robust telecom supply chain, while ensuring “world-class” network performance and security.
By taking the approach of building the open interfaces on top of its existing solutions, Nokia says it is helping to prepare for the network architecture of the future, regardless of whether CSPs choose to pursue an O-RAN path or not.

“Nokia is committed to leading the open mobile future by investing in Open RAN and Cloud RAN solutions with the aim of enabling a robust telecom ecosystem with strong network performance and security,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile networks at Nokia.
Click to expand...

Nokia: Nokia accelerates availability of Open RAN technology to lead the open mobile future

Availability this year with full suite of O-RAN-defined interfaces expected in 2021.

Nokia's leadership in O-RAN R&D demonstrates commitment to an open innovation ecosystem and robust telecom supply chain

Nokia is the only global RAN supplier fully committed to O-RAN with commercial 5G Cloud-RAN networks

Click to expand...

guest · Aug 5, 2020

Could ‘Open’ systems negate Huawei’s influence on 5G?
August 5, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/could-open-systems-negate-huaweis-influence-on-5g/

What O-RAN actually is, as much as it can be amid the current state of the telecommunications market, is the framework for a strategy. When "disruption" is a good thing, it's a way to make room in a market for new competitors.

More simply put, it's the front door. If the whole point of a wireless network is to maintain accessibility, and the optimal wireless network is one that follows a global standard, then you would think an open architecture for front doors would be a premier necessity.
When a strategy needs backing and support, it should become a cause. When that backing is being beckoned from a country's government, it must become a cause célèbre.
Click to expand...

"We must continue to deploy 5G networks as quickly as possible, in order for the United States to maintain its position as the global leader in wireless communications," remarked Rep. Greg Walden (R – Ore.), the outgoing ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "By offering nearly free equipment, Huawei and ZTE have made it difficult for trusted vendors to compete in the marketplace. As a result, upgrading equipment and software has become an unnecessarily expensive… process."

Rep. Walden's recorded comments came at the opening of a virtual panel conducted Tuesday by the Open RAN Policy Coalition.
Ostensibly, the O-RAN Alliance — which deals strictly with architectures and interface specifications — tries to stay out of geopolitics.
Click to expand...

But Walden is co-sponsoring a bill introduced last April that would set up a government-managed grant program for the express purpose of promoting and supporting the use of interoperable standards in wireless networks. The bill mentions O-RAN specifically, while leaving the door open for any other alliance that may happen to come along.
Click to expand...

guest · Sep 25, 2020

Telus VP warns of open RAN challenges
September 25, 2020
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/telus-vp-warns-of-open-ran-challenges

Telus executive Bernard Bureau emphasised open RAN compatibility as a must for network vendors hoping to secure its business in future, and revealed the operator aims to deploy standalone (SA) 5G by end-2022.

In a keynote, the VP of network and architecture strategy pointed to open RAN as “the way forward”, stating Telus would be looking for “a clear commitment” to the approach from vendors.
Though Bureau predicted open RAN will be a “game changer”, he noted integration costs could be challenging for smaller operators.

“It’s more difficult for us to apply in Canada given the number of frequency bands we have”, he explained, adding it could be harder to cover the cost of “this interoperability” because operators in the nation have around a tenth the number of sites of those in the US.
Click to expand...

guest · Oct 12, 2020

O-RAN ready to rocket to be worth $47bn by 2026
Industry analyst predicts rapid expansion for open radio access network over the next six years
October 12, 2020
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252490413/O-RAN-ready-to-rocket-to-be-worth-47bn-by-2026

As the ramifications of political decisions taken earlier in 2020 to exclude high-risk suppliers from national mobile infrastructures now play out, diversity in essential tech supply is very much on the agenda for all operators. It is also one of the key drivers for an expanding open radio access network (O-RAN) market, which analyst ABI Research says is expected to exceed the traditional RAN market for the first time, around 2027-2028.

According to ABI Research’s O-RAN market data report, the total capex spent on O-RAN radio units for public outdoor networks, including macro and small cells, is expected to reach $40.7bn in 2026, while the total revenue of O-RAN radios for indoor enterprise networks will reach as much as $6.7bn in 2026.

“The O-RAN opportunity invites various stakeholders to bring their best-in-class technologies and hardware/software components to contribute to building a flexible, secure, agile and multi-vendor interoperable network solution,” said Jiancao Hou, senior analyst at ABI Research.
Click to expand...

