Partnership to advance equipment vendor adoption and operator deployment of virtualized 4G and 5G Open RAN mobile networks
Tokyo & Barcelona – Rakuten Symphony, a subsidiary of global technology leader Rakuten Group, has today announced the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Cisco Systems, Airspan Networks and Tech Mahindra, that will see the three companies take Rakuten Symphony’s portfolio of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) solutions to market as part of its revolutionary Real Open RAN Licensing Program.
These partnerships signal a proposal to colectively advance equipment vendor adoption and operator deployment of secure and high-performance cloud-native, virtualized 4G/5G mobile networks based on Open RAN standards.
As part of the partnership, Rakuten Symphony and Cisco intend to create a unified Private 5G mobile network offering with a combination of Cisco’s Mobility Services Platform-based Private 5G Solution with 5G Advanced capabilities and Rakuten Symphony’s Open RAN software solutions, designed to assist global service providers in transforming their network architecture as they look to build AI-ready infrastructure to support the demands of their customers.
Airspan and Tech Mahindra will resell Rakuten Symphony Open RAN software licences to telecom operators and enterprises globally, comprising codebases across the Central Unit (CU), Distributed Unit (DU) and Operations and Management (OAM) software. Tech Mahindra will also serve as preferred systems integrator for Rakuten Symphony.
Sharad Sriwastawa, President, Rakuten Symphony, said, “Our partnerships with Cisco, Airspan and Tech Mahindra are a significant leap forward in our long-standing collaborations with these partners, building the world’s first virtualized, cloud-native Open RAN mobile network in Japan*. This collaboration showcases our commitment to support mobile operators and equipment vendors to address evolving demands for connectivity and complex challenges the industry faces in deploying next-generation networks for a more connected and sustainable future."
“We are revolutionizing mobile networks by making them simpler and fully programmable end-to-end,” said Masum Mir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Provider Mobility, Cisco. “This collaboration is key to fostering greater adoption of 5G services among enterprises of all sizes, enabling them to harness the power of mission-critical applications and prepare for 5G Advanced. Together, we are paving the way for a seamless and transformative digital future."
Glenn Laxdal, CEO and President of Airspan, said “Airspan has been a key partner in Rakuten’s Open RAN journey for more than five years, delivering thousands of 4G and 5G radios for their network in Japan. We’re excited to expand this collaboration through Rakuten Symphony’s Real Open RAN Licensing Program, helping operators and enterprises accelerate the adoption of cloud-native, virtualized networks with proven Open RAN solutions.”
Harshvendra Soin, President - Asia Pacific and Japan Business, Tech Mahindra, said, “We are witnessing a shift towards open, programmable, cloud-native networks as operators seek greater efficiency and scalability. Our partnership with Rakuten Symphony reinforces our commitment to accelerate Open RAN adoption and reshaping the future of connectivity worldwide. By leveraging our global presence and Rakuten Symphony’s advanced Open RAN solutions, we’re enabling telecom operators to embrace next-generation, cost-efficient and scalable network solutions.”
An open subscription model for telecom
Rakuten Symphony’s Real Open RAN Licensing Program is a ground-breaking initiative designed to democratize RAN technology worldwide via the provision of its software through an open community subscription model.
Rakuten Symphony's Real Open RAN Licensing Program enables companies within the Open RAN ecosystem to leverage Rakuten’s market-proven advancements, fostering innovation and facilitating the transition towards more adaptable and scalable network solutions. The model will lower the barrier of entry and shorten the time-to-market for telecom ecosystem players to accelerate and simplify access to the most critical software stack workloads required in the open Radio Access Network, setting a new standard for innovation and performance in the telecom industry.
