Open RAN
Deliver an open, agile, software-driven network that enables richer services, with greater flexibility at a lower cost.
Open RAN — a virtualized RAN on general-purpose hardware — replaces legacy, single-vendor RAN solutions with a stable, scalable and 5G ready architecture.
Our Open RAN blueprint, validated in WWT's Advanced Technology Center, is an end-to-end turnkey solution to accelerate time to revenue while providing a rapid upgrade path to deliver secure 4G/5G services.
Open RAN resources:
Open RAN content
Watch: How Open RAN's Future-Proof Architecture Creates a Streamlined Path to 5G
6 Critical Questions to Answer Before Deploying Open RAN
FAQ: How Can Open RAN Drive Efficiency, Enable Agility and Enhance 5G Adoption?
Open RAN Program Enablement
WWT's Open RAN program enablement utilizes our Digital Supply Chain model, which helps service providers accelerate time to revenue by validating complex, multi-vendor solutions with speed in our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), then integrating them at scale in one of our global integration facilities.
ATC Innovation Ecosystem
$500 million lab to design, build and validate Open RAN architectures.
Supply chain & integration
4 million square feet of logistics space spread over four continents to simplify Open RAN deployments.
Professional services
Portfolio of services to help drive Open RAN strategy from idea to outcome to post-deployment support.
Help along every step of the way
We are able to assist operators along every step of the process — from idea to outcome — to make it easier to consume and deploy Open RAN on any scale.
This program is flexible and designed to meet the needs of service providers no matter where they are at in terms of a network transformation journey. We provide customized plans to make sure operators get to deployment as quickly as possible.
Customized deployment models
Legacy RAN systems were handled by a baseband unit (BB) that is now virtualized to enable better scaling and resource pooling. Open RAN disaggregates the virtual BBU (vBBU) further into real-time, or Distributed Unit (vDU) and non-real-time, or Central Unit (vCU) functions.
Typically, the vRAN software has very specific hardware requirements for the vDU component (real-time), which balance cost and performance. The vDU server nodes will have a configuration applied that allocates each CPU core carefully and will have specific hardware for offloading digital signal processing (DSP) functions.
This solution is ideal for areas that may have fiber transport to the sites and can meet the latency requirements to centralize the vDU. This model provides the best pooling gain and inter-site coordination capabilities for an operator. It allows cloud management and automation capabilities for ensuring cloud-scale deployments for customers.
This model uses a small-footprint server optimized for deployment to the tower. The server is expected to run a vDU in a compact form factor IP65 unit which can be deployed on a cell tower in an out door environment. This solution is idea for rural solutions where outdoor cabinets are not available or transport may not be easily accessible. Centralized cloud management and automation is available for operational efficiencies.
The third model uses a high density x86 server and is configured to run the baseband for multiple RRU's at the tower site. The DU will support 12 sectors of RUs with multiple LTE bands, and is ideal for operators that may have multiple spectrum holdings. This configuration will also support LTE-advanced features like carrier-aggregation. Centralized cloud management and automation is available for operational efficiencies.
Open RAN library:
World Wide Technology Develops Blueprint to Accelerate Deployment of 4G/5G Open Virtualized RAN Solutions with Cisco and Altiostar Technology
Open RAN Policy Coalition launches to 'spur competition' in 5G
Open RAN Leverages Existing Infrastructure to Accelerate 5G Enablement
Open RAN: A Journey Worth Taking