AT&T announced yesterday plans to become a leader in the United States in commercial scale Open RAN deployment. This move, according to AT&T, in collaboration with Ericsson, is an effort to further the telecommunications industry efforts and help build a more robust ecosystem of network infrastructure providers and suppliers. AT&T’s spend could approach roughly $14 billion over the 5-year term of the contract with Ericsson.
AT&T’s Open RAN plan is for 70 percent of its wireless network traffic to flow across open-capable platforms by late 2026. The company expects to have fully integrated open RAN sites operating in coordination with Ericsson and Fujitsu, starting in 2024. This move away from closed proprietary interfaces will enable rapid scaling and management of mixed supplier hardware at each cell site. Beginning in 2025, the company will scale this Open RAN environment throughout its wireless network in coordination with multiple suppliers such as Corning Incorporated, Dell Technologies, Ericsson, Fujitsu, and Intel.
AT&T’s and Ericsson’s multiyear joint commitment to Open RAN deployment comes at a pivotal moment in the 5G innovation cycle. This move to an open, agile, programmable wireless network positions AT&T to quickly capitalize on the next generation of wireless technology and spectrum when it becomes available. These innovative technologies will enable lower-power, sustainable networks with higher performance to deliver enhanced user experiences. Ericsson’s open architecture will provide a foundation and springboard for developers driving innovation through open and programmable networks and bringing new suppliers into the industry. This will foster modernization and competition in the U.S. wireless equipment market.
The company expects that increased competition in the U.S. RAN market will yield more innovation and greater efficiencies. Committing to Open RAN with its suppliers deploying open hardware, migrating to cloud RAN, and introducing 3rd party radios leads to more flexibility in choosing equipment, lower network costs and improved operational efficiencies, it says. This “cutting-edge” open management approach to building the network will enable the company to continue to invest in its “fast-growing broadband network.”
“AT&T is taking the lead in open platform sourcing in our wireless network,” said Chris Sambar, Executive Vice President, AT&T Network. “With this collaboration, we will open up radio access networks, drive innovation, spur competition and connect more Americans with 5G and fiber. We are pleased that Ericsson shares our support for Open RAN and the possibilities this creates for American digital infrastructure.”
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