Airtel, Mavenir conduct India’s first open RAN-based 5G validation
Bharti Airtel has conducted India’s first open radio access network (Open RAN)-based 5G network validation on the 3500 MHz band test spectrum allocated by the department of telecom (DoT), together with Mavenir, a telecom network software provider.
“The two companies (Airtel and Mavenir) conducted open RAN based 5G non-standalone (NSA)validation in Chandigarh and Mohali, over the 3500 MHz band spectrum allotted to Airtel by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for testing purposes,” a person aware of the matter said.
Speeds of over 1 Gbps were validated with the equipment deployed and configured in non-standalone (NSA) mode, using commercially available 5G mobile devices, he said, adding that the partnership would further strengthen as the telco shifts toward adopting open architecture in an ambition to spearhead an innovation-led O-RAN Alliance in the country.
Open RAN or O-RAN offers telecom carriers to mix-and-match telecom hardware and software
components sourced from multiple vendors to build scalable networks and discourage vendor lock-ins, and is considered a viable and cost-effective strategy to rollout 5G networks.
Presently telecom incumbents – Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (Vi) are doing field trials to demonstrate 5G-driven locally-relevant use cases based on the trial spectrum across bands allocated by the department’s Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) wing.
Mavenir, as a truly Indian company, is fully committed, and open to alliances with private operators, innovative 5G-centric startups as well as public sector firms such as Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) in their endeavor of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), the person added.