ARIANE

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Partners

• Telecom Infra Project
• British Telecommunications 
• Accenture UK Limited
• Amdocs UK Limited
• Arqit UK Limited
• HCL Technologies UK Limited
• Reply UK Limited trading as Net Reply UK
• Viavi Solutions UK Limited
• VMWare UK Limited

Project Summary

Project ARIANE is proud to be one of the DSIT ONE competition winners and has an objective to further the UK cause for RAN Intelligence and software development. ARIANE includes 9 partners: TIP, British Telecommunication PLC, Accenture UK, Amdocs UK Limited, Arqit UK, HCL Technologies, UK Reply, Viavi Solutions UK, VMWare UK, with support from Accelleran, Radisys and Adtran.

As an extension of FRANC projects, ARIANE aims to test – under carrier grade conditions, the impact on an Open RAN network of multiple apps running individually and concurrently in a multi-RIC environment.  The outcomes include results of testing a set of prioritised purpose-built AI/ML applications on network performance, as well as insights for the standards community on conflict management, security-by-design, and interface performance. 

Project update:

Over the past 18 months, the ARIANE project has advanced the deployment of OpenRAN networks by testing the impact of running multiple AI/ML applications in a multi RIC environment within an OpenRAN architecture, as well as determined the impacts of application conflict, increased security posturing and performance optimisation.  In its extension, the ARIANE project will focus on evaluating the effects of energy management on network performance, providing crucial insights for telecom operators and the standards community in respect to power saving in OpenRAN networks.

Energy management use cases will be expanded to include MIMO mode reconfiguration, tested through a non-Real Time RIC platform as rApps. The project will also explore advanced security principles, including quantum-safe encryption risk analysis, to enhance the security of deployed rApps. This will boost confidence among Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to deploy off-the-shelf rApps into commercial networks, mitigating risks associated with malicious attacks and security threats.

By investigating these areas, ARIANE expects to contribute valuable insights for the broader industry, supporting the evolution of secure, high-performance Open RAN networks and promoting the wider adoption of AI/ML-driven applications in telecom infrastructures.

Vishal Mathur, Global Head of Engagement, Telecom Infra Project said:  

“The RAN Intelligence arena has expanded massively in terms of new use cases, new vendor-led AI/ML based applications and operators taking the opportunity to test out the performance and optimisation effects on traditional and Open RAN networks.  But the arena is maturing and is in need of a marketplace of tested and certified solutions that deliver performance benefit for mobile network operations, as well as furthering of standards in Open RAN interface design.

On behalf of the ARIANE consortium, TIP is excited to see the UK Government take a leadership stance in this space, and to continue to expand upon its incumbent skill base in software development.  Through efforts like the ONE competition, TIP hopes to see hardened solutions, developed by UK industry, being certified by TIP and coming to market. 

TIP is excited to be working with 8 other partners on Project ARIANE, and as a consortium, proud to be one of the winners in the ONE competition.  Over 18 months, the team hopes to develop out & harden a set of prioritised xAPPs / rAPPs under carrier grade conditions, as well as offer practical insights into further standards development in conflict management, security-by-design and interface specification.”