Ericsson has joined the open radio access network (O-RAN) Alliance, which is a group of leading telecom service providers and suppliers with the commitment to evolve the RAN architecture and orchestration which is built on openness, intelligence, flexibility and performance.

As a member, Ericsson will focus on the open interworking between RAN and network orchestration and automation, with emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) enabled closed-loop automation and end-to- end optimization, in order to lower operating cost and improve the end-user performance.

Further, Ericsson will also focus on the upper-layer function as specified in the third generation partnership project (3GPP) to provide interoperable multivendor profiles for specified interfaces between central RAN functions, thereby resulting in faster deployment of 5G networks on a global scale.

The company’s engagement with the O-RAN Alliance is based on the future needs of mobile network service providers, and how networks must evolve to enable broad range of services with strong focus on quality, performance and security.

Speaking on the occasion, Erik Ekudden, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Ericsson, said, “Ericsson is a strong supporter of openness in the industry, and the benefits this has on global ecosystems and innovations. Our ambition is to actively support and drive discussions and developments around future RAN architectures and open interfaces. The O-RAN Alliance is an important coalition that creates an arena for these discussions, complementing other standardization and open-source initiatives in the industry which we are already active in.”

The O-RAN Alliance was formally formed at Mobile World Congress Shanghai on June 27, 2018 as a network operator-led effort to drive openness and intelligence in the RAN of next-generation wireless systems. At the end of 2018, the O-RAN Alliance membership was opened for non-service providers as well.