Ericsson and Telefónica sign MoU for Cloud RAN evolution

• The biggest shift in future mobile networks towards cloud-based open networks leveraging the value of 5G networks through exposure of new functionalities and APIs.
• Ericsson and Telefonica’s collaboration will bring out the benefits of cloud-native networks built on ORAN standardized interfaces with industry scale, high performance, and cost-efficient Cloud RAN.
• Leveraging existing 5G infrastructure as a foundation, the collaboration will accelerate RAN evolution as both companies agree to jointly test, deploy, and evolve Cloud RAN technology with trial deployments in Europe.

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and Telefónica S.A. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the adoption towards an increasingly open network built upon Ericsson’s Cloud RAN architecture.

Telefónica and Ericsson will also explore how to deploy Cloud RAN sites with a high degree of automation, adopting approaches in line with best practice in cloud ecosystems. This includes leveraging rApps in RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and service management and orchestration (SMO) architecture to enhance radio access network (RAN) solutions.

Enrique Blanco, Telefónica Global CTIO, says: “We are excited to join forces with Ericsson. This collaboration brings together the best of both organizations, enabling us to leverage the latest advancements in virtualization and cloud technologies. The network’s transition to software-based operations and the evolution to open and disaggregated network architectures will increase flexibility, enable new network architectures and models, and boost innovation.”

Ericsson Cloud RAN offers major opportunities for communications service providers to build macro networks as well as expand into enterprise applications.

Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson, says: “This collaboration with Telefónica aims to accelerate the development and deployment of cloud-native open networks. This will enable an open ecosystem of innovation and the way we think about the value of networks, by exposing new capabilities through standardized APIs. The latest development in O-RAN Alliance allows us to build high performance networks on Open RAN standards, at scale.”

Ericsson Cloud RAN is based on an open, standardized architecture for worldwide connectivity and is fully compatible with the deployed Ericsson Radio System portfolio, which will help service providers to evolve their networks into their architecture of choice.