Vodafone became the first mobile operator to activate a live OpenRAN site in the UK, stating that the use of open-based radio access network (RAN) equipment will make upgrading easier and cheaper. coverage in rural areas. The Newbury-based company has opened a site at the Royal Wesh Showground in Powys with the support of its Mavenir partners. Traditional acquisition methods have seen operators deploy integrated cell sites comprising radio, hardware and software from a single source. This approach makes it difficult to mix innovations and is a significant entry barrier for other vendors.
Vodafone OpenRAN
The RAN market is dominated by Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia, but Open RAN proponents believe that the use of open interfaces can lower barriers to entry for smaller players, potentially lowering costs and increasing growth. 'innovation. Open network innovations are software-based and use standardized hardware to reduce costs. This is especially true with 5G, which has increased the appetite for a more flexible model. Operators are reorganizing their networks with cloud and SDN (Software-Defined Networking) networks to be more agile in terms of operations and deployment of new services. Vodafone says the need for greater supply diversity is critical for the industry, a statement that carries more weight in the UK as operators are banned from using 5G Huawei RAN equipment. He previously organized the first trial of OpenRAN in Europe and says he will now identify other rural communities where OpenRAN makes improving coverage more cost-effective. “This is our first live OpenRAN site in the UK, and it is a milestone,” said Scot Petty, CTO of Vodafone UK. “This new approach has the potential to make us less dependent on today's largest technology providers and find ways to reduce the cost of deploying mobile coverage. OpenRAN can also help bridge the digital divide between urban and rural Britain. Nokia and Ericsson have joined the O-RAN Alliance, one of many open RAN organizations, which has a 170-member Alliance of Operators, Providers and Research Institutions. Earlier this year, the O-RAN Alliance partnered with mobile industry body, GSMA. Nokia also plans to integrate Open RAN interfaces and capabilities into its AirScale radio platform later this year.