BT and Nokia are conducting open RAN technology trials in the UK

According to the official website of British Telecom (BT), the company will work with Nokia to develop and deploy Open RAN technology in the British city of Hull. BT will install Nokia's RAN Smart Controller (RIC) for Open RAN at multiple sites to optimize the network performance of its mobile network EE.

BT said it is committed to continuing to invest in all technologies that deliver the best customer experience, including using open architecture wherever network performance can be improved. As a result, BT is working with other vendor partners to develop Open RAN to ensure that it becomes a viable, mature, and large-scale network optimization option as soon as possible. In addition to the trial, BT will also open an Open RAN Innovation Center in its Adastral Park later this year. This will provide vendors large and small with the opportunity to develop and validate their devices, and provide a platform for open architectural progress across all network elements.

Neil McRae, Chief Architect at BT, said: "Our Open RAN trial with Nokia is one of many investments to improve the performance of our market-leading 4G and 5G EE networks and provide better service to our customers. Our high-performance, high-efficiency RAN equipment is supplied by major global vendors, enabling us to roll out 4G and now 5G at scale and enable our customers to have the best network experience. ”

BT said that as of now, 5G has been launched in hundreds of cities and towns through the EE mobile network. By 2023, EE's 5G network will cover more than half of the UK's population (four years ahead of the current UK government target), 5G connectivity solutions will be available across the UK by 2028, and the country's only fully converged network will be completed by mid-2020s.

Mark Atkinson, Senior Vice President of PLM, Nokia Wireless Access Networks, commented: "We are delighted to deepen our partnership with BT through this trial. Nokia is investing in Open RAN capabilities to enable a robust telecom ecosystem with robust network performance and security. Open and programmable RAN is capable of introducing many advanced new features that can automatically optimize 5G networks. I am looking forward to the development of this project. (C114 Ace)