Technology and Innovation
Open RAN
Pioneered by Vodafone and its partners, Open RAN will lead to a more cost-effective, secure, energy efficient and customer-focused network of the future.
Open Radio Access Networks (RAN) is a new approach to building the mobile networks that are needed to connect smartphones and other devices to the internet and other users.
Traditional RAN solutions require telecommunications operators to work with single suppliers across an entire mobile site, which can be a barrier to entry for smaller suppliers.
Open RAN technology allows all software and hardware components to be built to industry-wide specifications, ensuring interoperability between each. This means telecommunications operations can choose the best solution providers for each component, safe in the knowledge that components will work together and with the rest of the network.
Advantages of Open RAN
Vendor diversity
The disaggregation of hardware and software components of the network lowers the barrier of entry for new suppliers, enabling Vodafone to add greater resilience to its supply chain by working with a greater number and more diverse pool of suppliers.
Creates opportunities for niche/specialist suppliers
Bringing down the barriers to entry allows Vodafone to work with more specialist suppliers. In the software domain, this is more relevant, because the network needs to be supported by more specialised solutions as it becomes more “intelligent”. Disaggregation of hardware and software enables this.
Energy efficiency gains
Instead of looking at the bigger RAN picture, breaking down the different components through OpenRAN allows companies to focus more acutely on energy efficiency programmes in specific areas. Multiple smaller gains will lead to a better net result.
Catalyst for innovation
Competition encourages innovation.
Focus on software operations
By ensuring any software and hardware components of the network are vendor agnostic and interoperable, upgrades to orchestration, management and automation software do not necessarily mean hardware components have to be replaced.
Vodafone is building Europe's first commercial Open RAN network
In 2021, Vodafone unveiled its strategic vendors – Dell, NEC, Samsung Electronics, Wind River, Capgemini Engineering and Keysight Technologies – to jointly deliver the first commercial deployment of Open Radio Access Network (RAN) in Europe. With political and industrial policy support from the European Commission and the national governments of the EU, Open RAN has the potential to bring more European companies into this emerging market and boost the EU’s global technology leadership in digital infrastructure.
Open RAN research and reports
Vodafone and partners regularly publish updates on the progress of Open RAN development. You can find our latest Open RAN research updates, reports and white papers here.
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