The role of 5G: a key factor in the automation of RANs

Telecommunications companies are in constant research trying to make their networks more efficient and improve their processes.

That is why new technologies and the digital transformation play an essential role. Currently, telecommunication operators are working on offering and improving their networks with the benefits of 5G helping this transformation and making their equipment and infrastructures more automated. These 5G networks will be key to the expansion of RAN.

But what is the Radio Access Network?

A radio access network (RAN) is ”part of a mobile telecommunications system that implements a radio access technology which resides between a device such as a mobile phone, a computer or any remotely controlled machine and provides a connection to its central network”. Other technologies such as Open RAN and Virtual RAN appeared with the emergence of RAN.

Open RAN, or open radio access networks, refers to ”a new paradigm in which cellular radio networks, consisting of hardware and software equipment from multiple vendors, operating over network interfaces that are truly open and interoperable”. This allows units from one supplier to relate and work with units from other suppliers, as RAN Sharing is known.

Virtual RAN (vRAN) is ”the virtualization of the baseband unit so that it runs as software on generic hardware platforms”. The whole concept of the RAN revolves around the idea of saving on network elements, in this case, the radiating equipment, by sharing them between several operators. They all use the same hardware, but then, using the software, they can separate the traffic of each one of them to give service to their clients.

Currently, MNO’s are working on progressing the design, development, optimisation, testing and industrialisation of Open RAN technologies in which, thanks to this sharing of networks through software, companies manage to save costs on equipment through sharing, making them more profitable and flexible. The cost of implementing 5G networks is expected to be reduced by 50% thanks to Open RAN networks.

RAN will lead to the automation of telecommunication tower networks.

According to the latest research of Analysis Mason “By 2025 almost 80% expect to have automated 40% or more of their network operations.” The Open RAN architecture will make easier this incorporation of intelligence, needed by maximizing the automation and optimization of networks, key for the latest network generation.

At Atrebo, we are aware of the importance of the sustainability and efficiency of our customers’ processes. We have developed a specific module, in TREE, the automation and infrastructure management platform, to help our customers manage their RAN sharing, called TREE.RANSharing.This module is designed to handle spectrum sharing requests and processes. It integrally controls all the processes related to the sharing of capacity of radiant systems shared between several operators, making possible:

• Monitor them, as well as adding new processes
• Carry out rapid audits of current and ongoing processes relating to sharing of radiant resources.

All these functions are integrated into the module of our TREE platform which, together with the Sharing module, facilitates the integration of both space and network equipment sharing.