5G adoption is happening faster than any previous cellular technology. In spite - and because - of challenging economic periods such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 5G deployments have been ramping up and will become the mainstream cellular technology in the near future, with 60 percent of 5G connections expected to be in Asia alone.
For enterprises, 5G will power Industry 4.0 enablers as well as a global connectivity layer for smart devices and vehicles. Meanwhile, consumers can look forward to services such as high-speed mobile and fixed-wireless access to cloud gaming, HD video as well as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and Mixed Reality applications. These require open, scalable high-performance radio access networks (RAN) to connect users and devices to 5G networks.
Here, Open RAN (O-RAN) and Virtualized RAN (V-RAN) are shaping up as the “next big thing in wireless” that can help societies, industries and governments connect to the next industrial age.
O-RAN is defining an open mobile future
Exploring the benefits of an expanded ecosystem of mobile access players, communications service providers (CSPs), vendors, and governments are collaborating to define the role of open standards and how they can evolve 5G networks to support new services. O-RAN sits at the heart of these discussions.
It has the potential to create easier interoperability on existing 3GPP RAN interfaces. This makes it faster for it to support 5G network evolution, accelerating time-to-market of new services and functions, creating more flexible and agile networks as well as providing efficiencies in capital and operational expenditures.
Generally, O-RAN splits a base transceiver station (BTS) into three parts and introducing one new network function, with open interfaces between these three or four parts. The BTS is then split into a Radio Unit (RU) transceiver, a Distributed Unit (DU; for real-time computing) and a Centralized Unit (CU); for non-real-time computing.
This split enables the centralization of CUs relative to the cell sites and DUs, whereas DUs can be more distributed and even remain at cell sites. Note that RU and DU can be combined into a Radio Access Point (RAP). The new network element in O-RAN is the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), which adds a sort of open API into the RAN and can run AI/ML to make the RAN more intelligent.
Currently, the O-RAN Alliance is defining new interfaces not currently being specified by 3GPP, but having an O-RAN ecosystem will accelerate innovation due to the wider diversity of players and the nature of the open architecture. Yet, bringing it forward requires industry stakeholders’ collaboration on the verification, introduction, and launch of O-RAN compliant solutions to market.
V-RAN - enabling radio scalability, business agility and operational efficiency
V-RAN, also known as Cloud RAN, is an open and programmable RAN that enables the introduction of new capabilities for the use of 5G networks. It can provide significant improvements in the way CSPs manage their networks and deliver new services, especially when working in conjunction with virtualization and network automation.
Like O-RAN, V-RAN provides operators to the capability to scale network capacity at will, alongside launching and monetizing services quickly and meeting required latencies. The difference with V-RAN is that it virtualizes baseband, as well as decouples hardware and software to give them independent lifecycles.
With V-RAN, baseband functions are run by General Purpose Processors (GPP; i.e., x86 processors) that sit atop any commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computing platform. Until now, baseband functions have been run by purpose-built hardware (HW) – using either an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or CSSP (Custom Specific Standard Product) type of System-on-Chips (SoC). With cloud computing platforms being today’s clear choice for COTS platforms, V-RAN’s virtualized nature and greater interoperability gives operators more room to improve on their capital and operational expenditure optimization.
Demystifying misperceptions of O-RAN and V-RAN
O-RAN and V-RAN are often used interchangeably. While they are interlinked, they are different; it is possible to make fully O-RAN-compliant BTS without VRAN and it is also possible to make a full-fledged V-RAN that is not O-RAN-compliant.
Nevertheless, despite their differences, O-RAN and V-RAN are attractive to CSPs for several reasons. Firstly, they help operators gain capital and operational expenditure savings through increased competition amongst suppliers, use of cloud computing hardware or platform (as opposed to purpose-built ones), decoupling of DU/CU hardware, cloud infrastructure software and RAN application software
Both O-RAN and V-RAN can also help to stimulate innovation, as companies can focus where they can best add value, and as there is more competition. Lastly, they can help reduce supplier lock-in, as it is easier to change part of a BTS when the whole BTS does not need to be changed.
The benefits of O-RAN and V-RAN can be enhanced even further when combined with Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) capabilities. This will create a Service Enablement Platform (SEP) that runs on edge, or far edge data centers, and share infrastructure with cloud RAN and other virtualized network functions that can be deployed by multiple sources - such as CSPs themselves and vendors such as webscale companies, which can then work together for mutual benefits as they securely onboard, integrate, manage, and support applications from third parties.
Moving to an open mobile future
CSPs are now ramping up their investments into RAN technologies as the 5G race heats up, including across both the Asia-Pacific’s developed and emerging markets. Amid this growth, O-RAN and V-RAN can enable a more robust telecommunications ecosystem, with strong network performance and security that is defining a more open mobile future, in addition to allowing CSPs greater flexibility in supplier selections
Still, policymakers, CSPs and equipment providers must work together to support research and development of emerging network technologies – i.e., open systems, advanced 5G technologies and foundational 6G research – with policies that support a robust ecosystem of trusted suppliers. A well-coordinated effort around open solutions will contribute to the success of the 5G transformation.
