UK Innovators Join Forces To Tackle Private Network Deployments With Open RAN

Two UK-based Open RAN pioneers are joining forces once again to accelerate the deployment of adaptable and cost-effective private networks. Antevia Networks, an innovative small cell manufacturer, has selected RANsemi’s 5G PHY System on a Chip (SoC) for its Open Radio Units (O-RUs), rekindling a partnership that began when RANsemi was still part of Picocom. Today, their combined solutions are now deployed in a series of UK government-funded public 5G trials, showcasing the practical benefits of Open RAN technology in real-world environments.

Launched in 2023, the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition was set up to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of Open RAN at busy locations such as cities, airports, and stadiums. These High Density Demand (HDD) areas can pose significant challenges to network operators by causing congestion, interference, and dropped connections when, for example, thousands of devices access the network simultaneously. To address these challenges, a Tellet led consortium representing councils in the West of England secured nearly £10 million in funding to deploy 5G Standalone RAN in four strategic HDD locations, including Bath’s Rugby Ground, the historic Roman Baths, and Cardiff Market.

The ONE WORD (Western O-RAN Deployment) project, which runs until the end of March 2025, has built a series of shared-access industry standard JOTS compliant Neutral Host networks, providing operators with on-demand extra capacity. Antevia’s solution, which uses a Fronthaul Multiplexer (FHM) to create a ‘shared cell’ configuration allowing a network of O-RUs to operate as a single virtual cell, was uniquely suited to the project. Built on a virtualized RAN architecture and powered by RANsemi’s SoC, Antevia’s 5G SHIFT platform can simplify and speed up the deployment of intelligent, programmable private networks.

Peter Claydon, CEO of RANsemi, commented, “It’s fantastic to see our silicon being deployed locally through our successful partnership with Antevia, which has brought two innovative British technology companies together in collaboration. Enterprises need readily deployable, cost-effective, yet easily adaptable private network platforms and 5G SHIFT delivers. We are proud to be part of this exciting innovation with Antevia O-RUs running on RANsemi SoCs.”