The National Spectrum Consortium and Linux Foundation have announced a formal collaboration focused on Open RAN software prototypes, demonstrations and development, including an open-source reference stack.
The NSC is a group of nearly 400 organizations that operates under a streamlined contract authority that is meant to enable closer and faster collaboration between government and industry, giving the federal government direct access to private companies in order for the government to quickly acquire and leverage new technologies.
NSC and Linux Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding on a formal relationship focused on Open RAN. Specifically, the two organization have committed to establishing an “open and neutral framework” for Open RAN, meant to spur more academic, government and commercial research and development.
“We are eager to work with the NSC in creating a stable, open, secure reference stack for Open RAN,” said Arpit Joshipura, GM of networking, edge and IoT for the Linux Foundation. “By combining resources, we’ll accelerate access to Open RAN and wireless technology across the United States across verticals and into government, academia, and small business. Our robust open source development infrastructure across the networking stack and within the cybersecurity space is a natural partner for the NSC’s spectrum development work already in play.”
Joe Kochan, executive director of the NSC, added: “When it comes to tackling tough wireless issues across industries, as our two organizations do, two heads are better than one. We look forward to our ongoing collaboration on Open RAN R&D and other wireless and networking innovation.”
Goals of the effort also include recommending prototype projects to the Department of Defense for funding, and helping to develop scopes-of-work for projects including security requirements, interoperability requirements and upstream and downstream CI/CD, among others. The partners also want to establish an “Open Source Open RAN program that can assist DoD and other federal agencies with funding, tracking, coordinating, and publicizing” the associated Open RAN prototype projects.
