ODIN Newsletter Week 27
This week features a mix of announcements covered by ODIN, stories from Light Reading, The Mobile Network, and a great scoop from C4ISRNET; A new white paper from the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) and more!
Table of contents:
Open RAN
European Open RAN MoU Group Release 4 Published
- Leading European telecom operators Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM, and Vodafone, have published the fourth release of their technical priorities document for Open RAN
- Release 4 provides “guidance to the RAN supplier industry on where they can focus to accelerate market deployments in Europe, focusing on commercial product availability in the short term, and solution development in the medium term”
- The document highlights ongoing debates, such as standardising interfaces and the role of hardware accelerators, which are crucial for the development of a fully open SMO. It also notes the need for improved vendor diversity in commercial Open RAN deployments and warns that priorities will evolve with ongoing standardisation and market developments
Read the full story from ODIN here.
Mavenir, VIAVI, and CableLabs Complete Open RAN 3GPP Security Assurance Testing
- Mavenir, VIAVI Solutions and CableLabs announced they have successfully completed 3GPP Security Assurance Testing for the RU, DU, and CU (collectively known as the gNodeB (gNB)) functional security requirements defined in the 3GPP specifications.
- The trio showcased a significant advancement in gNB security test automation.
- The move contributes to Open RAN’s growing credentials as a secure platform
Read the full story here.
Pentagon to issue guidance on open radio access networks to support 5G from C4ISRNET
And sticking with security one of the big announcements from last week mostly went under the radar because it happened at TechNetCyber, a military cybersecurity conference in Baltimore Maryland where US DoD officials “acknowledged there’s a natural appetite for the most exclusive, secure networks in the national security space.” Their preferred solution: Open RAN.
- ORAN is something the DoD has been pushing aggressively to explore as it simultaneously journeys toward more standard 5G adoption on military installations and “smart bases.”
- Spokesperson said the DoD is hopeful it will get additional support from Congress via future defense spending bills that will backup forthcoming requirements with dollars.
Read the full story here.
EchoStar Awarded a U.S. Navy Wireless and Telecommunications Contract to Provide 5G Smart Devices and Services for the DoD and Federal Agencies
This comes after EchoStar recently announced it was awarded a $2.7 Billion contract to provide communications services to the US Navy. Through its Boost Mobile brand, Echostar will deliver critical 5G solutions, including devices from multiple manufacturers as well as a native 5G Open RAN network.
- EchoStar awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract as part of the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command Spiral 4 wireless products and services purchasing program.
- EchoStar subsidiaries Hughes Network Systems and Boost Mobile will provide 5G wireless services and devices to support DoD usage in all 50 United States and U.S. territories and for temporary duty international travel.
- The estimated value of the program with all yearly options is up to $2.7B over 10 years.
US DoD policy is naturally aligned with the US government on Open RAN. I think what many industry observers have overlooked is the amount of additional funding this could generate for Open RAN. Indeed, the EchoStar contract alone is worth almost twice as much as the NTIA’s Innovation Fund. Any doubts as to the viability of Open RAN, especially with regards to security, can now be put to bed.
Read the full story here.
Ericsson clears SMO screen on AT&T’s ‘strict’ open RAN from Light Reading
- AT&T’s demand for an open interface between the management software and the radio access network now looks partly to blame for its heavy reliance on one vendor.
- “They are very strict that all new things must be O1-compliant,” said Vestergren on AT&T’s demands regarding a crucial interface.
- No real updates on O2 and R1 interfaces although Ericsson still has no plans to support xApps
Read the full story here.
Rogers Completes First Commercial Live Event Trial of Ericsson 5G Cloud RAN Network Technology in Canada
Staying with Ericsson: New technology will enhance resiliency of Canada’s largest and best 5G network (Press Release)
Read the Press Release here.
Open Transport
Nokia set to acquire Infinera
- Nokia is set to acquire Infinera, a global supplier of innovative open optical networking solutions and advanced optical semiconductors. The move values Infinera at US$ 2.3 billion
- “Nokia and Infinera see a significant opportunity in merging to improve scale and profitability, enabling the combined business to accelerate the development of new products and solutions to benefit customers.”
- The move will also help Nokia position itself to meet the growing demand placed on networks by AI workloads.
Read the full story here.
Neutral Host
Neutral Host Provider Freshwave Launches Indoor 4G Services From All Four UK Operators
- Freshwave, a UK based neutral host provider, claimed a world’s first with the launch of indoor 4G services from all four UK operators via a combined small cell box.
- Freshwave’s new Omni Network service is one of many solutions looking to address this problem. It’s being built using CommScope’s OneCell, a multi-operator LTE and 5G coverage solution with a simple Wi-Fi-like deployment model.
- Its open fronthaul access supports third-party O-DUs—an industry first according to CommScope. It allows MNOs to leverage both native small cell and new Open RAN integration options.
Read the full story here.
Non Terrestrial Networks
New Satellite Technologies for Transformative Connectivity
New White Paper from the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA).
Read the full white paper here.
Pegatron 5G Elevates Cargo Ship Networks with Satellite Integration
- Designed specifically for the maritime industry, Pegatron 5G unveiled its groundbreaking application of integrating low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite signals into a 5G network for cargo ships in Taiwan.
- Pegatron 5G collaborated with Yang Ming Shipping to implement domestically produced 5G O-RAN using LEO satellite systems, showcasing the vast potential for maritime communications and technical applications.
Read the Press Release here.
OpenWiFi
Indio Networks launches OpenWiFi compliant Access Points
