The dawn of OpenRAN: Revolutionising mobile networks

Born from the need for greater flexibility and cost-efficiency in mobile networks, OpenRAN (Open Radio Access Networks) emerged in the mid-2010s as a radical reimagining of cellular infrastructure. The concept gained momentum in 2016 when the xRAN Forum was established, later merging with the C-RAN Alliance to form the O-RAN Alliance in 2018. This collaborative effort aimed to break the stranglehold of proprietary, integrated systems that had long dominated the...

25 July 2024 | 5G

Verizon deploys over 130,000 O-RAN radios

Verizon has deployed over 130,000 O-RAN capable radios – including massive MIMO antennas – as part of 15,000 O-RAN compliant cell sites utilising virtualised baseband units. This marks a major milestone in Verizon’s transition to Open RAN architecture, which promises greater flexibility, innovation, and supplier diversity in the radio access network ecosystem. 

The open and interoperable interfaces enabled by O-RAN standards allow different hardware and software components...

6 February 2024 | 5G

Dell’Oro forecasts RAN market downturn to continue

The global Radio Access Network (RAN) market will continue its downturn over the next few years, according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group.

Dell'Oro forecasts that RAN revenues will decline at a compound annual growth rate of one percent through 2024. This comes on the heels of massive 40 percent growth from 2017 to 2021, when the market was boosted by initial 5G network builds.

Growth stabilised in 2022 but is expected to drop sharply in 2023, led by a pullback in...

23 January 2024 | 5G

AT&T plans most wireless traffic to flow across Open RAN by 2026

AT&T has unveiled plans to transition 70 percent of its wireless network traffic to open-capable platforms by late 2026.

The telecoms giant aims to fully integrate Open RAN sites in collaboration with industry leaders Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting as early as 2024. This departure from closed proprietary interfaces signifies a pivotal shift towards rapid scaling and effective management of diverse hardware suppliers at each cell site.

AT&T's timeline includes...

5 December 2023 | 5G

NEC and Freshwave project selected for UK’s Open RAN competition

NEC and Freshwave have been selected for Project NAVIGATE as part of the UK Government’s Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition.

ONE is part of the government’s ambitious £250 million 5G Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Strategy, aimed at nurturing pioneering research and development projects in the telecom sector.

Tom Bennett, CTO at Freshwave, said: “We’re excited to have been successful in the Open Networks Ecosystem Competition and looking forward to...

16 October 2023 | 5G

Vodafone and Arm to collaborate on Open RAN platforms

To meet the surging demand for faster and greener mobile connectivity, Vodafone is collaborating with Arm to expedite the development of new platforms for Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN).

By leveraging Arm architecture, Vodafone aims to create platforms optimised for use in Open RAN base stations; ensuring they possess enough computational prowess to meet the escalating demands of advanced 5G services. These processors, adhering to Open RAN principles, will utilise...

10 October 2023 | 5G

Vodafone and Orange complete calls using Open RAN shared network

Vodafone and Orange have announced the successful completion of a pilot project involving 4G calls over a cluster of shared commercial network sites near Bucharest, Romania.

This achievement, based on Open RAN (Radio Access Network) technology, represents a groundbreaking step in the evolution of telecoms infrastructure.

Open RAN technology – which decouples software and hardware functionalities – enables mobile base stations to be upgraded remotely, swiftly, and...

9 October 2023 | Networks

UK invests £88M in Open RAN initiatives transforming mobile connectivity

The UK Government has invested £88 million into 19 groundbreaking Open RAN initiatives under the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition.

Open RAN technology represents a paradigm shift in how mobile networks are built. Rather than relying solely on a single company's equipment, it allows various companies' technologies to be interoperable.

Nick Johnson, Head of UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN), said: 

“The Government’s funding to tackle...

14 September 2023 | 5G

Churches partner with Vodafone to enhance rural coverage

Vodafone and Net CS have joined forces to embark on an ambitious project to enhance mobile technology in 11 Church of England parish churches across the country.

The primary goal of this partnership is to provide robust and reliable 4G coverage to rural communities in the vicinity of these historic churches.

The first phase of the project has already been completed, with the installation of the new mobile technology at two churches: the Blessed Virgin Mary in Brompton...

27 July 2023 | Networks

NIST joins O-RAN Alliance to ‘promote stable and diverse supply chains’

The US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has joined the O-RAN Alliance.

“By joining the O-RAN Alliance, NIST will enhance US leadership in wireless technologies and promote stable and diverse supply chains, which are a priority for this administration,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio.

“NIST will also promote open and transparent standards for 5G and...

26 January 2023 | 5G