Germany's 1&1 announced the launch of its 5G mobile services on its open RAN network on December 8, becoming the fourth mobile network operator in the country. The network is now fully functional and accessible on the go with smartphones. Until now, as reported by TelecomTalk, 1&1 had been providing 5G Home Broadband Services (Fixed Wireless Access - FWA) since December 2022, and it has now expanded to offer mobile services (eMBB).
Also Read: 1&1 to Launch Mobile Services on Own Network in Germany From December
National Roaming Services Activation
Furthermore, with Telefonica activating 5G National Roaming services on December 7, 1&1 customers can now access Telefonica's 5G Network where 1&1's own coverage is not available or is under construction. Vodafone is set to provide 5G national roaming from the summer of 2024.
Collaboration with Technology Partners
1&1 claims that its fully functional cloud-native mobile network is Europe's first Open RAN Network, developed in collaboration with technology partners Rakuten Symphony and Mavenir. The network control of the cloud-native 1&1 O-RAN is managed through Rakuten's software and platform, responsible for end-to-end integration, and via Mavenir's cloud-native core network.
The Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP) is implemented for efficient and highly automated control of the antennas in the 1&1 O-RAN. Specially developed orchestration software, functioning as the system integrator, ensures Mavenir's core network applications work seamlessly with all other software and hardware components in the 1&1 O-RAN.
Also Read: 1&1 Launches 5G FWA Home Broadband Service
1&1 says: "All network functions are located in our private cloud and are controlled by software. This comes mainly from Rakuten Symphony and Mavenir. In addition, Rakuten as a system integrator ensures that all network components interact smoothly. Thus, 1&1 benefits from the extensive experience that Rakuten has had in recent years in operating the world's first Open RAN in Japan. The full functionality in the 1&1 O-RAN is a major milestone in our company history."
Cloud-Native Infrastructure
Open RAN technology, separating software and hardware, controls antennas in the private cloud operated by 1&1 on cloud servers in hundreds of cities with decentralised edge data centers. "Gigabit antennas are used at all antenna locations, connected to the 1&1 Edge data centers via fiber optics. This network architecture allows minimal latencies, essential for future real-time applications," 1&1 added.
