Who’s Winning in Open RAN?

Open RAN is one of the most talked-about topics in telecom. But who actually appears to be gaining traction in the market with CSP projects?

This latest analysis provides a snapshot of the speed and extent of market development, and individual vendor progress. The goal is to help inform the strategies and decisions of CSP in considering their open RAN strategies and candidate vendor choices. The decisions that telecom CEOs, CFOs, CTOs and Heads of Network need to make must be informed by a view of what is happening in the wider market, not only point technology evaluations.

Similarly, vendor strategies may warrant adjustment, on the basis of standings relative to competitors, or partners.

To inform such thinking, in mid-2021, we believe it is important and already relevant to ask wider market questions regarding Open RAN:

1. Is Open RAN already coalescing quickly around a small number of vendors or ecosystems?
2. For new or established vendors aspiring to own a piece of the Open RAN pie, which areas of the market still offer the best potential?
3. Since one key theme within the Open RAN movement is diversification of vendor selections, is there evidence that CSPs are forming relationships beyond telecom’s “Big Three plus One“ (Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei and Samsung)?

From the analysis in this snapshot, operators and vendors with an interest in Open RAN should be able to gain a clearer view of how and where the Open RAN market is progressing fastest, and to consider adjusting their strategies accordingly.