NTT Data's UK’s Head of Networks Matthew O’Neill has welcomed the Government’s funding of nine new 5G products as a sign that vendor-neutral Open RAN technology will take centre stage in UK network infrastructure.
The Government announced it will pump £28m into nine 5G products to explore its potential across British industries including entertainment, tourism and ports. More than half of the projects will use Open RAN to provide greater diversification in the 5G supply chain.
"This announcement signposts that Open RAN technology will be a key part of UK networks, reflecting the shift in government policy after the ban on Huawei in 2020,”: said O’Neill.
“Open RAN's vendor-neutral and software-defined technology will enable improved interoperability between components from different suppliers and ultimately result in greater cooperation between vendors in the UK telco market”
This round of 5G funding is the latest step in the 5G Create project, a £200m Government investment and competition to asses the possible uses of 5G.