Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN
As the telecommunications industry continues to adopt Open RAN, there is a growing need for testing and validation facilities that can streamline the deployment of multivendor solutions. The VALOR (VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN) lab, which officially opened its Chandler, AZ facility in October 2024, brings together a diverse ecosystem of partners, like Fujitsu, to create a comprehensive, automated, and vendor-neutral testing environment.
Based on VIAVI’s industry-leading NITRO® Wireless portfolio, the VALOR lab is designed to support the development, integration, and deployment of Open RAN components, accelerating the journey toward a more open and interoperable future. By combining the strengths of many industry players, VALOR stands as a pivotal step in fostering collaboration, innovation, and efficiency within the Open RAN ecosystem.
The need for the VALOR Lab
As Open RAN has gained traction, pioneers like Fujitsu have learned how to streamline multivendor integration. As a result, the effort for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to integrate multivendor solutions has been greatly reduced. However, interoperability, performance, and security testing cannot be taken for granted. They still require resources, time, and expertise, while vendors need a platform to test their products in realistic deployment scenarios.
The VALOR lab addresses these challenges by offering a highly automated, pay-as-you-go Lab-as-a-Service that provides a realistic, scalable, and carrier-grade testing environment. This approach enables seamless collaboration between component suppliers, system integrators, and service providers, to ensure that Open RAN solutions are rigorously tested and validated before deployment. By bringing together diverse ecosystem players, VALOR is building confidence in Open RAN as a practical and reliable option for MNOs.
NTIA funding objectives
VALOR is supported by a grant from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, which aims to drive wireless innovation, enhance competition, and strengthen supply chain resilience. By funding VALOR, NTIA seeks to promote a more diverse and secure telecommunications ecosystem, which is essential for advancing Open RAN adoption.
An ecosystem approach to Open RAN testing
The true strength of VIAVI’s VALOR lab lies in its ecosystem-driven approach. VALOR brings together a wide range of industry participants, each contributing their expertise, technology, and products to create a comprehensive testing environment. By leveraging the combined knowledge and capabilities of this diverse group, the lab provides an ideal space to address challenges, share insights, and drive the advancement of Open RAN.
Fujitsu brings its extensive experience and technology to the VALOR lab, offering O-RAN-compliant Radio Units (RUs), virtual Centralized Units (vCUs), virtual Distributed Units (vDUs), and transport solutions. Combined with VIAVI’s advanced testing tools and expertise, they create a foundation that enables other ecosystem participants to test, validate, and refine their products in a realistic, multivendor environment.
The benefits of the VALOR lab to the industry
1. Reducing integration challenges for MNOs
Integrating components from multiple vendors into a seamless, high-performing network can be daunting, even with the advancements Open RAN has made in recent years. Testing for compatibility, performance, and reliability requires extensive resources and time.
The VALOR lab provides an environment where vendors can test their products within a multivendor setup, ensuring interoperability before deployment. This reduces the integration burden on MNOs, speeding up time-to-market and minimizing risks. As a result, MNOs can be confident that the Open RAN solutions they deploy have been validated under realistic, commercial-grade conditions.
2. Fostering industry collaboration
By bringing together vendors, system integrators, and service providers, the lab creates a space for knowledge sharing, cooperative problem-solving, and joint innovation. This collaborative environment is essential for the evolution of Open RAN, as it allows ecosystem players to refine their products based on real-world integration experiences.
Fujitsu’s journey in Open RAN has taught us that collaboration is not just about ensuring compatibility, it’s about building mutual understanding and working together toward a shared vision. By participating in the VALOR lab, we can work closely with other industry players, leveraging our integration expertise to help streamline processes, resolve challenges faster, and create a more efficient pathway for Open RAN deployment.
3. Expanding access to testing facilities for all players
Historically, access to high-quality testing facilities has been limited to larger vendors with significant resources. The VALOR lab disrupts this paradigm by offering a vendor-neutral, pay-as-you-go model that is accessible to all Open RAN ecosystem players, including startups, academia, and smaller vendors. This expanded access encourages innovation and competition, enabling more participants to contribute to the Open RAN journey.
By providing a platform where both established companies and new entrants can test, validate, and certify their products, VALOR is helping to create a more inclusive and diverse Open RAN ecosystem. This diversity is crucial for fostering innovation and ensuring that Open RAN continues to evolve in a dynamic and competitive way. Additionally, Open RAN plays a crucial role in improving supply chain resiliency by enabling a more diverse vendor ecosystem and reducing dependence on a single supplier.
4. Improving existing Open RAN testing
As the first Telecom Infra Project (TIP)-authorized test lab, VALOR addresses a key gap in testing in the Open RAN ecosystem: system-level carrier-grade performance testing and certification. By providing a comprehensive test suite that includes conformance, performance, scalability, security, and interoperability testing, VALOR ensures that Open RAN components meet the high standards required for real-world deployment.
Contributions from Fujitsu
In addition to extensive multivendor integration experience, Fujitsu brings along a suite of O-RAN-compliant products:
- High-performance Radio Units (RUs): Designed for performance, interoperability, and energy efficiency, Fujitsu’s RUs support single/multiband configurations and multiple antenna options, including massive MIMO. These compact RUs have been thoroughly tested for integration with major DU vendors.
- Virtual Centralized Units / Distributed Units (vCU/vDU): Our energy-efficient, high-performance, hardware-agnostic vCU/vDU solutions operate on multiple vendors’ servers, CPUs, and accelerators/GPUs. They also include Fujitsu’s unique Extended Fronthaul to increase the range 60% to 50 km, enhancing centralization benefits.
- Transport solutions: Fujitsu’s transport solutions support Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for reliable, low-delay communication. Compatible with open networking standards, they offer high capacity and flexible configurations for 5G Distributed RAN and Centralized RAN architectures.
A unified approach to Open RAN success
The VALOR lab represents another move forward in the journey toward widespread Open RAN adoption. By providing a vendor-neutral, automated, and scalable testing environment, VALOR removes many of the barriers that have traditionally hindered the deployment of multivendor Open RAN solutions. This lab-as-a-service model not only accelerates the time-to-market for Open RAN products but also fosters collaboration, innovation, and competition within the industry.
For VIAVI, Fujitsu, and all our ecosystem partners, the VALOR lab is an opportunity to collaborate with others and contribute to the evolution of Open RAN technology and advancement of the ecosystem. Together, we are building the foundation for the networks of tomorrow—networks that are open, interoperable, and ready to support the next generation of wireless innovation.
