O2 UK announced on Thursday a new Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) project to help customers better utilise its network.
O-RAN is an open and software-defined network technology that enables operators to broaden their number of network infrastructure partners in order to facilitate a better and more cost-effective network service for customers. This is particularly useful for coverage in hard to reach rural locations – such as an area with a very small population – or where a sharing model is more cost effective such as dense urban locations where large numbers of small cells are required.
O2 is working with partners including; Mavenir, DenseAir and WaveMobile to introduce O-RAN solutions that will redefine mobile network economics. The company expects commercial deployment of O-RAN to pick up pace over next 18-24 months:
Working with Mavenir, O2 is enhancing coverage and capacity in high-density environments in London, providing enhanced mobile connectivity and better customer experience where customers need it most from stadiums to shopping centres. With DenseAir, O2 is working at Millbrook to deploy both 4G and 5G networks over an O-RAN solution. O2 works with Millbrook Proving Ground as the public and private network provider of 5G connectivity for the testing and development of CAV technology. The neutral host Network will support collaboration on trials and tests of ITS networks at Millbrook.
Coverage solutions are being developed with WaveMobile whose current O-RAN network is active on several sites across the UK including Woldingham, Surrey that carries mobile traffic for O2 customers. In the future this type of solution could be expanded to provide community based mobile services in ‘not spots’.
Brendan O'Reilly, CTO of O2
By opening up our radio access network to smaller vendors, and as we look towards wider adoption of 5G, O-RAN will be part of the solution to bring the latest connectivity to more people around the country.
