VMware Enters Multi-Vendor Open RAN Partnership with WWT, Mavenir, and HPE

Today, global technology companies World Wide Technology (WWT), Mavenir, VMware, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced a new partnership aimed at developing an Open Radio Access Network framework. This partnership is focused on driving the telecom industry forward and accelerating adoption of Open RAN technology by communication service providers (CSPs).

With the rise of 5G technology, there has been an increasing interest in Open Radio Access Network solutions. Open RAN allows for a more flexible and interoperable network that is not limited to traditional vendor equipment providers. In theory, this promotes greater innovation, increased competition, and lower costs for network operators.

So why has Open RAN been met with industry criticism?

Despite the growing momentum for Open RAN, it has faced notable criticism in the industry, particularly regarding its lack of a single point of contact for system integration across multiple vendors. This missing link has been a major concern for CSPs, who are hesitant to take on the responsibility of multi-vendor integration due to the complexity and resources required. As a result, some in the industry have expressed concerns about the commercial viability of Open RAN compared to traditional, vendor-locked solutions.

 “A strategic partnership of vendors is the correct path for accelerating Open RAN adoption.” 

– Caroline Gabriel, Research Director, Analysts Mason WWT’s Approach: A Single Hand to Shake

Today’s announcement of a strategic partnership has unveiled a complete, end-to-end Open RAN ecosystem that CSPs can deploy at scale. WWT, as the single system integrator, assumes responsibility for testing and ensuring the interoperability of the multi-vendor solutions. One of the main advantages of this collaboration is that it combines diverse expertise from various companies, enabling the partnership to leverage the strengths of each partner to develop a comprehensive and reliable solution.

WWT and its partners deliver a minimal risk design, build, and support of an open, disaggregated solution, with WWT as the system integrator; Mavenir, the virtualized RAN (vRAN) software and radio unit provider; VMware, the telco cloud platform provider; and HPE, the compute and networking stack provider.

Ultimately, this “single hand to shake” model is critical in helping CSPs drive the business outcomes they need from an Open RAN—from energy efficiency to minimizing total cost of ownership (TCO) and driving network innovation.

VMware’s Role in Multi-Vendor Open RAN

VMware is excited to be collaborating with WWT, Mavenir, and HPE on an innovative Open RAN framework to meet our joint customers’ expectations.  WWT selected VMware as the platform provider for its RAN-optimized platform and consistent operations, which enable flexibility and choice for the system integrator.

VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN offers a single tool for multi-layer automation, VMware Telco Cloud Automation, to streamline the deployment, management, and operation of distributed RAN sites, including lifecycle management.

VMware’s extensive partner ecosystem of RAN vendors includes a fully tested and validated Mavenir vRAN solution on VMware Telco Cloud Platform RAN. This validation accelerates the overall time to market for RAN deployments, providing CSPs with a comprehensive solution that is reliable, scalable, and efficient.  Finally, the VMware platform is compatible with COTS hardware, including the certified HPE ProLiant server optimized for disaggregated RAN workloads.

Together, the published Open RAN framework will offer a clear path for CSPs to accelerate innovation and drive the adoption of disaggregated RAN technologies around the globe.

Read more about WWT’s announcement here.