Open-RAN Architecture

• 20 Jan 2021

Why in News

Recently, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman said that use of Open-RAN (Radio Access Network) and software defined telecom networks will open new opportunities for Indian entities to enter into the network equipment market.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • Open-RAN is not a technology, but rather an ongoing shift in mobile network architecture that allows networks to be built using subcomponents from a variety of vendors.
    
    • O-RAN has an open, multi-vendor architecture for deploying mobile networks, as opposed to the single-vendor proprietary architecture.
    • O-RAN uses software to make hardware manufactured by different companies work together.
  • The key concept of Open RAN is “opening” the protocols and interfaces between the various subcomponents (radios, hardware and software) in the RAN.
    
    • Radio Access Network (RAN):
      
      • It is the part of a telecommunications system that connects individual devices to other parts of a network through radio connections.
      • A RAN resides between user equipment, such as a mobile phone, a computer or any remotely controlled machine, and provides the connection with its core network.
  • As a technical matter this is what the industry refers to as a disaggregated RAN.
• Elements of RAN:
  
  • The Radio Unit (RU) is where the radio frequency signals are transmitted, received, amplified and digitized. The RU is located near, or integrated into,the antenna.
  • The Distributed Unit (DU) is where the real-time, baseband processing functions reside. The DU can be centralized or located near the cell site.
  • The Centralized Unit (CU) is where the less time-sensitive packet processing functions typically reside.
• Functioning of Open RAN:
  
  • It is the interface between the RU, DU and the CU that are the main focus of Open RAN.
  • By opening and standardizing these interfaces (among others in the network), and incentivizing implementation of the same, networks can be deployed with a more modular design without being dependent upon a single vendor.
  • Making these changes can also allow the DU and CU to be run as virtualized software functions on vendor-neutral hardware.
• Traditional RAN:
  
  • In a traditional RAN system, the radio, hardware and software are proprietary.
    
    • This means that nearly all of the equipment comes from one supplier and that operators are unable to, for example, deploy a network using radios from one vendor with hardware and software from another vendor.
  • Problems:
    
    • Mixing and matching cell sites from different providers typically leads to a performance reduction.
    • The result is that most network operators, while supporting multiple RAN vendors, will deploy networks using a single vendor in a geographic region which can create vendor lock-in with high barriers to entry for new innovators.
• Advantage of O-RAN:
  
  • Innovation and Options:
    
    • An open environment expands the ecosystem, and with more vendors providing the building blocks, there is more innovation and more options for the Operators. They can also add new services.
  • New Opportunities:
    
    • It will open new opportunities for Indian entities to enter into the network equipment market.
  • Cost Saving:
    
    • The benefits of this approach also include increased network agility and flexibility, and cost savings.
    • It’s expected to make 5G more flexible and cost efficient.

Source:IE