Standards body ATIS has released an updated version of its Open RAN Minimum Viable Profile (Open RAN MVP), or minimum, common technical requirements for North American operators.
The initial Open RAN MVP, a common set of baseline capabilities that vendors can use as indicative of what North American carriers require in O-RAN solutions, was published last September. The expanded version that ATIS just published “more fully addresses multi-vendor deployment and interoperability issues” in areas such as fronthaul control and management, and also includes interoperability test profiles.
“Existing standards and specifications provide the technical basis for Open RAN deployment but contain considerable optionality in areas including Open RAN architecture, functional capabilities, and performance,” ATIS explained in a press release. “Navigating the range of optionality has been challenging within the trusted equipment supply chain. The MVP will assist in the development, integration, and deployment of Open RAN solutions.”
“This expanded MVP will further accelerate the commercial deployment of Open RAN solutions and innovations in North America,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller, adding: “The MVP, developed through this collaboration, is an essential solution for ensuring interoperability and deployment of multi-vendor Open RAN solutions in North America.”
Jeff Blum, EVP of External and Government Affairs at EchoStar, said that the expanded Open RAN MVP “promotes competition and will further drive Open RAN adoption across North America and beyond. We look forward to continuing our shared efforts to refine and expand this Minimum Viable Profile even further.”
Rob Soni, VP of Radio Access Network Technology at AT&T, commented: “Expanding common technical requirements for everyone will be a significant enabler of innovation and operational excellence. It will allow us to deliver superior network solutions to our customers and stakeholders, fostering a more interconnected and advanced digital ecosystem.”
In other test news:
–Viavi Solutions this week launched what it says is the industry’s first “all-in-one” solution for continuous edge network testing and monitoring at scale. Called XEdge, the solution leverages a multi-carrier radio frequency (RF) probe and centralized controller that enables either on-site or remote management. The test and monitoring company emphasized in particular that the solution “integrates seamlessly with existing systems.” XEdge supports both 5G Standalone and Non-Standalone, and LTE FDD and TDD, and supports interfaces for Wi-Fi, cellular, Ethernet and USB/USB-C, Viavi noted.
“Cost-effective reliability and performance are critical when it comes to edge and enterprise applications. Viavi’s XEdge is designed to be a simple, unattended system that gives peace of mind to those responsible for delivering low-latency, reliable edge environments,” said Deepak Shahane, SVP and GM of Service Enablement for Viavi.“By addressing the complexities of new wireless technologies in addition to the challenges of traditional network management, XEdge is a key sensoring platform that helps reduce operational costs and enhance network performance, which ultimately leads to higher-performing networks and satisfied users.”
Viavi will be showcasing XEdge during this year’s Mobile World Congress Barcelona.
–Fortive announced some details of its plan to spin off its precision technologies unit into an independent public company named Ralliant. That company will include Fortive solutions and brands in test and measurement, specialty sensors, and aerospace, defense, and space subsystems.
Fortive plans to provide an update to investors on its timeline for separation of the Ralliant business during its earnings call this Friday.
–Keysight Technologies said that with partner Alea, it is the first test company to validate a mission-critical 3GPP Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) test case for mission-critical-push-to-talk (MCPTT). The validation used Keysight’s S8704A Protocol Conformance Toolset and involved a MCPTT test case that was approved by the Global Certification Forum in late January.
In other Keysight news this week, the company has opened a new 6G lab in partnership with the University of Malaga in Spain. The Malaga 6G Research and Innovation lab “is an integral part of Keysight’s European infrastructure,” the test company said in a release, and it has workspaces with three themes: Monitor, with access to the Victoria Network 5G/6G experimentation platform run by the university; Measurement, a space equipped with extensive Keysight test equipment and software; and Experience, with technology demonstrations highlighting things such as potential 6G use cases. Read more details in this story.
