The News: Mavenir and Aspire Technology announced a collaboration to accelerate the market availability of O-RAN split 7:2 compliant Remote Radiohead Units (RRUs) using Aspire’s Open Network Labs in Europe. Read the Mavenir Press Release here.
Mavenir and Aspire Technology Announce Collaboration to Advance Open RAN Market Availability
Analyst Take: Mavenir and Aspire Technology announced a collaboration that I think is exciting news. Mavenir, the network software provider, and Aspire, a specialized network solutions developer and system integrator, are strategically committed to advancing the market readiness of Open RAN technology as communications service providers (CSPs) gain momentum in their 5G network deployments, including build out of 5G standalone (SA) network capabilities.
I see Mavenir making ecosystem-wide strides in making Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) more market ready at fulfilling growing CSP interest and demand for O-RAN compliant cloud-native Centralized Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) software stacks. This demand is powered by the need to expand network coverage and targeting of specific use cases such as dedicated private networks and indoor projects.
Moreover, Mavenir’s customer footprint already consists of over 250 CSPs across 120 countries including 17 of the top 20 global CSPs. From my view, this provides the ecosystem presence and influence required to broaden and accelerate Open RAN adoption.
Now we see the ecosystem support for O-RAN compliant RRUs expanding as CSPs prioritize the deployment of mobile network capabilities such as Massive MIMO technology and millimeter Wave (mmWave) spectrum. To this end, Mavenir and Aspire are collaborating in using Aspire’s Open Network Labs in Dublin to provide third-party RRU integration and testing assurance, catalyzing integration and testing of new O-RAN compliant radios and frequency variants with Mavenir CU/DU software.
I anticipate that the RRU testing extends to high power and lower power RRUs for macro and micro coverage environments across both licensed and unlicensed spectrum using FDD and TDD bands. Support of O-RAN split 7:2 compliant RRUs is critical to advancing Open RAN adoption since the O-RAN Alliance specifies a multi-vendor fronthaul interfaces between the RRU and DU, by introducing a specific category of split 7:2 to ensure the control, data, management, and synchronization planes are clearly defined and accepted.
Key Takeaways on Mavenir and Aspire Open RAN Collaboration
I find the location of Aspire’s Open Network Labs in Europe is noteworthy since O-RAN Alliance heavyweights Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telecom Italia (TIM), Telefonica and Vodafone are vocally advocating advancement of the Open RAN ecosystem throughout Europe. They are proposing that the European Commission develop a European Alliance for next-generation communications infrastructure, akin to existing alliances focused on cloud and semiconductors.
The incentives for promoting Open RAN include assisting mobile network transitions away from proprietary RAN implementations, maintaining competitiveness with swiftly expanding 5G markets across North America and Asia, as well as helping meet supply chain, national security, and domestic job creation goals. I believe the Mavenir and Aspire partnership aligns with accelerating O-RAN Alliance Open RAN adoption aspirations.
Disclosure: Futurum Research is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of Futurum Research as a whole.
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Ron is an experienced research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets. He is a recognized authority at tracking the evolution of and identifying the key disruptive trends within the service enablement ecosystem, including software and services, infrastructure, 5G/IoT, AI/analytics, security, cloud computing, revenue management, and regulatory issues.