As the mobile network landscape evolves worldwide, competitive pressures continue to grow. To keep pace, today’s mobile network operators (MNOs) need to further reduce costs and increase agility as they speed new services to market — or risk falling behind. This imperative is driving many MNOs to pursue increasingly virtualized and open radio access network (RAN) deployments. But are they actually achieving a true Open RAN architecture?
On the open road
In an Open RAN network, MNOs are freed up to implement best of breed solutions, allowing greater speed and agility, as well as optimized network performance. As with any disaggregated network architecture, Open RAN relies on interoperability standards and a robust multi-vendor ecosystem. Thanks to efforts by industry organizations like the O-RAN ALLIANCE and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), these standards are well-established, providing reliable standardized open interfaces.
From the start, skeptics and naysayers have made false claims about Open RAN, saying that it is not secure, doesn’t provide real value, or that it’s too complex. Some speculated that it could not be deployed in greenfield networks; others said it would not work in brownfield networks. Myths about the viability of Open RAN were rampant.
At Fujitsu, we’ve stated all along that these concerns don’t represent real issues, and indeed, the skeptics were proven wrong. Open RAN networks have been successfully deployed worldwide by both legacy and greenfield network operators, including DISH Network in the U.S., KDDI and NTT Docomo in Japan, and Deutsche Telekom in Europe.
True Open RAN
In the early days of Open RAN, many industry experts declared that system integration would be much too difficult. And while early deployments may have required some extra time at the integration phase, the industry has learned a great deal about how to overcome any potential issues. Much of this progress is due to advances in network automation tools and processes, which vastly simplify end-to-end integration testing and troubleshooting of multi-vendor RAN networks. In reality, MNOs are finding that deployment of O-RAN compliant hardware and software solutions from an open, multi-vendor ecosystem is much simpler than anticipated.
For example, DISH Network found that integration was quite fast and simple while deploying a cloud-native, Open RAN, greenfield network across the U.S. And as DISH Wireless Chief Network Officer Marc Rouanne added, the capability to choose O-RAN compliant hardware and software in a vibrant ecosystem provides excellent speed and performance.
Moreover, in a presentation during Network X Americas 2024, TELUS Vice President of Wireless Strategy and Services Bernard Bureau discussed a brownfield O-RAN deployment that was accomplished with far less difficulties than most industry stakeholders were expecting, noting that the MNO learned that many Open RAN integration requirements were exaggerated.
Look beyond the FUD
Despite this progress, however, some vendors are charging excessive system integration fees, both for initial Open RAN set-up as well as an annual recurring charge, the costs for which could inhibit Open RAN adoption. If O-RAN compliant interfaces are open and interoperable, such exorbitant integration fees seem unnecessary.
Other vendors insist on supplying all or nearly all the components of the network, because otherwise integration is ‘too complex’ and operations will be a ‘nightmare’ with multi-vendor infrastructure. A single vendor “open” solution sounds like an oxymoron. How do you verify the network is open if one vendor is supplying everything?
Apparently, not all open is truly open.
Open for business
Despite all the false myths about the additional complexities of integration and operations in disaggregated RAN networks, there are no real roadblocks on the road to true Open RAN. With a truly open approach, MNOs can enable new levels of deployment flexibility and increased service innovation to drive business growth. Moreover, the opportunities for MNOs will only expand as advanced automation powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning deployed at the edge of the network further tames the complexities of end-to-end network performance assurance and overall lifecycle management tasks in modern networks.
At Fujitsu, we are continuing our long history as champions of open networking, making sure that Open RAN networks are really open for business — from 5G today through 6G tomorrow and beyond. We are committed to strong collaboration, continuous development, and rigorous testing in a multi-vendor environment, actively participating in industry organizations as well as collaborative research efforts such as the Open RAN Center for Integration & Deployment (ORCID) led by DISH Wireless, and the Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments Consortium (ACCoRD), which was formed by AT&T and Verizon to drive Open RAN testing and evaluation. As we continue to work together across a diverse market landscape to advance Open RAN technology, we welcome a robust ecosystem that opens up opportunities for all.