Night view of Paris: the new Open RAN Integration Center is located in the Orange Gardens in Châtillon, southwest of Paris. (Image: Pixabay)

Orange opened its Open RAN Integration Center on November 10, 2021. Companies in the Open RAN ecosystem will be able to test and validate their products and services there.

The new Open RAN Integration Center is located in the Orange Gardens in Châtillon, near Paris. It has been awarded the OTIC (Open Testing and Integration Center) label by the O-RAN Alliance, of which Orange is a founding member, and is available to equipment suppliers of the Open RAN ecosystem, start-ups and system integrators who wish to test the operation and interoperability of their components with those of other suppliers. The Open RAN Integration Center network will also be accessible remotely.

Several partners developing Open RAN hardware or software will test their products in this new test center, including:

  • Amphenol
  • AW2S / SERMA
  • Benetel
  • Cellwize
  • DELL
  • Intel
  • Keysight
  • Nokia
  • Samsung
  • VIAVI

“With the creation of an Open RAN Integration Center, open to our partners worldwide, we want to accelerate the development of an open, intelligent, cloud-based RAN and create a rich Open RAN ecosystem in Europe. From 2025 onwards, our ambition is to deploy only Open RAN equipment across Europe ” said Michaël Trabbia, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Orange. (Image: Orange, Nicolas Gouhier)

The interoperability and integration of the various Open RAN hardware and software elements is a key element for the emergence of a rich and varied ecosystem. For several years, Orange has been working alongside many operators and vendors to create the open networks of tomorrow, such as Open RAN networks, that are based on virtualization and automation. After a first stage focused on technical specifications, Orange is now contributing to the second stage – the development of interoperable, multi-vendor Open RAN technical solutions.

About Open RAN

Traditional Radio Access Networks (RANs) consist of hardware and software integrated by a single provider, with software and hardware interfaces operating in a closed proprietary system. The so-called Open RAN technology makes it possible to open these networks to different suppliers and equipment manufacturers, thereby helping to improve the management and maintenance of these networks, reducing the costs of deployment and operation, making them more flexible in case of evolution, and adjusting them to the needs of end customers. It is also based on generic servers and natively integrates artificial intelligence into its operating principles. This technology is currently being specified and developed.