Re: Open RAN
"From the operator point-of-view, this network architecture change is going to be what drives cost-savings over the next decade, and is the important part of 5G"
I'm a big believer in open standards based architectures especially where multivendor interoperability can cost effectively deliver real benefits. But who benefits here and what are those alleged benefits?
Cost savings? Or is it more likely to be vendors looking for increased kit sales?
Will it lead to lowered end user costs? Doubt it. That was promised with 3G and 4G wireless/mobile and even with Fixed Wireless Access broadband, What benefits actually were there in the UK or elsewhere?
Will it lead to service improvements e.g. better and more reliable coverage? Doubt it (the smartmeter networking fiasco might have been an ideal opportunity for joined up thinking, but we don't do that kind of thing here).
Will they lead to disappointments in unrelated areas, e.g. continued decrease in quality of, and ultimately the end of, free to air broadcast TV across the UK? I expect so - the nice people at Ofcon have flogged off some of the current digital broadcast bandwidth (e.g. where COM7 lived?) to be used for 5G instead (whatever 5G might mean in the real world).
The monopolies of concern in this picture don't look like Ericsson etc, not from where most people are anyway.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
