Orange Spain announced on Wednesday that it has successfully tested the interoperability of its technology with open radio access networks (Open RAN). In collaboration with technology partners HPE, Casa Systems, Mavenir, and Dell Technologies, Orange Spain has successfully deployed OpenRAN nodes connected to the Core Cloud Native 5G SA Network and established a data connection. In February 2023, Orange became the first operator in Spain to commercially launch a 5G SA Mobile Network called 5G+, as reported by TelecomTalk.
Also Read: Orange Launches 5G SA Network in 4 Cities of Spain
Open Radio Access Network
Orange Spain has noted that OpenRAN (Open Radio Access Network) is the newest radio access technology in the telecommunications sector. It promotes the interoperability of different elements that make up radio access equipment through virtualisation and the use of open standards.
Orange has further highlighted three advantages of OpenRAN, including encouraging the entry of new providers into this technological domain, reducing deployment and operational costs and increasing the speed in launching new services to customers.
Orange said that this milestone has allowed it to verify the expected benefits of OpenRAN technology combined with the advantages of 5G SA Networks, which include:
- Deployment of a 5G network, both Core and Access, in less than 1 hour, guaranteeing a quick and efficient implementation of the infrastructure.
- Dynamic management of end-to-end virtual networks, prioritising traffic and following security principles.
- Optimisation of energy consumption, adjusting resources to the minimum necessary.
Also Read: Orange Launches 5G+ Network With Reduced Energy Consumption in Spain
Orange Spain stated, "This pilot has allowed us to test in a real environment our vision of the future of telecommunications networks focused on the use of software and data as fundamental pillars. Specifically, we have implemented a Stand-Alone 5G network based on Open-Source Software that runs in our private Orange Cloud environment."
"This network has been deployed, operated and maintained through advanced solutions that aim to both improve the quality of the service offered to customers and improve the energy efficiency of our operations. This pilot has not only allowed us to test the technology itself, but has also been an opportunity to identify the new skills required and define the new processes that this network transformation entails," noted Orange Spain.
Also Read: Orange Spain’s 5G SA Network is Supported in Over 30 Devices
Overall, the successful test of OpenRAN on a 5G SA network by Orange Spain is a major step forward for this new technology.
