The mobile network landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, moving away from single-vendor, closed solutions towards open standards-based ecosystems. This shift, driven by the desire for increased flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and innovation, is leading to the widespread adoption of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technologies. Within this evolving environment, open radio management emerges as a crucial element, promising to unlock significant economic and operational benefits for mobile network operators (MNOs).
Breaking free from proprietary silos
Traditionally, radio management has been tightly bound to proprietary systems specific to each vendor. This fragmented approach creates a complex and costly network management environment, requiring integration for each CU/DU vendor in the network. As new features are developed, the burden of keeping these multivendor systems compatible remains higher than it would if Radio Units (RUs) were managed directly from a common management system.
Open standards: A path to efficiency and flexibility
The O-RAN Alliance, a global industry body, has emerged as a driving force in standardizing the architecture and interfaces necessary for open radio management. By adhering to these open standards, MNOs can streamline integration and maintenance processes, significantly reducing the cost of change and lowering barriers for new vendors. This strategic investment in open standards paves the way for a more adaptable, cost-effective, and competitive network environment.
The power of the Open RAN ecosystem
The Open RAN ecosystem offers a robust framework for open radio management, built upon key specifications and components:
- SMO (Service Management and Orchestration): The SMO acts as the central orchestrator, managing and orchestrating network functions through open, service-based interfaces. This ensures seamless interoperability and efficient management across different network components.
- Open Fronthaul M-Plane: This interface facilitates communication between Open Radio Units (O-RUs), Open Distributed Units (O-DUs), and Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) systems. It enables both hierarchical and hybrid deployment models, providing MNOs with greater flexibility in network configuration.
- RAN NF OAM (Network Function Operations, Administration, and Maintenance): This function provides a point of normalization between RAN network functions and other SMO functions, simplifying multivendor RAN troubleshooting and enhancing the effectiveness of AI-powered applications. For example, this function can provide a normalized interface to a RIC so that rApps and xApps developed by one vendor can be applied across all RAN infrastructure. Spreading the development cost across a larger market will encourage innovation and drive cost efficiencies.
Expanding multivendor RAN efficiency
The adoption of open standards, particularly for the Fronthaul M-Plane, empowers MNOs to efficiently expand their networks with multiple vendor solutions. By directly integrating new RU vendors with the SMO, MNOs can significantly reduce integration workload compared to the traditional approach of integrating with each CU/DU vendor’s control and data planes. This streamlined integration process fosters a more dynamic and competitive market, driving down costs and accelerating innovation.
Accelerating feature introduction and enhancing interoperability testing (IOT)
Open standards accelerate the pace of innovation by fostering a collaborative ecosystem where vendors can propose enhancements and work together to implement and test new features. This collaborative approach significantly reduces the time it takes to introduce new features and functionalities into the network. When applied to a network with multiple CU/DU vendors, this process is made easier with an open Fronthaul M-Plane because it reduces the number of times a new RU vendor has to be integrated.
Similarly, Open RAN’s standardized IOT test cases and reference profiles enable MNOs to more effectively implement multivendor solutions, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the integration process. This streamlined approach ensures greater interoperability and compatibility between different vendor components, leading to a more robust and reliable network.
Gain efficiencies with a common architecture for cloud orchestration and RAN Intelligent Control (RIC)
The value of a common interface to the RAN NF OAM is not limited to providing RU management. By normalizing interfaces across vendors, it is also ideally suited to provide a common interface for RAN Intelligent Control, facilitating seamless integration between AI-driven applications and network functions. This consolidation not only simplifies network management but also enhances the ability to apply intelligent automation through rApps, driving efficiencies in network optimization, performance monitoring, and real-time decision-making across the entire RAN infrastructure. By adopting this architecture, MNOs gain greater control, flexibility, and the ability to innovate faster, all while maintaining a more scalable and efficient network.
The path forward: Embracing open standards for long-term success
MNOs seeking to build future-proof and adaptable networks should prioritize solutions based on:
- O-RU control functionality provided by an RU OAM SMO function: This ensures that OAM functions are exposed within the SMO via a standard service-based interface, enabling compatibility with a variety of suppliers and enhancing the network’s ability to adapt and evolve.
- O-RUs supporting the Fronthaul M-Plane: Emphasize hybrid model deployment to reduce development and integration pressure on the O-DU while providing greater visibility and control over O-RU functionality.
Conclusion
The transition to open standards-based solutions, particularly within the Open RAN ecosystem, is essential for the future of mobile network operations. By embracing open radio management, MNOs can unlock significant economic and operational benefits, including:
- Reduced costs: Streamlined integration processes lead to lower capital expenses.
- Increased flexibility: The ability to choose from multiple vendors and integrate new technologies seamlessly enhances network adaptability.
- Enhanced innovation: Open standards foster a collaborative environment, accelerating the development and deployment of new features and functionalities such as service orchestration, network slicing and RIC.
As the mobile network landscape continues to evolve, MNOs must embrace open standards to ensure future-proof and adaptable networks that can thrive in the face of ever-changing technological demands. Open radio management, powered by the O-RAN ecosystem, holds the key to unlocking a new era of efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness in the mobile network industry.
