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On May 5, 2020, the Open RAN Policy Coalition launched with a goal of educating global policymakers on the “who, what and why” of open radio access networks—Open RAN.

Our 60 global member companies were brought together by a single unifying principle: that opening the interfaces in the RAN will allow mobile networks to be deployed with a more modular design, and without being dependent upon a single vendor. We believe that this approach will lower barriers to entry for new innovators, increasing competition and vendor choice.

In order to promote this technological evolution and accelerate a stable, sustainable, and successful transition to 5G and beyond, the Coalition and its members have worked over the last year to promote initiatives and policy priorities that:

• Support new and existing technology suppliers, as well as small and large network operators, offering open

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The Open RAN Policy Coalition filed comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on Promoting the Deployment of 5G Open Radio Access Networks.

Our comments note that “the communications companies that serve markets in the United States and its partners have reached an inflection point in the development and deployment of Open RAN. In short, the commercial communications ecosystem is rapidly developing and deploying Open RAN, thereby advancing the national interests of the United States and its partners.”

We also detail Open RAN offerings that Coalition members have publicly announced as either presently available on the market or coming to market within the next 12-to-24 months, as well as the significant public interest benefits of Open RAN solutions, namely in four categories:

• Driving increased competition, innovation and network vendor diversity;
• Providing technological improvements that

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The Open RAN Policy Coalition is excited to participate in this year’s 5G Latin America Digital Symposium on April 27 and 29, which will offer perspectives on the future of 5G in the region, with speakers from leading regional operators talking about spectrum, regulation and next gen technologies.

Our Executive Director Diane Rinaldo will interview Andrea Folgueiras, Telefónica Hispam CTIO, about opportunities and deployments in Latin America, where Telefonica has been a major advocate for Open RAN platforms. Join the event to hear about best practices for Open RAN in the region, how Open RAN can help expand connectivity to rural areas, and the policies we need from governments to allow these technologies to continue to develop. Free registration is available here.

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Our Executive Director Diane Rinaldo testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today, in a hearing on “Leading the Wireless Future: Securing American Network Technology.” Her testimony is focused on the reasons why Open RAN Policy Coalition members believe that Open RAN will provide significant public interest benefits, including:

• Driving increased competition, innovation and network vendor diversity;
• Providing technological improvements that benefit network management and innovation;
• Making services and products more affordable for consumers, including those in rural and underserved communities; and
• Serving as a complement to parallel advances in enhancing network security and network management for 5G.

A shift in mobile network architecture towards open and interoperable interfaces has already prompted a proliferation of new entrants and start-ups driving innovations not only in the RAN, but also in additional technologies that can be layered … Read More

Date: March 9, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. EST

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The Open RAN Policy Coalition is pleased to present a virtual discussion on March 9, “How Will an Open RAN Facilitate a Diverse, Competitive and Secure Ecosystem for 5G and Beyond?”

The discussion will feature a fireside chat with Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Diane Rinaldo, Executive Director, Open RAN Policy Coalition.

The advent of 5G has prompted a shift in mobile network architecture towards a disaggregated approach that uses open and interoperable interfaces in the radio access network (RAN). Open RAN allows networks to be deployed with a more modular design without being dependent on a single vendor. It can also lower barriers to entry for new innovators and create economic opportunities while increasing innovation and promoting competition and diversity in the wireless supply chain.

The event will include a panel discussion featuring:  

• David Shepardson, Correspondent, Thomson

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On February 10, the Open RAN Policy Coalition submitted a letter in response to the 5G Challenge Notice of Inquiry issued by the NTIA and DoD.

Coalition members are devoting significant resources to developing, standardizing, and validating open interfaces to allow secure and reliable interoperability across diverse market players, lower the barrier to entry for new innovators, and lower the cost of adoption by service providers.

We believe that in order to achieve the best outcomes, the 5G Challenge should target its scope to solicit solutions that foster open technologies, focusing on real-world applications that can be brought to bear now and will complement related ongoing federal efforts to spur 5G development and deployment.

We are pleased that our federal partners are also prioritizing this shared goal, and we look forward to working together on these issues in the months … Read More

The Open RAN Policy Coalition announced today that it joined a coalition of coalitions to collaborate on global Open RAN issues. As nations begin to deploy next generation networks, the goal of the new coalition is to ensure that a healthy, robust ecosystem exists to ensure competition and consumer quality.

“The Open RAN Policy Coalition welcomes the opportunity to work with other coalition members to spur the adoption of Open RAN technology,” said Executive Director Diane Rinaldo. “We believe Open RAN has the potential to create innovation, encourage competition, and expand the wireless technology supply chain. By leveraging our collective expertise, our organizations can promote responsible policy in support of open and interoperable network solutions.”

Our organizations are united by the need for responsible policy action in support of Open RAN, and we look forward to working together on this important objective. Other participating coalitions include the following organizations:… Read More

The Open RAN Policy Coalition today released a new Policy Roadmap, outlining the steps that governments and policymakers can take to accelerate adoption of open standards in the RAN and promote a network ecosystem that is more diverse, competitive and secure. 

The Policy Roadmap is intended as a starting point for discussions between stakeholders. It outlines policy tools applicable to addressing a number of regulatory objectives, including strategies for governments to:

• Support the emergence of new network infrastructure vendors
• Accelerate demand for Open RAN solutions
• Catalyze investment in technical capabilities
• Support operators as they develop an approach to managing a multi-layer network architecture
• Establish the right approach to oversight of multi-vendor network architecture
• Engage with international allies to share experiences and best practices

Case studies based on policies implemented by the Governments of the UK and Japan are … Read More