NTT Data, the business services division of NTT Group, is working with open RAN provider Mavenir to jointly develop a “complete range” of radio and core access solutions, plus data and device management platforms and analytics tools, for private 5G and 4G networks in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
They will offer the same in other regions subsequently, they said. The pair will seek to collaborate with private industrial specialists and public and government authorities; they will also engage with mobile network operators, they said, to “support the introduction and integration” of private networks and services in the region.
NTT Data’s private 5G ‘campus’ network at its ‘Ensō’ innovation centre in Munich, used for co-creation with research and enterprise groups in the EMEA region, will showcase their work, and establish a platform for further development of industrial 5G solutions. NTT Data has a private spectrum licence at the facility, in the 3.7-3.8 GHz band, which German regulator BNetzA has made available for localised enterprise usage in Germany.
“The acquisition of [a] 5G license is an important first milestone in this respect,” the pair said in a statement. Mavenir described their work remit as covering both open radio access (RAN) and cloud core network solutions for data and voice, management and orchestration of 5G solutions, alongside digital enablement platforms, analytics and applications for enterprises and industry.
Sebastian Solbach, head of telecoms at NTT Data, commented: “While major providers only offer combinations of 4G and 5G networks and rely on proprietary systems, NTT Data focused early on virtualised networks. It is a clear pioneer in offering a pure 5G network.
“Mavenir was an obvious partner because it has several years of experience with virtualised core and RAN network elements, is established with all German mobile providers and is one of the few to offer a complete network portfolio.”
Aniruddho Basu, senior vice president and general manager of emerging business at Mavenir, said: “Mavenir is pleased to continue charting new and disruptive ways to digitize industry and enterprise, and bring 5G capabilities that will leverage connectivity, mobility, data and networking for their digital transformation.
“This collaboration underscores our efforts to build a strong and symbiotic partner ecosystem. Together with NTT Data, we will bring to bear global and local market reach, strong cloud capabilities, complementary technology and solution assets, and enhance a digital marketplace with a joint ecosystem of applications and devices.”
