O-RAN ALLIANCE Displays Growing Momentum and Potential of AI through Spring PlugFest and MWC Shanghai

• PlugFest validations from 60 companies, 10 global labs, plus further proof of momentum at MWC Shanghai

• Key activities included conformance testing of new products, security testing, and advanced RIC testing

• RIC use cases reveal the potential of AI in driving network optimization including energy savings and load balancing

The O-RAN ALLIANCE (O-RAN), fulfilling its mission to transform Radio Access Networks to be open, intelligent, virtualized and fully interoperable, announced the successful completion of the O-RAN Global PlugFest Spring 2023. This event, involving major operators, carried out critical testing and validation of O-RAN technologies to support and encourage ongoing adoption by the industry. In addition, O-RAN has unveiled a lineup of demonstrations that highlight the latest advancements, on-site at MWC Shanghai, or online at the O-RAN ALLIANCE Virtual Exhibition.

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“In the Spring 2023 PlugFest, we expanded the ecosystem by testing products from new vendors. Participants validated the security of end-to-end O-RAN architecture and demonstrated the power of the RIC to support critical use cases such as quality of service and energy efficiency.”

O-RAN Global PlugFest Spring 2023

The O-RAN Global PlugFest Spring 2023 was conducted from April to June 2 in ten labs across Asia, Europe and North America, with 60 participating companies or institutions. The tests provided participants validation of O-RAN equipment conformance, performance and interoperability; tackled issues and overcome hurdles to wider technology adoption; and facilitated exploration of new features, scenarios and applications.

“The sheer scale of participation in O-RAN PlugFests is testament to industry support and momentum of deployment,” said Alex Jinsung Choi, Chair of the Board of O-RAN ALLIANCE and SVP Group Technology, Deutsche Telekom. “In the Spring 2023 PlugFest, we expanded the ecosystem by testing products from new vendors. Participants validated the security of end-to-end O-RAN architecture and demonstrated the power of the RIC to support critical use cases such as quality of service and energy efficiency.”

O-RAN ALLIANCE welcomes support of the PlugFest from its membership community and would like to give thanks to the participants listed later in this press release.

Latest Innovations of O-RAN Technology to Be Demonstrated in MWC Shanghai and Virtually

O-RAN companies plan to showcase 3 on-site and 15 virtual demonstrations, including innovations such as indoor positioning applications, cloud economics with 5G and AI applications, intelligent RAN control, machine learning load balancing, and energy-efficient network deployment solutions.

The demos reveal the incredible potential of AI in enhancing energy efficiency and load balancing, and demonstrate the ability to effectively validate the security of O-RAN networks. Additionally, there are impressive exhibits featuring energy-efficient technology for indoor network deployment and a comprehensive solution for 5G Radio Unit testing. These groundbreaking advances will revolutionize the telecom industry, reflecting the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s unwavering dedication to fostering a more open, intelligent, and efficient RAN.

These demonstrations, featuring contributions from top tech companies, highlight the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s dedication to creating a more open and efficient future RAN. Through the utilization of advanced technologies such as AI, cloud solutions, and machine learning, the O-RAN ALLIANCE is leading the way toward substantial enhancements in network performance, security, and energy efficiency.

Visit O-RAN demonstrations showcased at MWC Shanghai 2023:

• O-RAN Energy-efficiency technology by Intel and partner in hall N2, stand B13 (TietoEVRY)
• O-RAN-based integrated base stations by Sageran in hall N1, stand B124 and hall N3, stand E93 (Sageran)
• O-RAN testing solutions by Rohde & Schwarz, VIAVI Solutions and Baicells in hall N1, stand E90 (Baicells)

O-RAN ALLIANCE would like to give recognition to the latest demonstration additions from: Aarna Networks, ArrayComm, Artiza Networks, Baicells, GDCNI, Groundhog, Intel, Inventec, Lenovo, LitePoint, NVIDIA, Radisys, Rohde & Schwarz, Sageran, VIAVI Solutions, Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University.

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Participants in O-RAN Global PlugFest Spring 2023

In South Korea, the PlugFest was hosted by KT in NIA 5G Testbed Center in Pangyo. Participants included: ETRI, Fujitsu, Keysight Technologies, NTT DOCOMO and SOLiD.

In Taiwan, the PlugFest was hosted by Auray OTIC and Security lab in its two locations in Taoyuan and Kaohsiung. Participants included: Anritsu, Askey, Calnex Solutions, Capgemini Engineering, Compal, Institute for Information Industry (III), Inventec, ITRI, Keysight Technologies, LITEON, LitePoint, LIONS, Metanoia Communications, MiTAC Computing Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), Pegatron, Rohde & Schwarz, Quanta Cloud Technology (QCT), SageRAN Technology, TMYTEK, Ultraband Technologies, VIAVI Solutions, Wistron NeWeb Corp, Xena Networks.

In Europe, the PlugFest was jointly hosted by Deutsche Telekom, EANTC, EURECOM, Orange and Vodafone in 3 labs: i14y Lab in Berlin, EURECOM Lab in Sophia Antipolis and Vodafone Central O-RAN Lab in Newbury. Participants included: Benetel, Capgemini Engineering, Dell Technologies, IS-Wireless, LITEON, Net AI, Nokia, Radisys, Red Hat, Rimedo Labs, Rohde & Schwarz, VIAVI Solutions, VMware, VoerEir and Wind River.

In USA, the PlugFest was jointly hosted by University of New Hampshire, COSMOS, CableLabs and POWDER in partnership with AT&T and DISH Network, across 4 labs: University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab in Durham (NH), North American OTIC in NYC Metro Area/East (COSMOS) in North Brunswick (NJ), CableLabs Kyrio O-RAN Test and Integration Lab in Louisville (CO) and POWDER by University of Utah in Salt Lake City (UT). Participants included: Analog Devices, Calnex Solutions, Capgemini Engineering, EXFO, Fujitsu, highstreet technologies, IP Infusion, National Instruments, Red Hat, Spirent Communications, VIAVI Solutions, Wind River and Xena Networks.

The O-RAN ALLIANCE is a world-wide community of more than 300 mobile operators, vendors, and research & academic institutions operating in the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. As the RAN is an essential part of any mobile network, the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s mission is to re-shape the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized and fully interoperable mobile networks. The new O-RAN specifications enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to improve user experience. O-RAN based mobile networks at the same time improve the efficiency of RAN deployments as well as operations by mobile operators. To achieve this, the O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integration and testing of their implementations.

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