26.02.2024
Open RAN in Germany:O2 Telefónica and Ericsson launch first Cloud RAN implementation in Europe
- O2 Telefónica will begin deploying Ericsson Cloud RAN, supporting 5G Standalone (SA), in Offenbach, Germany in H1 2024
- Leveraging the latest advancements in virtualization and cloud technologies, the Cloud RAN solution will enable greater flexibility, faster service delivery and increase network scalability.
- Deployment gives rise to a powerful new range of services and enhanced user experience for O2 Telefonica customers while paving the way for more open and programmable network functionalities.
The Cloud RAN deployment will give rise to a powerful new range of services and enhanced customer experiences for the European market
O2 Telefónica in Germany and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) will start deploying Cloud RAN, supporting 5G Standalone (SA), in Offenbach, Germany in the first half of 2024, marking the first deployment of Ericsson Cloud RAN in Europe.
The joint initiative will leverage the latest advancements in virtualization and cloud technologies to enable greater flexibility, faster service delivery, and increased network scalability. Virtualization is a key pillar of Open RAN technology and essential in the journey toward more open and programmable networks. The Cloud RAN deployment will give rise to a powerful new range of services and enhanced customer experiences for the European market. The inclusion of cloud-centralized components will also enable the exploration of new business models and revenue generation initiatives.
Mallik Rao
Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer, O2 Telefónica, says: ”We are constructing our network of the future to offer Germany’s consumers and businesses the best network experience and new digital services. Our cloud transformation in the core and RAN network is an important building block for a flexible, fully automated, high-performance network. We are delighted to partner with Ericsson to add modern Cloud RAN technology to our partner portfolio. We are working with the best players in the field to drive forward network innovation in the German market.”
Daniel Leimbach
Daniel Leimbach, Head of Customer Unit Western Europe, Ericsson, says: “Ericsson takes leadership in industrializing Open RAN. We are proud to be embarking on this journey with our partner, Telefónica Germany. Building on our 5G packet core cloud native collaboration, we are jointly cloudifying the network to pave the way for the network of the future.”
Cloud RAN technology from Ericsson in use
Deploying Cloud RAN technology will enable O2 Telefónica to rapidly introduce new software capabilities, adopt an Open RAN approach in the service management and orchestration (SMO) architecture, and leverage rApps to further enhance its solutions. The deployment will also facilitate greater flexibility and agility, while unlocking a host of new capabilities based on centralized components.
The solution is powered by Ericsson’s open-fronthaul prepared radios and supported by ecosystem partners HPE and Intel. O2 Telefónica will also use Ericsson’s Cloud Native Infrastructure solution.
This initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Ericsson and Telefónica S.A. in September 2023 to accelerate the adoption towards an increasingly open network built upon Ericsson’s Cloud RAN architecture with trial deployments in Europe.
The joint initiative will also open the door for other comunication service providers (CSPs) to take advantage of network automation and RAN programmability to enhance the flexibility, scalability, and simplification of their mobile networks.
| About Telefónica: O2 Telefónica is a leading full-service provider of telecommunications services for consumers and business customers. The portfolio of the core brand O2 and various secondary and partner brands includes not only traditional telephony and Internet connections but also innovative digital services in the area of the Internet of Things and data analysis. In mobile communications, O2 Telefónica serves more than 45 million mobile lines (incl. M2M - as of December 31, 2023). No other network operator connects more people in this country. The company's high-performance, award-winning mobile network reaches over 99% of the population. In the fixed network, O2 Telefónica offers its customers the greatest technological diversity and geographical availability of any provider in Germany. Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2012. In fiscal year 2023, the company generated revenues of EUR 8.6 billion with around 7,500 employees. The company is majority-owned by the Madrid-based Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., one of the largest telecommunications groups in the world. |
| About Ericsson: Ericsson enables communications service providers and enterprises to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans the following business areas: Networks, Cloud Software and Services, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Global Communications Platform, and Technologies and New Businesses. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. |
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Written by: Florian Streicher
Florian Streicher ist Pressesprecher (Senior Media Relations Manager) für Technologie- und HR-Themen bei O2 Telefónica. Er ist seit 2017 in der Kommunikationsabteilung des Unternehmens tätig, wo er sich um die kommunikativen Schwerpunkte Netzausbau, 5G, IT, Technologie-Innovationen und Personalthemen kümmert. Zuvor war er in der Kommunikationsberatung tätig.