“O-RAN can introduce many advantages to the enterprise market, including infrastructure reconfigurability, network sustainability and deployment cost-efficiency. On the other hand, these small and easily manageable network use cases are likely to lower the entry barrier for O-RAN.
Click to expand...

guest · Oct 23, 2020

Maturing O-RAN set to have 75% market share by 2030
October 22, 2020
https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252490884/Maturing-O-RAN-set-to-have-75-market-share-by-2030

The development of open radio access network (O-RAN) is gaining momentum, with a study from ABI Research predicting that total spending on O-RAN radio units (RUs) for the public outdoor macro cell network will reach $69.5bn in 2030, with cumulative unit shipments expected to reach 15.7 million.

O-RAN’s proponents believe the technology has the potential to enable operators to broaden their range of network infrastructure partners and facilitate a better and more cost-effective 5G network service for customers. They say that by disaggregating hardware and software components and leveraging open interfaces, O-RAN technology has the potential to enrich the mobile ecosystem with new products and business models and become the basis of an expanded multi-supplier ecosystem.
Click to expand...

And if the growth predicted in its Open RAN and vRAN addressable markets and stakeholders report is realised, ABI Research has calculated that total spending on O-RAN RUs for the public outdoor macro cell network will reach $69.5bn by 2030, with cumulative unit shipments expected to reach 15.7 million.

“The key benefits of O-RAN bring multi-vendor interoperability for innovations and reduce time to market for deploying new network functionality,” said Jiancao Hou, 5G and mobile network infrastructure senior analyst at ABI Research.
Click to expand...

Looking at companies in the telecoms sector that are driving O-RAN, the report cited Rakuten Mobile, a greenfield network service provider which, it said, set a prime example to deploy O-RAN. It also noted that Vodafone had announced its first live O-RAN 4G site in the UK, partnering with Parallel Wireless.
Click to expand...

guest · Nov 7, 2020

NEC: O-RAN to challenge ‘closed system’ 5G RAN vendors
November 7, 2020
https://www.itwire.com/telecoms-and-nbn/nec-o-ran-to-challenge-‘closed-system’-5g-ran-vendors.html

With the recent entry of NEC into the UK market as a 5G RAN supplier, and Dish Network entering the US 5G market building a new network from scratch using an open RAN (O-RAN) approach, the challenges are starting to mount against closed system vertically and horizontally integrated 5G RAN providers.
Click to expand...

NEC believes that at the end of the day, economics will dictate for wireless CSPs that O-RAN architecture rather than closed RAN systems will be the inevitable winner in the 5G space.

“Our focus is on the radio access network in the 5G domain and we’re taking a fairly innovative approach using an open ecosystem,” said NEC Australia’s Richard Duggan, GM, Critical Infrastructure, IoT & Intelligent Transport Solutions.
“This means our approach is therefore different from many of the conventional suppliers in the market place and we believe that an open ecosystem enables communication service providers (CSPs) basically to be free from monolithic vendor locking.

NEC, like its competitors, will obviously be a supplier of antenna hardware for 5G RAN base stations but it will be disaggregated open source software driving the antennas where the company sees itself playing a role of systems integrator in conjunction with partner companies within the O-RAN ecosystem.
Click to expand...

For the foreseeable future, however, Duggan admits that it’s going to be a hard sell to get the big operators to move away from the traditional RAN suppliers.
However, for the long term, Duggan points out that the Australian operators know what is happening in the O-RAN world.

After all, the big three Australian mobile operators are all members of (or owned or affiliated with members) of the O-RAN Alliance.
Then again, like NEC, Ericsson and Nokia, are contributor members of the O-RAN Alliance. Interestingly, fixed line operator NBN Co is also a contributor member.
Click to expand...

guest · Nov 19, 2020

House unanimously passes $750 million Open RAN 5G bill
November 18, 2020
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20201118/policy/house-unanimously-passes-750-million-open-ran-5g-bill

In a rare show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House has unanimously passed a bill that seeks to financially support a domestic 5G equipment market and Open Radio Access Network development with an influx of $750 million in funding over the next 10 years.

