In a groundbreaking move, AT&T has selected Ericsson as the primary supplier for its Open RAN equipment, set to handle 70% of its wireless traffic by the close of 2026. The five-year agreement, valued at an impressive $14 billion, signals a significant shift in the North American telecommunications landscape. Under the deal, Ericsson will replace some of Nokia’s equipment in specific areas of AT&T’s network.
Japanese telecommunications giant NTT Docomo is set to revolutionize its commercial network with the adoption of Nokia’s Open RAN compliant 5G AirScale baseband kit. The comprehensive deployment includes both Centralized Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) software, emphasizing Nokia’s industry leadership in the mobile communication sector.
Dish’s recent announcement differentiates them as the first operator to amalgamate both 2 uplink and 4 downlink 5G carriers, reaching compelling speeds with such configuration. Despite skepticism around Open RAN’s performance, Dish continues to silence critics and signifies an exciting possibility for future network builds.
In an exciting move, Vodafone and Arm have united to innovate within the telecom industry, developing an adaptable platform with Arm-based processors ideal for Open RAN base stations. Their collaborative effort showcases both parties’ commitment in enriching the competitive Open RAN landscape, offering robust computational power for 5G services and improved energy efficiency. In addition, illustrious companies like SynaXG, Ampere Computing, and Fujitsu are lending their expertise to test and validate this technology. The joint venture also presents opportunities for Vodafone to reach its net-zero targets.
In a pioneering collaboration, Samsung, Vodafone, and Orange have achieved a significant breakthrough by completing the first 4G calls over shared networks in rural Romania using Open RAN technology. This milestone, with the promise of integrating 2G and 5G, signifies a transformative step towards more efficient, sustainable, and innovative telecommunications.
Vodafone is expanding its devotion to Open RAN technology, joining forces with Nokia in a progressive venture in Italy. The initiative aligns with Vodafone’s Open RAN directive, largely centered in the UK, and extends influence to the Italian telecom landscape. With this first commercial 5G Open RAN pilot in Italy, they aim to prove Nokia’s Open RAN solution matches the functionality and quality of traditional RAN. With an eye on promoting automated, adaptable networks for the ever-growing demand of responsive 5G services, such innovation bolsters the EU’s digital sovereignty and global competitiveness.
Telecom giants Vodafone and Orange are breaking new ground with the first real-life 4G calls over a common shared network in an Open RAN setting. Stemming from a landmark endeavor near Bucharest, this initiative provides a glimpse into the potential strengths of an Open RAN-based network. What’s more? The progress doesn’t halt at 4G. The duo are set to soon take down another first – operating 2G and subsequently 5G, over shared Open RAN sites. Both operators see this as a model for extending mobile networks throughout rural Europe.
Five nations have formed a global alliance, ambitiously named the Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT), a promising step towards international cooperation in the telecommunication arena. Set to modernize Open RAN, enhance 6G, and resolve security issues linked to China, this consolidates the efforts of five major entities across UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, and the U.S. The coalition aims to better integrate policy matters and drive growth within the industry. However, uncertainty looms over the form this alliance will take in future, prompting intense interest within the telecom sector.
In collaboration with technology giants like HPE, Casa Systems, Mavenir and Dell Technologies, Orange Spain launches Open RAN nodes allied with a cloud-native 5G SA core network. This pilot project notches a triumph in network deployment within an hour, brandishing the power of automation in modern technologies. While this showcases POTENTIAL for end-to-end virtual networks management and elevates energy efficiency, a sense of guarded optimism is needed, given a drop in Open RAN and vRAN revenues in Q2 2023.
Swedish telecom giant, Ericsson, is making strides in harnessing the virtues of Open and Cloud RAN through a series of noteworthy offerings and trailblazing collaborations. Recent ventures with Telefónica on joint Cloud RAN trials underline a shared vision for a dynamic, open network architecture. This exploration goes beyond mainstream, incorporating automation and intelligent orchestration, with potential benefits to macro networks and enterprise applications alike. Ericsson’s commitment to open standards is further emphasized through successful deployment of radio hardware ready for next-gen open fronthaul technology and an intriguing pledge to offer an expansive Open RAN portfolio by next year.
