When: 16 March 2023, 19:00 - 20:15
Where: Hybrid event - physical Event held at the University of Surrey
Cost: Free
“Open RAN” is one of the major trends in the mobile industry.
To some it is the only way for 5G and beyond to achieve the flexibility and performance that we need; to others it is adding unnecessary complication that can lead to inefficiency and sub-optimal performance….. and then there are polarising views on whether it will reduce or increase costs. One of the other aspects of Open RAN is the creation of a more diverse ecosystem, and this has received a lot of encouragement from governments.
While there are might be strategic reasons for such polarised views, a significant part of the problem is simply the ambiguity of the term “Open RAN”. This talk will highlight the key aspects of Open RAN, weighing up the “Good” and the “Bad” sides of Open RAN. As well as clarifying what Open RAN can mean, we also want to show the progress made so far, what initiatives are currently driving this forward, and what are the remaining challenges. In doing so, we will also cover who the big players are across this growing ecosystem and interpret some of the major press releases that have come out recently (between writing this and the presentation, we will have MWC 2023, so there will be plenty of fresh announcements) BT’s Applied Research are involved in a number of Open RAN activities.
Richard Mackenzie, Distinguished Engineer in Wireless Networks, BT, will provide some first-hand insight from the testbed at BT Labs, where we have numerous Open RAN components from a variety of hardware and software providers, proving the commercial potential of Open RAN solutions. While some aspects of Open RAN may happen, there are other aspects that are sure to happen. Open RAN is the marmite of mobile telecoms; this session should leave you better informed, so you can decide for yourself what aspects of Open RAN you’d spread on your toast!