Feature: RF Design
Radio access (RAN)
networks - now and future By Phil Evans, Business Development Director - Connectivity at TÜV SÜD
5
G networks enable new applications that can transform industries and economies by unlocking a broad range of opportunities through the optimisation
of service delivery, decision-making and end-user experience. Highly innovative technologies, such as connected vehicles, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Tings (IoT) all rely on the speed and reliability of 5G networks. However, the potential of 5G could be slowed down by a lack of vendor choice as
mobile network operators rely on highly specialised radio access and networking equipment with tightly integrated proprietary soſtware to deliver services. High costs, limited flexibility and constrained vendor choice is therefore prompting them to shiſt away from traditional systems toward more open, standards-based, soſtware-centric virtual platforms.
The future is O-RAN In December 2021 the UK government and UK mobile network operators announced a joint goal for 35 per cent of the UK’s mobile network traffic to be carried over open and interoperable RAN architectures (commonly known as O-RAN) by 2030. Te Government also increased funding from £30 million to £51 million to support projects trialling O-RAN and next-generation technologies. Mobile network operators now have their
42 February 2025
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
sights set on O-RAN as they must replace or upscale existing equipment to deliver 5G service, giving them the opportunity to adopt O-RAN architectures. Te current RAN architecture comprises a
remote radio unit (RRU or RU) at the top of a cell tower that communicates with a baseband unit (BBU) located at the tower’s bottom. Te O-RAN uses proprietary hardware and vendor-defined communication interfaces, and its soſtware-driven functionality is tightly integrated inside the hardware. While these traditional systems have
worked well for mobile network operators, they have drawbacks. Making any upgrade or change to the wireless network requires replacing physical hardware throughout the network - a costly, manual, and time- consuming process. Proprietary equipment also locks operators into existing relationships with the vendor that originally supplied them.
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