With O-RAN, India and US aim to end China's monopoly on telecom equipment

RAN is a critical part of the mobile network infrastructure that connects user devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to the core network.

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Ayushi Singh
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Open RAN Architecture by O-RAN

At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi negotiates business deals during his visit to the US, a significant portion of the conversations centre on telecom, reliable sources, and technology exchange between the two nations, particularly when it comes to the creation of Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN) solutions that seek to undermine the dominance of mainly Chinese and some European companies in the field of developing 4G, 5G, and 6G technology.

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In order to develop sophisticated, interconnected networks, several stakeholders pool their resources under the O-RAN model, which is how India is progressively approaching telecom technologies.

While working on 6G development, a number of American telecom and IT corporations, including Cisco, are seeking to cooperate with Indian enterprises in the development and distribution of 4G and 5G solutions. This is also one of the top priorities being worked on under the India-US Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) initiative, which was started in January. With regards to next-generation technologies including AI, telecom, O-RAN, space, quantum computing, and semiconductors, the iCET is focused on fostering improved collaboration between private enterprises as well as research and scientific institutions in the US and India.

What is O-RAN?

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O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) refers to a concept and initiative within the telecommunications industry that aims to transform traditional, proprietary radio access networks (RAN) into open and interoperable systems. RAN is a critical part of the mobile network infrastructure that connects user devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to the core network.

Historically, RAN solutions have been provided by a limited number of vendors, leading to closed and vertically integrated systems. O-RAN, on the other hand, promotes the use of standardized interfaces, open architectures, and virtualization to create a more flexible and vendor-neutral RAN environment.

Innovative new business models are made possible by transformative technologies like edge computing, 5G, and mobile clouds. Examples of the advancements offered by these new technologies include Industry 4.0, driverless vehicles, and remote medical care. An essential basis for this revolution is provided by Open RAN. This metamorphosis is made possible by it, and the road has been worthwhile.

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Lower prices, quicker innovation, and new revenue opportunities are what Open RAN promises. Since the standards are not quite comprehensive, there are worries about multi-vendor compatibility. One of the fundamental tenets of Open RAN is interoperable interfaces. As CSPs gain a first impression of how crucial components will function as a unit in the field, interoperability—and not just interoperability, but interoperability at scale—is the focus of this phase. To get the multivendor products to function together, there must be extensive system integration.

India has made some early strides in O-RAN by creating homegrown 4G and 5G solutions through a local consortium formed by TCS and Tejas of the Tata Group, who collaborated with C-DoT to upgrade the BSNL and MTNL networks. Tejas will produce equipment and RAN, with CDoT designing the core, while TCS will be the system integrator for the complete telecom network.

The TCS-Tejas-CDoT consortium, Shyam Vihaan Network, Niral Networks, Lekha Wireless, Signaltron, Resonous, Amantya Technologies, WiSig Wireless, and Galore Networks are among the companies that the government is anticipated to pitch to their American counterparts as PM Modi promotes Indian technology and IT products in the US. List of Indian businesses looking to collaborate with US businesses on 4G and 5G solutions, have experience with 5G Open RAN work as well as 4G radio access network (RAN) technology. Additionally, there are businesses developing 5G core, base stations, IoT sensors, 5G smartphones, and mobile edge cloud solutions.