Vodafone, Arm team up for Open RAN chipsets
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Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD) is collaborating with Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) on Open Radio Access Networks, or Open RAN, chipsets.
The British telecom plans to fast-track the development of new platforms for Open RAN using the Arm architecture to meet demand for a faster and greener mobile connectivity.
Open RAN allows interoperation between cellular network equipment provided by different suppliers.
Vodafone said that this next generation of platforms having high-performance Arm-based processors are optimised for use in Open RAN base stations and will be developed with enough compute power to support customer demand for advanced 5G services needing greater capacity.
The processors are using industry standard servers while also delivering advances in energy efficiency, according to the company.
Vodafone noted that it is working with SynaXG and Ampere Computing to test and validate Arm-based Open RAN silicon, and Fujitsu (OTCPK:FJTSF) (OTCPK:FJTSY) which will provide the RAN software.
Testing will start this year in vendor laboratories to prove the compute platform and silicon integration. It will be extended to include 5G commercial Open RAN software from Fujitsu before moving to Vodafone's (VOD) test facilities at R&D centre in MÃ¡laga, and Newbury, in the U.K., in Q1 2024, with additional vendors to follow, according to the company.
"Vodafoneâs Open RAN leadership coupled with the power efficiency of the Arm-based architecture, will widen the chip and software ecosystem. By expanding the number of competing best-in-class suppliers, we can drive greater innovation, energy efficiency and security for the benefit of our customers," said Santiago Tenorio, Vodafone Director of Network Architecture.
The companies noted that they were committed to helping the arena of Open RAN chipsets and the linked ecosystem by providing smaller companies with testing and verification support to become part of these next generation networks.
On Monday, Vodafone said that it is collaborating with Nokia (NYSE:NOK) to run a commercial 5G Open RAN pilot in Italy for the first time.
Vodafone and Orange (ORAN) also made the first 4G calls over a cluster of shared commercial network sites in Romania based on the Open RAN technology.
In addition, Vodafone (VOD) noted that it would create purpose-built chipset architecture for Open RAN with Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), according to a report from Reuters.

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