Juniper Networks announced that it is working with Vodafone and Parallel Wireless, conducting a multi-vendor Radio Access Network Intelligent Controller (RIC) trial for tenant-aware admission control use cases.
The trial, initially running in Vodafone’s test labs in Turkey and with plans to move into its test infrastructure, supports O-RAN interfaces and addresses the key business challenges faced by mobile operators around personalized user experience, viable revenue generation and reduction in both Capex and Opex for 4G and 5G services, Juniper Networks said in a release.
Juniper also said that the initial focus of the trial is on delivering tenant-aware admission control capability, enabling operators to personalize services and provide superior user experiences. In such a situation, real-time tracking and enforcement of radio resources across the RAN enables mission-critical users – for example, hospitals and schools – to receive prioritized mobile data services delivery. This capability is enabled by Juniper’s rApp/xApp cloud-based software tools that manage network functions in near real-time, along with Parallel Wireless cloud-native Open RAN functions.
The company noted that the trial’s design philosophy is focused on demonstrating the potential of enabling open, agile resource management and mobile data delivery in any software-driven RAN environment.
“Vodafone has a clear vision that all mobile network radio infrastructure should be open – enabling rapid adoption of innovative services. We see this as a key stepping stone to rich innovation and collaboration, the only way that groundbreaking new use cases in 4G and 5G can be developed and cost-effectiveness maximized. In order to accelerate progress in this exciting journey, I am very pleased that Vodafone is hosting a lab and field trial for tenant-aware admission control using O-RAN interfaces, alongside an ecosystem of like-minded technology partners, including Juniper Networks and Parallel Wireless,” said Paco Martin, head of Open RAN at Vodafone Group.
“This multivendor trial at Vodafone has provided the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how Juniper’s RIC, and our focus on enabling seamless application portability, are able to unlock the true potential of Open RAN. By coupling our innovations with those of Parallel Wireless and Vodafone’s operational experience, we are able to achieve a real-world use case that can deliver value and better user experiences with improved economics for operators,” said Constantine Polychronopoulos, VP of 5G and Telco Cloud at Juniper Networks.
The three companies are active contributors of the O-RAN Alliance and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP).
