The separation of hardware from software with Open RAN lends flexibility during solution development and potentially lower costs as a result of using standard hardware.
On the other hand, risks are higher with Open RAN due to the complexity of system integration with many different best-of-breed components. Those who choose to go the Open RAN route should be aware that the initial promise of lower costs may not necessarily be realized if system integration goes awry.
Operators are factoring the risks of Open RAN deployments in their initial initiatives. Orange and BT are mitigating the risk of Open RAN by first implementing it in greenfield private networks where integration is less demanding in the absence of legacy equipment, and their value more compelling for unique use cases such as emergency operations. For macro networks, they have phased Open RAN deployments over a longer period of time (until 2025) as they will need to integrate mmWave for high-density traffic.
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Publisher: Fierce Wireless
