US Cellular said that an open RAN architecture can accelerate delivery of advanced 5G capabilities
US Cellular is one of the latest to join the O-RAN Alliance, the world-wide community of more than 190 mobile operators, vendors and research and academic institutions operating in the radio access network (RAN) industry. The Alliance is focused on evolving the RAN architecture and orchestration toward open-source, rather than proprietary, implementations. In a press release, US Cellular said that an open RAN architecture can help accelerate delivery of advanced 5G capabilities to customers.
“We are committed to driving innovation and bringing the latest technology to our customers that enhances their wireless experience, and we can do that faster and more efficiently with an open, intelligent and interoperable RAN that in turn promotes a diverse vendor community and open-market competition,” said Narothum Saxena, VP of advanced technology and systems planning at US Cellular.
Further, Jeff Baenke, vice president of technology development at the carrier, called the alliance “instrumental to enabling innovation in a multi-vendor network.”
This news comes after the operator has already committed to the Open RAN movement by joining the Open RAN Policy Coalition, a group focused on policies that will support adoption of open and interoperable solutions in the RAN, just earlier this month.
Founded in in February 2019 by AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, NTT DoCoMo and Orange, the O-RAN Alliance is made up of some big names, including Ericsson, SOLiD, Samsung and recently, Mentor Graphics.
US Cellular said it joined the Alliance to support 5G network innovation as it continues to extend the footprint of its own next-gen network. The operator began its 5G journey in two of its most vital markets, Iowa and Wisconsin, launching its first networks early this year. While the operator has already delivered next-gen services to a number of “cluster sites” in these states, US Cellular’s CTO Mike Irizarry told RCR Wireless News that rollout is just getting started, with rollouts continuing throughout 2021.
