Open RAN Policy Coalition Congratulates AT&T, Verizon on Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Award

Grant includes $42.3 million for Open RAN testing, evaluation and R&D centers.

Washington, DC — The Open RAN Policy Coalition congratulates AT&T and Verizon on a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund.

The $42.3 million grant, which is the final award in the first round of funding authorized by Congress in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, will go towards the establishment of the Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments (ACCoRD). This consortium of carriers, universities and equipment suppliers will establish testing, evaluation and R&D centers in Dallas and Washington, D.C. According to NTIA, the center will focus testing on network performance, interoperability and security, and will facilitate research into new testing methods.

“The Open RAN Policy Coalition is thrilled to offer our … Read More

Open RAN Policy Coalition Congratulates DISH Wireless on Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Award

Washington, DC — The Open RAN Policy Coalition congratulates DISH Wireless, today named as the recipient of a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, a $1.5 billion project authorized by Congress in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.

The $50 million grant award will go towards the establishment of the Open RAN Center for Integration & Deployment (ORCID), an initiative that will allow participants to test and validate their hardware and software solutions against DISH’s Open RAN network.

“The Open RAN Policy Coalition is thrilled to congratulate DISH on their tremendous achievement,” said Diane Rinaldo, Executive Director of the Open RAN Policy Coalition. “This well-deserved grant from NTIA and the U.S. Department of Commerce speaks to the commitment of DISH Networks and its partners in advancing … Read More

ORPC Statement on Global Coalition on Telecommunications Launch

Today, the United Kingdom government announced the launch of the Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT). The initial membership of GCOT spans five countries – Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and will seek to drive closer cooperation a range of important issues, not least telecommunications vendor diversification.

The Open RAN Policy Coalition applauds the United Kingdom and its partner nations in the creation of this group, which will enable greater coordination and collaboration across countries that are at the forefront of Open RAN activity. We believe that this will ultimately drive greater investment, innovation, and competition in the market for telecommunications network infrastructure.

Today’s announcement builds upon the foundations laid by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the G7 on Open RAN, and paves the way forward for an enduring and operational commitment for the adoption of … Read More

Open RAN Policy Coalition Congratulates DeepSig on Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Grant Award

WASHINGTON, DC – The Open RAN Policy Coalition is thrilled congratulate DeepSig, the recipient of a Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

NTIA’s announcements for the first round of Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund grants began this week, and will recognize the outstanding contributions of companies like DeepSig that are dedicated to driving technological progress to accelerate the adoption and performance of Open RAN for 5G and beyond.

“Congratulations to DeepSig for their well-deserved grant from the NTIA’s Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund,” said Diane Rinaldo, Executive Director of the Open RAN Policy Coalition. “This significant achievement underscores DeepSig’s dedication to advancing innovation in Open RAN through generative AI technologies. It is imperative that we recognize the efforts of the companies playing a critical role in working toward a … Read More

Statement on Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund

Today the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the first Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. Below is a statement from Open RAN Policy Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo:

“Today’s Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund represents a significant milestone in promoting the deployment of open and interoperable networks. A historic $1.5 billion investment, the Fund has the potential to foster a continuous cycle of innovation, design, testing, and commercial deployment, while creating opportunities for emerging companies to compete in the global communications market.

Government support has been a critical component in undertaking the transition to an open approach to 5G and future generations of networks, and the Open RAN Policy Coalition applauds the work being done by U.S. Secretary of … Read More

Open RAN Policy Coalition Files Comments with NTIA on Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund Implementation

Today the Open RAN Policy Coalition filed comments in response to the National Telecommunications and Information Agency’s (NTIA’s) request for comment on Implementing the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, a critical linchpin in the broadband and technology infrastructure investments under NTIA’s stewardship.

In its comments, the Coalition writes, “Enhancing interoperability and diversity throughout communications network supply chains will foster innovation, drive competition, and bolster resiliency in ways that augment and amplify the goals of related programs under the CHIPS Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This, in turn, will serve as a catalyst to accelerate Open RAN advances in the immediate near term and create scale as soon as possible. Therefore, time is of the essence, and ORPC urges NTIA to fund key projects as soon as possible this year.”

The filing emphasizes that with targeted funding … Read More

Open RAN Policy Coalition Announces the Election of Three New Board Members

The Open RAN Policy Coalition is pleased to announce the election of three new members to its board of directors, which supports the Coalition’s efforts to promote policies that will advance the adoption of open and interoperable solutions in the Radio Access Network (RAN).

The newly-elected board members include Rachelle Celebrezze, Senior Director of Government Relations at VMware; John Godfrey, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at Samsung Electronics America; and Greg Manganello, Senior Vice President and Head of 5G Radio and Network Services Business Units at Fujitsu and Chairman of TrueNet Communications, a Fujitsu company.

“The Open RAN Policy Coalition is excited to expand our leadership and congratulates our newest board members on their election,” said Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo.

“Our membership looks forward to having Rachelle, John and Greg offer their diverse expertise and insight as we … Read More

Statement on President Biden signing the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022

Today President Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 into law. Below is a statement from Open RAN Policy Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo:

“Today President Biden signed into law the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, landmark legislation that contains funding for research and development critical to increasing supplier diversity, as well as the ongoing deployment of Open RAN. This historic investment in the creation of reliable, secure and sustainable telecommunications supply chain would not have been possible without support from President Biden, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. The Open RAN Policy Coalition applauds their diligent work to further advance wireless technologies and their leadership in working together to get this important legislation across the finish line.”… Read More

Statement on U.S. House passage of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022

Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Below is a statement from Open RAN Policy Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo:

“The Open RAN Policy Coalition applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for its passage of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The funding for Open RAN research and development included in this legislation is critical to increasing supplier diversity and catapulting the next generation of telecommunications network innovation. Our Coalition believes that government support is essential for the ongoing development and deployment of Open RAN 5G (and future generation) technology. This investment by Congress now will foster the creation of a secure, sustainable and future-proof supply chain for wireless network technologies.”… Read More

Statement on U.S. Senate passage of the CHIPS Act of 2022

Today the U.S. Senate voted to pass the CHIPS Act of 2022. Below is a statement from Open RAN Policy Coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo:

“The Open RAN Policy Coalition commends the U.S. Senate for its passage of the CHIPS Act, legislation that includes funding to invest in a reliable and secure Open RAN telecommunications supply chain. This funding is critical to the ongoing development and deployment of 5G and advanced wireless networks, and will encourage continued innovation and competition in the telecommunications ecosystem. That Open RAN has received broad and bipartisan support across U.S. and allied nation governments is testament to its ability to leverage private sector ingenuity and public-private partnerships to further advance wireless technologies.

Our Coalition is grateful to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Todd Young for their leadership on this important legislation, and to … Read More