EXPERT INSIGHT: Long-term Prospects for ORAN

In the broad arc of technology development, many technologies have now made the transition from closed, proprietary hardware/software to open, with off-the-shelf products that allow economy of scale.

The radio world has been one of the ‘last bastions’ of closed, proprietary hardware and software. Many engineers might cite technical reasons for this, but the true answer is that the mobile infrastructure market is dominated by the suppliers, with 4-5 large suppliers and 300 customers. The vendors have had more power than the operators, so the vendors have been able to stymie any attempts at openness.

With the transition to 5G, the operators have an opportunity to flex their muscles and they are insisting on openness. Mobile Experts has recently published a detailed report on the technical challenges in the short term, the level of performance that everyone should expect from ORAN networks, and the forecast over the next five years.

This brief INSIGHT report is intended to look at the long-term question: Where do we go from here?

2020.