Under the terms of the deal, Telefónica and Ericsson will also explore how to deploy Cloud RAN sites with a high degree of automation
Swedish vendor Ericsson and Spanish operator Telefónica have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the adoption towards an increasingly open network built upon Ericsson’s Cloud RAN architecture.
Under the terms of the deal, Telefónica and Ericsson will also explore how to deploy cloud RAN sites with a high degree of automation, adopting approaches “in line with best practice in cloud ecosystems”. This includes leveraging rApps in the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and service management and orchestration (SMO) architecture to enhance radio access network (RAN) solutions, the partners said.
Enrique Blanco, Telefónica Global CTIO, said: “We are excited to join forces with Ericsson. This collaboration brings together the best of both organizations, enabling us to leverage the latest advancements in virtualization and cloud technologies. The network’s transition to software-based operations and the evolution to open and disaggregated network architectures will increase flexibility, enable new network architectures and models, and boost innovation,” Blanco said.
Fredrik Jejdling, executive vice president and head of networks at Ericsson, said: “This collaboration with Telefónica aims to accelerate the development and deployment of cloud-native open networks. This will enable an open ecosystem of innovation and the way we think about the value of networks, by exposing new capabilities through standardized APIs. The latest development in O-RAN Alliance allows us to build high performance networks on Open RAN standards, at scale.”
Ericsson noted its Cloud RAN is based on an open, standardized architecture for worldwide connectivity and is fully compatible with the deployed Ericsson Radio System portfolio.
Spanish operator Movistar, which is part of telecom group Telefonica, has launched 5G Standalone (SA) coverage in Spain in July 2023.
Movistar currently covers a total of 11 cities with 5G SA technology: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ávila, Segovia, Castellón, El Ferrol and Vigo. The carrier said it expects to have extensive 5G SA coverage in most cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants by the end of this year.
Movistar’s 5G SA network, whose core was provided by Nordic vendors Ericsson and Nokia, operates in the 3.5 GHz band and guarantees browsing speeds of up to 1,600 Mbps. This deployment is complemented by the coverage that telco offers in the 700 MHz band since last year and with which it reaches more than 2,200 municipalities across Spain. The use of both spectrum bands allows Movistar to offer 5G coverage to 85% of the population.
