Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States met for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. Following the Summit, the leaders jointly released “The Wilmington Declaration Joint Statement,” reaffirming the Quad’s commitment to strengthening technological cooperation. Open RAN remains a key focus of this partnership’s efforts to ensure a secure, resilient, and competitive telecommunications ecosystem.
The Wilmington Declaration highlights the importance of Open RAN as a cornerstone in the global shift toward open, interoperable, and secure 5G networks. By embracing Open RAN, the Quad aims to foster greater diversity in network supply chains, reducing dependencies on single-vendor solutions and enhancing security. The joint statement also underscores the commitment of the Quad nations to promote Open RAN adoption and to collaborate on developing secure and transparent telecommunications standards.
In addition to policy alignment, Quad nations are increasingly committing financial resources to ensure that Open RAN technology is not only adopted but implemented at scale. This includes funding for research, trials, and deployments, with a focus on enabling smaller players to contribute to the Open RAN ecosystem. This coordinated approach not only strengthens the security of telecommunications networks across the Indo-Pacific region but also ensures that nations have access to diverse, cost-effective network solutions.
As Quad nations continue to invest in Open RAN, collaboration with industry stakeholders will remain crucial. From manufacturers and network operators to software developers and standards bodies, the entire ecosystem must work together to realize the full potential of Open RAN. With the Quad’s leadership and increasing financial support, Open RAN is poised to become a central feature of the next generation of global telecommunications infrastructure.