OpenRAN in the future or SimpleRAN now? Complexity vs simplicity...

100% software vRAN was first introduced in the Market in 2012 when every operators was dealing with "closedRAN" (RAN made of black boxes).

Since 2016, when vRAN was first named as such during MWC, every industry players have been (very) slowly starting to understand what this software approach can bring to them, especially in terms of ROI and supplier diversity.

Obviously the huge telecommunication business cake created interest of entire new born companies pretending to be 4G and then 5G experts...

The reality is very different.

During a past article, I said that vRAN was the mandatory evolution from 4G to 5G. But no operator really understood the message and now they are about to repeat the same exact historical error: they are going to deploy 5G system from legacy vendors, re-entering into this never ending locking process which they would like to escape from.

The only solution available to reverse this 5G locking in progress is the one that was already existing in 4G: it is called SimpleRAN.

In a few words, SimpleRAN is made of existing standards and is available now.

SimpleRAN is based on vRAN with published and open API concerning CPRI/eCPRI/Ethernet RRU on one side, X2/Xn/S1/NG on the other side. It is a combination of 3GPP standard and ORI ETSI interface. Simply said, it makes interoperability testing much easier, fast and straight forward.

SimpleRAN is basically an eNodeB/gNodeB able to connect to all kind of ORI RRH, all kind of ePC/5GC and all kind of eNodeB/gNodeB. It is available today, not in 2023 and a smooth way to get into 100% software vRAN flexibility and reliability.

OpenRAN is just another group of (US?) companies trying to impose another unique model and pretend it is fully open. It's a "good" inititative but OpenRAN is too complex and just another hardware architecture to compensate limited capacity of a few companies. When you can’t do all, one way to impose your limited technology is to make sure you split the eNodeB or the gNodeB where your limitations start. That is to say for example in the PHY layer. RRH hardware manufacturer are not software specialist so it is a waste of time asking them to implement split 7.2. “ORI Split 8.0” should be their first target and then focus on what they know the most: Radio by improving energy consumption and doing NxN MIMO. Do what you know how to do the best, and leave the rest to others. And while I’m talking to you, all Legacy Tiers1 are deploying 5G RRH that are not 7.2 compatible. Are you going to ask them to trash them? Same problem for upper layers with this CU/DU split. It took 6 years to the industry to implement ORI CPRI very simple standard. Imagine what is going to happen with the CU/DU and when two competitors will have to tightly cooperate during IoT for this thing to interoperate...

Complexity never made it through in history. Integration of multiple pieces before your g/eNodeB is working full steam is going to be a nightmare. The performance of the resulting network in the street is going to be much lower than one unique manufacturer solution. Has anyone ever imposed restrictions to Ferrari on how components of cars work internally? Has anyone care them to be compatible with Aston Martin transmission or Lamborghini fuel pump? All what matters is to drive a full performance and reliable car coming with best warranty. Then comes the price. I could take a similar example with Intel and AMD for cpus. Few basic questions to OpenRAN supporters: What are you going to do when your OpenRAN architecture is going to reach only half of the performance of a SimpleRAN one? Whom are you going to blame for it? The transmission manufacturer? The engine manufacturer? The electronic sensor manufacturer? Who else? SimpleRAN allows to switch from one manufacturer to another in no time with historical accurate delimitations of responsibility whereas OpenRAN is blurry, totally new and unproven efficiency. History has proven that you could deploy one ePC and radios from different vendors. The only remaining technical lock is the CPRI link to the RRH. Opening it is more than enough to compete. At the very least, Operators should better understand now that requesting an ORI interface to the RRH they are buying today is mandatory. If they do this, they will be able to change and test all kind of vRAN in the future. If they don't, they will have to wait another hypothetic round of 6G? to have a chance to escape.

OpenRAN is too late and too complex for 5G and will stay in the labs.

SimpleRAN is the only way to go 5G for legacy operators to open competition. The good news is that fully operational product lines are available today. To conclude, X2/Xn/S1/NG and ORI is the simplest(RAN) option to reach freedom for Tiers1 now.