Vodafone is testing technology in Europe, which may break the shackles of Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei on telecommunications equipment. The world’s second-largest mobile network provider said on Monday that it will test the Open Radio Access Network (OpenRAN) in the UK, which could increase the number of telecom network equipment companies and break the monopoly of 5G.

OpenRAN, developed by the Industry Association’s Telecommunications Infrastructure Project (TIP), standardizes the infrastructure, antenna mast and antenna design and functionality used by mobile network operators. The technology may encourage emerging companies to challenge existing Ericsson (ERIC), Nokia (NOK) and Huawei, and offer more options for telecommunications equipment for companies such as Verizon (VZ), AT&T (T) and Vodafone.

“The global supply of telecommunications network equipment has been concentrated in a very small number of companies,” Vodafone (VOD) added in a statement that more suppliers will increase flexibility and innovation.

 An open choice

In the last few decades, the number of equipment suppliers has decreased, making operators fascinated by a few very large suppliers. OpenRAN may change this situation over time, introducing more competition and lowering the price of telecom companies, as telecom companies are facing the introduction of expensive 5G technology. By standardizing hardware, the platform should allow new vendors to compete on the software.

Vodafone has deployed the new technology in Congo and Mozambique and will now offer 2G, 3G and 4G services. “It is possible to implement 5G on OpenRAN in the future,” Vodafone said.

One of the main targets of the United States is Huawei in China, which aims to prevent mobile network operators from using their equipment for national security reasons.  Huawei denied that its products are at risk, but some countries are trying to limit the use of their devices, while other countries are investigating the issue, which poses a difficult choice for mobile operators building 5G networks.

Ovum’s senior analyst Julian Brett said: “OpenRAN’s share of the telecom equipment market is small, and this situation is unlikely to change in the near future. It is difficult to regard 5G as an inflection point, OpenRAN will suddenly gain a huge market share.”

Bright said that telecom operators have begun to choose 5G suppliers, and the trend is to purchase most of their 5G equipment from existing suppliers. But Paul Triolo, director of global technology policy at the Eurasian Group, said it may take a decade for the 5G to be launched independently, and OpenRAN may play a bigger role.

 Vodafone’s goal

Vodafone CEO Nick Read said in a statement that Vodafone is seeking to “actively expand” its supplier ecosystem. The company has begun working with a number of new vendors offering OpenRAN technology, including US companies Parallel Wireless and Mavenir, as well as Lime Microsystems in the UK.

“OpenRAN has improved network economics, enabling us to reach out to more people in rural areas and supporting our goal of building a digital society in which no one is left behind,” Read said.

A Vodafone spokesperson told us that more than 100 possible locations in the UK have been identified for OpenRAN trials.

Analyst Usman Ghazi said that by testing the technology in a market as large as the UK, Vodafone can help emerging companies attract money and eventually expand to compete with competitors.

Summary

With the popularity of 5G, more and more manufacturers are joining the trend of 5G. I believe that in the days to come, 5G will be applied by more people like 4G.