The bill directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to begin issuing competitive grants within 18 months that promote “the use of technology, including software, hardware, and microprocessing technology, that will enhance competitiveness in the supply chains of Open RAN 5G Networks,” and accelerated development and deployment of Open RAN technologies. It also asks for the establishment of “objective criteria” that could be used to determine if equipment meets the definition of Open RAN equipment.
Click to expand...

guest · Nov 19, 2020

Vodafone to launch open RAN in Ireland next month
November 19, 2020
https://www.lightreading.com/open-r...-open-ran-in-ireland-next-month/d/d-id/765496

Vodafone had already solidified its reputation as one of the biggest cheerleaders for open RAN when its UK business recently promised to use the technology at about 2,600 sites currently served by Huawei, a Chinese vendor the government is banning.

Operators such as Vodafone have grown infatuated with open RAN, believing it could spur competition to Huawei, Ericsson and Nokia, the dominant providers of radio access network (RAN) products.
Today, operators have to buy all the components at a RAN site from the same supplier to avoid interoperability problems. Open RAN promises to end this "lock-in" through new interfaces. It would also allow network software to be used in tandem with commodity hardware.
Click to expand...

Of interest to other service providers will be how much Vodafone can save compared with using traditional products. Open RAN companies have pitched themselves as an inexpensive alternative, and Vodafone says commodity hardware will carry a lower total cost of ownership than customized kit.
Click to expand...

Parallel Wireless Partners with Vodafone Ireland to Deliver on Their Open RAN Vision

guest · Aug 20, 2021

NEC, Fujitsu begin 5G base station Open RAN tech interoperability testing
August 19, 2021
https://www.computerweekly.com/news...tation-Open-RAN-tech-interoperability-testing

As the deployment and value of open radio access network (Open RAN or O-RAN) have increased rapidly over the last year or two, NEC and Fujitsu have begun developing technologies for interoperability testing between 5G base station equipment conforming to O-RAN specifications at their respective laboratories in the UK and the US.

They also note that in recent years, base station equipment has become more open because of O-RAN front-haul interface specifications formulated by the O-RAN Alliance, and it is becoming possible to connect to RUs (radio units) and CUs/DUs (central units/distributed units) from a variety of suppliers.
Click to expand...

NEC and Fujitsu say they will combine their experience and knowhow in developing base station equipment compliant with the front-haul interface specifications of the O-RAN Alliance.
The pair will develop technologies to verify the interoperability of various suppliers’ equipment for O-RAN front-haul including FrontHaul Analyser, Pseudo-DU, test scenario extraction tools, test parameter change tools and validation result determination tools.

NEC and Fujitsu say introducing these technologies into the verification environments of both companies’ laboratories will make it possible to significantly improve the efficiency of interoperability verification for different suppliers’ equipment.
Click to expand...

Fujitsu: Fujitsu and NEC to develop technologies for interoperability testing between 5G base station equipment in laboratories in the U.S. and the U.K.

Contributing to the stimulation and growth of the open 5G market through NEDO
Fujitsu Limited (Fujitsu; TSE 6702) and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE 6701) have begun developing technologies for interoperability testing (1) between 5G base station equipment conforming to O-RAN specifications at Fujitsu's U.S. laboratories and NEC's U.K. laboratories. This initiative will be implemented as part of the “Post 5G Infrastructure Enhancement R&D Project” under the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan.
Click to expand...

guest · Sep 28, 2021

NTT Data, Mavenir announce global 5G Open RAN collaboration
September 27, 2021
https://www.computerweekly.com/news...nir-announce-global-5G-Open-RAN-collaboration

Aiming to drive openness and virtualisation in 5G networks, global digital business and IT services provider NTT Data has formed a technology partnership with Mavenir Systems to provide products, systems and integration services for 5G networks based on cloud-native, open-architecture-based systems, including Open RAN (O-RAN).

The companies say their strategic partnership is being driven in an effort to promote the adoption of O-RAN by telecom operators and the realisation of digital transformation by enterprise operators using 5G. The partnership will see NTT Data global delivery and Mavenir solutions combined to meet the needs of operators around the world as they build or transition to open and virtualised 5G networks.
Click to expand...

Through the collaboration, the two companies will combine various IT and telecommunication services, including integration services provided by NTT Data worldwide, with Mavenir’s Open Virtualised RAN (vRAN) technology and Converged Packet Core to support the adoption of Open vRAN by telecommunications carriers and the realisation of digital transformation by enterprises and telecom operators using 5G.
Click to expand...

guest · Nov 10, 2021

Samsung partners with Orange to strengthen 5G networks
November 10, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/samsung-partners-with-orange-to-strengthen-5g-networks/

Samsung Electronics has announced that it is collaborating with the telecom company, Orange, to disaggregate the software and hardware elements of traditional RAN. The tech giant will provide its virtualized RAN (vRAN), "which has been proven in the field through commercial deployments with global Tier one operators including the U.S.", for the operation.

