TIM is set to become the first Italian operator – and one of the first in Europe – to deploy OpenRAN (Open Radio Access Network) solutions.
OpenRAN enables operators to choose from a range of interoperable hardware from a variety of vendors. Free of vendor lock-in, operators can use the equipment which suits their particular needs for cost and performance.
TIM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last February with the main European operators to promote OpenRAN technology. The MoU intends to speed up the adoption of technologies such as 5G, edge computing, and cloud.
Faenza – an Italian city and comune in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna which is situated 50 kilometres southeast of Bologna – will become the first to adopt this open network model.
The deployment is in collaboration with JMA Wireless, a US-based vendor which specialises in the development of OpenRAN solutions.
For the Faenza deployment, TIM will use a 4G radio node that combines JMA’s software baseband with radio units provided by Microelectronics Technology.
The venture will also extend to 5G solutions going forward.
Earlier this month, Vodafone announced that’s opening a pioneering new R&D centre in the UK that will focus on OpenRAN. The operator committed to creating 2,500 mobile sites using OpenRAN solutions.
(Photo by Jonathan Bean on Unsplash)
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