VIAVI, AT&T and Verizon Announce Collaboration to Accelerate Testing of Open RAN

Viavi Solutions Inc. announced a strategic partnership between VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR™) and the Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments (ACCoRD) project led by AT&T and Verizon. As co-grantees of the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, VALOR and ACCoRD will collaborate on Open RAN testing initiatives to further the adoption of open and interoperable network components, strengthen global supply chain resiliency and lower barriers to entry for new Open RAN players.

VIAVI will initially supply ACCoRD labs at Iowa State University and Rutgers University with the NITRO^® Wireless Open RAN Test Suite, supported by the VIAVI Automation Management and Orchestration System (VAMOS). In addition, VALOR’s full suite of O-RAN tests will be available to customers referred to the VALOR lab by ACCoRD. Equipment and services will also be provided to an additional lab at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2026 to support preparation for ACCoRD test service sustainability beyond the grant period.

“At AT&T, we are dedicated to driving technological innovation and enhancing network performance,” said Robert Soni, Vice President, RAN Technology, AT&T. “Collaborating with VIAVI and Verizon through the ACCoRD project allows us to advance our Open RAN initiatives, ultimately benefiting our stakeholders with improved network capabilities and greater flexibility.” 

“Verizon has been driving the adoption of O-RAN for years by being a leading voice in developing and adopting O-RAN standards, paving the way for greater competition, innovation, and cost savings in the telecommunications industry,” said Steven Rice, Vice President, Network Planning, Verizon. “Through collaboration with VIAVI and AT&T in the ACCoRD labs, we expect to accelerate Open RAN networks with improved resilience and network performance that benefit operators and customers.”

“We are delighted to support ACCoRD with testbeds through our VALOR lab and the integration of our end-to-end Open RAN portfolio at the consortium’s laboratories,” said Oleg Khaykin, President and CEO, VIAVI Solutions. “With this collaboration, VALOR is well positioned to contribute to the evolution of Open RAN testing as it becomes more automated, cloud-based and efficient.”

VALOR is a hybrid Lab-as-a-Service and Test-as-a-Service lab based on VIAVI’s NITRO^® Wireless test portfolio. It is designed to manage and support 5G and Open RAN deployments that would benefit from access to tools and expert staff with a minimal ramp-up time.

ACCoRD is a consortium led by AT&T and Verizon and includes NTT DOCOMO and Reliance Jio as founding members. ACCoRD will be centered at an Open RAN Testing, Evaluation and R&D Center in the Dallas area, with a satellite location in the Washington, D.C. area, all while taking advantage of the expertise of academic members of the consortium, including University of Texas at Dallas, Virginia Tech, Northeastern University, Iowa State University and Rutgers University.