OpenRAN

Network slicing, which makes private networks possible, provides enterprises with dedicated network resources. It works by interacting with a set of network functions. Part 1 of this series covered how 5G network slicing enables operators to deploy, modify, and scale customized virtual networks, along with key slicing techniques and connectivity models. Part two discusses the…

LaaS Testing can streamline deployment and enhance efficiency for reliable Open RAN The race to build 5G networks has gone on for several years, extending coverage and providing access to advanced services. Initiatives such as Open RAN make for high-performing, robust, and agile mobile infrastructures that are in the interest of consumers and businesses, as…

Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) and VIAVI Solutions Inc. announced an expansion of their partnership delivering state-of-the-art O-RU testing. These solutions are ideally suited to the needs of radio manufacturers planning to bid for the United States Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (PWSCIF) Second Notice of…

EE World announces its 2024 5G, Wireless, & Wireline Communications Handbook in digital form. It’s that time again. EE World’s 2024 5G, Wireless, & Wireline Communications Handbook is here. The 41-page e-book contains ten technical articles plus an editorial. This year, we cover: Network timing, mmWaves (two articles), Power amplifiers (three articles), test & measurement…

Open-source software provides network components that you can use to simulate 5G network functions from the network core to the radio.  Developing and deploying a laboratory infrastructure to support testing 5G and open radio-access network (Open RAN) systems can present a daunting and complex task. Prior to Open RAN, this task was only possible by…

Open RAN telecom networks need testing for each disaggregated component, but that’s not enough. End-to-end testing is also necessary. In How do Open RAN interfaces work?, we covered how Open RAN redefines traditional RAN architecture by disaggregating it into three primary components: the radio unit (RU), distributed unit (DU), and centralized unit (CU). This paradigm…

The O-RAN Alliance has developed specifications for communications interfaces between components of an Open RAN. This FAQ explains the functions of each.

The 6G Symposium took place on October 18 and 19, 2023, in Washington, DC. This year, the talk was more about use cases, with less talk about sustainability than in the past. One week before the symposium, I heard two contrasting views on 5G given at a virtual conference. In the morning, Chris Pearson of…

As Open RAN deployments gather pace and accurate timing, synchronization has emerged as a critical step toward consistent performance. It is a complex task, with devices requiring time synchronization to UTC reference via IEEE PTP/SyncE-based boundary clocks, slave clocks, PRTC clocks with GNSS receivers, as well as accurate, real-time monitoring in support of customer SLAs.…

Open RAN telecom network security begins in the microprocessors that control telecom network equipment. Configure and use these processors with secure booting and build trust.