VODAFONE MOVES TO PREPARE OPEN RAN FOR PRIME TIME

INTERVIEW: Santiago Tenorio Sanz, head of group network architecture at Vodafone (pictured), explained the operator is taking a pragmatic approach to deployment of open RAN technology, noting the sector isn't yet ready to serve dense urban areas or support 5G services but this could become a reality over the next two years.

Speaking to Mobile World Live as part of our Themed Week launch, Sanz (who also chairs open RAN backer and industry association TIP) stated: “I think the technology is ready in 2G, 3G and 4G to serve some...not the most demanding areas. So, outside of dense, urban cities: suburban, rural areas, we’re ready for that, but I think it will take some more development time to deploy open RAN and to bring commercial service to dense urban [areas], and also to 5G.”

Sanz added recent moves by established vendors such as Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung to back the technology was a promising sign.

“When you reach a point at which incumbents in general and the industry stops telling you that you're doing the wrong thing and starts jumping on the train, that is when, you know, the train is about to leave the station. It's a phenomenal sign."