Vodafone has recently made public the launch of its new Open Radio Access Network (RAN) sites in 20 cities across Romania. The purpose of this initiative is to provide customers with a highly responsive network in order to drive innovation and enhance industrial efficiency within the country.
Unlike conventional single-supplier mobile sites, Open RAN permits operators to utilize software and hardware from a variety of vendors, resulting in increased innovation and improved energy efficiency. This setup also allows for the delivery of fast, secure, and scalable mobile network services and new cloud-based offerings, while effectively meeting peaks in demand.
Vodafone has collaborated with industry leaders such as Samsung, Dell Technologies, and Wind River in order to implement Open RAN technology in Romania. The partnership involves the utilization of Samsung’s radio and baseband units, Dell PowerEdge servers for cloud-based workloads, and Containers as a Service (CaaS) software from Wind River. This strategic alliance is aimed at establishing a robust vendor ecosystem through Open RAN, incorporating multi-vendor hardware and software, as well as dedicated silicon architecture.
The deployment in Romania follows successful trials conducted in other European countries, as well as the commercial rollout of Open RAN to 2,500 sites in the UK. These initiatives have demonstrated the performance of Open RAN, showcasing its capability to match or exceed that of legacy equipment in terms of call success rate, download and upload speeds, and more across various spectrum frequencies.
Alberto Ripepi, Vodafone’s Chief Network Officer, emphasized the growing momentum behind Open RAN technologies, underscoring its potential to enhance the customer experience. In an era where transformative technologies like generative AI are becoming integral to businesses and daily online interactions, the need for intelligent networks that can support these advancements is paramount. Open RAN is specifically designed to meet these evolving demands.
The commercial deployment in Romania will extend to urban cities, providing high-quality and reliable network services to Vodafone’s customers. It will also enable operators to reduce costs by sharing hardware components while independently managing their RAN software. This will allow for tailored services and capacity, as well as secure data isolation for each operator.
Looking ahead, Open RAN’s flexibility will enable customers to fully leverage 5G Standalone (5GSA), which enhances the telecoms network core and radio antennas, delivering low latency applications and private ‘network slicing’ for industries. This is expected to play a crucial role in revitalizing Europe’s industrial base.
As Vodafone progresses with its Open RAN deployment, Samsung will provide RAN software, triple-band radio antennas, and 5G Massive MIMO radios designed to enhance network capacity and flexibility in dense areas with high customer traffic.
For further information, individuals can contact Vodafone’s Investor Relations and Media Relations departments through the provided channels. Vodafone’s commitment to leveraging technology for a better future, reducing its environmental impact, and fostering sustainable societies underscores its dedication to driving positive change through innovation and connectivity.
For more information, please visit Vodafone’s official website or connect with the company on social media platforms.
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