Tag: ORAN

In this post, we briefly present, how the concept of open RAN meets immediately one of the key approaches in distributed software design, mainly CI/CD. Clearly, these two domains cannot be compared directly, but as we will see, the O-RAN concept modifies significantly the whole software design process.

Open RAN is the separation of software functionality from the underlying hardware. This is called “disaggregation.” It is also the process of defining functional blocks in the network and clearly and precisely specifying the interfaces between those functional blocks. Most who study such things believe it to be true. But before we break out the Champaign, we should be a bit more circumspect and evaluate the threats to Open RAN. What might prevent Open RAN from reaching its potential?

Open RAN, as a new approach to building mobile networks, offers faster innovation and the possibility of lowering costs. This whitepaper provides an overview of Open RAN in general, and O-RAN specifically. The O-RAN concept, relevant standardization, and ecosystem players are introduced. The architecture as defined by the O-RAN Alliance is described. Near-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) along with the idea of xApps is discussed. The use cases for O-RAN are overviewed with a particular focus on Traffic Steering.

RIMEDO Labs, has joined the ONF, a non-profit operator-led consortium driving the transformation of access and edge network infrastructure. Within ONF, RIMEDO joins the SD-RAN project focusing on building open-source components for the Open RAN space in compliance with the O-RAN Alliance’s architecture and specifications. The key element of the SD-RAN project is the development of an open-source near-Real-Time RIC along with a set of exemplar xApps for controlling the RAN.