Vodafone (VOD.L) said it will partner with Intel (INTC.O) to develop a specifically designed chipset architecture for the emerging technology, underscoring its dedication to Open RAN networks.
The European operator also said it was collaborating with Nokia (NOKIA.HE) to test the technology in Italy. It had made its first 4G calls using Open RAN via network sites shared by Orange (ORAN.PA) in Romania. Mobile operators’ flexibility may be increased by using equipment from different suppliers in combination with open RAN.
Though Huawei has been hampered by government prohibitions in some nations, notably Britain, progress has been gradual, and proprietary solutions from Ericsson, Nokia, and other companies continue to dominate the industry. In 2022, Vodafone collaborated with American chipmaker Intel to create its chip architecture.
Santiago Tenorio, the company’s head of network architecture, revealed that the partners will work together to develop chipsets on the company’s campus in Malaga, Spain. According to Tenorio, who spoke at the FYUZ industry event in Madrid, the chipsets would be made available to smaller third-party suppliers so they may test their algorithms without investing much money in hardware.
He said innovation would arrive much more quickly if silicon designs could be produced in testing sample amounts.
“Combining Vodafone’s networking expertise with Intel’s strength in silicon architecture design will enable rapid prototyping, verification and testing, eventually leading to a faster mass production of the chips the industry needs to accelerate,” he stated.
On Monday, Vodafone and Orange announced that using Open RAN technology, they had successfully placed 4G calls over a collection of stations in a remote location close to Bucharest. The two businesses reportedly employed equipment and software from Samsung, Wind River, and Dell in the pilot.
In Italy, Vodafone claimed that Nokia’s Open RAN technology could reach the same functionality and performance as its purpose-built RAN through a trial program.
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