The report is titled “What will it take for Open RAN to succeed and how far is it from mainstream adoption?” and questions whether the mobile industry should temper its enthusiasm for Open RAN.
It also examines the expectations of mobile carriers and network suppliers and brings into focus the political, commercial and technological tensions that will determine its long-term success.
“Open RAN presents an opportunity to evolve and disrupt the vendor ecosystem, bringing fresh choice for operators and supporting the emergence of a host of new companies,” said Kester Mann, Director of Consumer and Connectivity at CCS Insight and author of the report.
“Yet the path ahead will not be entirely smooth; the technology is unproven at scale and there are questions over interoperability, pricing and security. Momentum is undeniable, but it may be several years before we see a tangible impact on the market.”
The prospect for carriers is promising according to the report. Open RAN is an opportunity to dynamically manage network capacity and prioritise traffic, particularly as 5G is set to support a wide range of revenue-generating applications.
The report is also sponsored by InterDigital, and its CTO Henry Tirri said: “This report comes at a moment when telcos are preoccupied with the next stage of mobile network evolution, particularly as we move into the 5G era, and contemplate 6G.”
“It reflects the views of mobile carriers and infrastructure suppliers regarding the adoption of Open RAN, considers the motivating factors leading telcos to adopt, and offers a transparent appraisal of the challenges associated with such a large-scale transformation.
“This report delivers a thorough examination of what’s missing and what’s required to turn ambition into reality.”
The full report can be found here.
Last year, it was reported that Open RAN was on track to see a year on year growth of 250% in 2020, despite the sector comprising a mere 1% of the total market.
