The company is working with partners including Mavenir, DenseAir and WaveMobile to introduce O-RAN solutions, a type of network technology that is open and software-defined. This will open up O2’s Radio Access Network (RAN) to smaller non-traditional RAN partners.
Brendan O’Reilly, O2’s chief technology officer, commented, “Connectivity is a lifeline for consumers and businesses alike and we’re committed to delivering the best possible network experience for our customers. O-RAN represents a really exciting opportunity to deliver better coverage, in more places, more of the time. By opening up our radio access network to smaller vendors, and as we look towards wider adoption of 5G, O-RAN will be part of the solution to bring the latest connectivity to more people around the country”.
Mavenir will provide mobile connectivity in high-density environments in London, with locations including stadiums and shopping centres.
O2’s partnership with DenseAir will involve deploying 4G and 5G networks over an O-RAN solution at Millbrook Proving Ground. This will provide a public and private network for the testing and development of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology.
WaveMobile has an active O-RAN network that carries mobile traffic for O2 customers on several sites across the UK. It will look to expand this type of solution to provide community based mobile services in areas that do not currently have network coverage.
