A group of the largest European telecom operators outlined targets for advancing the open RAN ecosystem this year. The group highlighted the progress made in improving the maturity, security, and energy efficiency of the approach.
In a joint report, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, and Vodafone Group assessed the current status of open RAN technology and indicated segments where it could be improved. Areas of focus the operators identified for the rest of 2023 include developments targeted at wider deployment in urban areas; strengthening cooperation with national authorities on security, and enhancing the energy efficiency of related equipment with a specific focus on the radio transmitters and cloud infrastructure.
On the issue of security, the operators noted they have requested to include open RAN in the GSMA’s security assurance scheme along with the European Union’s 5G certification scheme defined by The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. The operators added the availability of energy-efficient hardware and sleep modes was helping open RAN match the energy efficiency of other mobile sites, with the group already working with suppliers to increase this further. All of the operators involved have backed open RAN technology and signed an MoU covering efforts around the technology in 2021, alongside taking various individual steps toward adoption. So-called full-scale deployments are expected on the continent in 2025.
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