Ericsson advocates for single open RAN global standard

INTERVIEW: Paul Challoner, VP of Network Product Solutions at Ericsson North America, argued there is space for emerging players to enter the open RAN field but highlighted a need for a single standard covering the approach as the ecosystem readies itself for global scale.

Speaking to Mobile World Live, Challoner expressed belief the market for open RAN is expanding, as it gives rise to new opportunities and use cases such as private networking and novel industry verticals, alongside possibilities for the approach to be used by enterprises, governments and for smart cities.

“Also there’s a great opportunity for new players in the innovation space as we look at automation and service management orchestration platform, and things like applications using AI and machine learning to operate the network – that’s a great space for new entrants”, the Ericsson executive noted.

However, Challoner emphasised the need for maintaining a single global standard in the open RAN market, as similar standardisation has already been “the recipe for success for the telecoms industry,” generating global scale and cost efficiencies “to bring telecoms connectivity to the planet.”