Orange is responsible for providing mobile services to 222 million users in 26 countries along with Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Through this partnership, Samsung and Orange aim to deploy O-RAN Alliance-compliant base stations beginning with rural and indoor configurations and then, expanding to new deployments in the future.
Click to expand...

Senior Vice President of Radi9 Access Networks and microwaves at Orange, Arnaud Vamparys stated:

Open RAN is a major evolution of radio access that requires deeper cooperation within the industry. With our European peers, we want to accelerate the development of Open RAN solutions that meet our needs. After the publication of common specifications, Orange’s Open RAN Integration Center will support the development and tuning of solutions from a broad variety of actors.
Click to expand...

Samsung: Samsung and Orange Collaborate To Advance 5G Networks to a New Level

Samsung joins Orange’s innovative journey with its leading virtualization technology
Click to expand...

guest · Nov 18, 2021

Leading telcos urge Europe to act now to build Open RAN ecosystem
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Vodafone issue five-point clarion call for building an Open RAN ecosystem for Europe
November 18, 2021
https://www.computerweekly.com/news...Europe-to-act-now-to-build-Open-RAN-ecosystem

Europe’s best opportunity to defend and grow its place in the global 5G and 6G industry lies with building a broad and deep open radio access network (Open RAN) ecosystem, according to a report from five of the leading European telecommunications companies. The report has called on policymakers, EU member states and industry stakeholders to collaborate and urgently prioritise Open RAN.

Building an Open RAN ecosystem for Europe – published by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, and Vodafone – was based on findings from independent TMT management consultants, Analysys Mason.
Click to expand...

Its principal point is that open, intelligent, virtualised and fully interoperable RAN, delivering and enabling more effective and efficient mobile communications, is essential if Europe is to meet its target of 5G for all by 2030. The report said that such actions will help to drive stronger, more resilient supply chains and platforms, as well as promote digital autonomy and continued technology leadership.
Click to expand...

Indeed, the report highlighted the fact that Europe currently has 13 major Open RAN players, compared with 57 for the rest of the world. However, many European players are at an early stage of development and have not yet secured commercial Open RAN contracts, while suppliers from other regions are moving ahead.

“Policy in the US and Japan, among other countries, already strongly backs Open RAN. The US has earmarked more than $1.5bn to fund Open RAN, and Japan offers financial incentives and tax benefits for companies which develop, supply and deploy related equipment,” said Analysys Mason research director Caroline Gabriel.
Click to expand...

Orange: Europe urged to act now to build Open Ran ecosystem

A new report, published today by five of the leading European telecommunications companies, and based on findings from independent analyst house, Analysys Mason, called upon policymakers, EU Member States, and industry stakeholders to collaborate and urgently prioritise Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN). This will ensure that Europe continues to play a leading role in 5G, and in the future, in 6G.
Click to expand...

guest · Jan 11, 2022

Cloud RAN adds more credibility to Ericsson RAN portfolio as it is now NESAS-compliant
January 10, 2022

Ericsson has announced that its Cloud RAN offering has passed the independent Network Equipment Security Assurance Scheme (NESAS) audit that makes it "fully compliant with the security requirements defined by global standards organizations, GSMA and 3GPP".

Ericsson's Head of Product Area Networks, Per Narvinger stated:

With 5G rollouts accelerating across the world, 5G network security is rapidly becoming a key topic among regulators, authorities, service providers and their consumer and business customers. Security is a key cornerstone in the design of our products and with the software and hardware disaggregation, it is even more important that security is built in from the start. I am therefore pleased that Cloud RAN is now confirmed NESAS-compliant as it adds another layer of credibility and trustworthiness to our Ericsson radio access network (RAN) portfolio.
Click to expand...

The press release from Ericsson says that conformance with NESAS is an essential element of its Security Reliability Model, SRM. As maintained by an Ericsson technical paper, Security Considerations of Cloud RAN, Cloud-based RAN deployment is a significant measure towards a "more open RAN architecture" as it can deliver "inherent security advantages such as isolation and geographical redundancy".
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Open RAN Policy Coalition – Alliance calling for 'open and interoperable' 5G systems

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

Open RAN Policy Coalition – Alliance calling for 'open and interoperable' 5G systems

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

guest Guest

Useful Searches