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On August 21, the Open RAN Policy Coalition filed comments in response to the National Telecommunications and Information Agency’s (NTIA’s) request for comment on the Advancement of 6G Telecommunications Technology.

In our comments, the Open RAN Policy Coalition writes:

“Open RAN 6G wireless networks will help unlock and enable groundbreaking innovation in key use cases across the board, including defense, socio-economic, and life sciences sectors. These include extremely high throughput and low latency applications, including high-fidelity virtual reality and augmented reality (training, live simulation, telemedicine, industrial safety, etc.), enhanced automation and robotics in warehouses and factories, dense Internet of Things, and real-time video. Such applications require extremely spectrally efficient, high-performance wireless networks. Spectrum continues to be the most valuable strategic asset for wireless networks. In addition to enabling demanding applications, spectral efficiency improvements would drive better return on investment, increased

EchoStar recently announced the opening of the Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID), a facility offering trusted participants in the U.S. and around the world the opportunity to test and validate Open RAN solutions using a live Open RAN 5G network.

The project is supported by a $50 million grant, awarded to EchoStar (parent company of DISH Wireless) in January by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. ORCID’s “living laboratory” features a real field test setup with the goal of helping to drive the Open RAN ecosystem from the lab to commercial deployment and allow participants contribute to the development, deployment, and adoption of open and interoperable standards-based radio access networks. 

EchoStar is the lead partner on the consortium, with collaboration from Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., Mavenir … Read More

Today, Open RAN Policy Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in a hearing on “Spectrum and National Security.”  Her testimony focused on the need for a sufficient amount of licensed spectrum in the pipeline, in order to deploy more Open RAN and reap its supply chain security benefits.

The journey of the Open RAN movement is a testament to innovation and opportunity based on robust competition in diverse markets. To maintain momentum, we must adopt a holistic approach to countering global market distortions and developing competitive parity for U.S. and allied vendors.

Today, much of our Coalition’s work has been focused on international efforts. As developing nations look to deploy 5G, Open RAN is a viable and desirable option, offering a cost-effective and adaptable solution. And while our education mission at the … Read More

On February 26, the Governments of the United States, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom released a statement endorsing principles for sixth generation wireless communication (6G).

In releasing the shared principles for the research and development of 6G, the governments acknowledged that by working together they can support open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, resilient, and secure connectivity.

As part of the principles for 6G, the governments also recognized the importance of “Cooperation to Enable Open and Interoperable Innovation,” including:     

• 6G technologies that use technical standards in line with principles laid down under the Global Industry-led and Inclusive Standard Setting & International Collaborations principle and interfaces to enable seamless interoperability between products from different suppliers, including software and hardware.
• 6G technologies that recognize the importance of international cooperation in promoting

Last night, Mavenir hosted an Open RAN Policy Coalition networking event at MWC Barcelona. The reception, also sponsored by AMD and AT&T, welcomed attendees including ORPC members, policy experts, and leaders from across the telecoms industry. It was great to see so many friendly faces!

We’re wrapping up our MWC coverage with a few more member announcements and activities:

• AT&T hit a big open RAN milestone with a 5G cloud RAN call; they now have commercial traffic flowing on Cloud RAN sites, the first of which are located south of Dallas, Texas. As part of the live deployment, AT&T and Ericsson have migrated one frequency band 3700MHz for their C-band traffic to cloud RAN infrastructure.
  
  

• QCT is showcasing 5G and AI solutions that help network administrators and application developers to design, deploy, and manage mobile networks faster and easier. Swing

Today we’re highlighting more exciting announcements from ORPC members at MWC:

• DeepSig, experts in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for wireless communications and Viettel High Technology Industries Corporation (VHT), the pioneer of development, manufacturing and commercialization of telco solutions, announced the industry’s first live AI/ML-based neural receiver in a 5G Open virtualized radio access network (vRAN), in Hanoi. For the first time, AI/ML applied physical layer signal processing is deployed on 5G ORAN equipment manufactured by VHT in Viettel’s network.
  
  

• NTT DOCOMO has selected AWS to commercially deploy its nationwide 5G Open Radio Access Network in Japan.  DOCOMO will use AWS to deploy Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service Anywhere (Amazon EKS Anywhere), a container management software, at its 5G Open RAN to simplify network operation with automated cluster management tools, enabling the operator to easily run and optimize its

The Open RAN Policy Coalition is excited to be back at MWC Barcelona this week! We look forward to connecting with industry leaders, policymakers and our Coalition members, who have many exciting events, announcements and demonstrations planned. Below are a few highlights:

• Analog Devices on Wednesday will host a panel discussion on “The Business of 5G: Driving 5G Monetization Opportunities,” exploring how operators will have new opportunities to capture significant value in the coming 12-24 months. Initial 5G rollouts prioritized enhancing mobile broadband experience through improved speed and capacity. Subsequent releases of 5G have introduced advanced capabilities, presenting fresh avenues to enrich features, drive revenue, and streamline costs. This session will explore burgeoning opportunities from these latest 3GPP developments, delving into the extraordinary potential that lies ahead for 5G monetization.
  
  

• Also on Wednesday, join Joe Barry of Analog Devices and

Open RAN Policy Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology today, in a hearing on “Leveraging American Communications Leadership with Open RAN Networks.” Her testimony focuses on the transformational role of open and interoperable solutions in the RAN, particularly as we navigate the evolution of 5G technology and prepare for 6G and beyond. Some key themes from today’s testimony include:

• The Wireless Innovation Fund of the CHIPS and Science Act was a landmark achievement, introducing grant programs to catalyze Open RAN initiatives. However, the allocation and deployment of these funds have not met the pace of innovation – of the $1.5 billion dollars allocated, only 6% has been distributed: 4% to businesses and only 0.01% to small businesses.  To truly drive innovation, it is essential that these funds are fully