Omantel backs GCC telecoms’ drive toward Open RAN

Muscat: Omantel, the leading provider of integrated telecommunication services in the Sultanate of Oman, has expressed its full support to the adoption of Open Radio Access Networks (RAN), a totally new approach to building mobile networks that seamlessly connect smartphones and devices to the internet and other users.

Omantel is an active member of the joint GCC Consortium that seeks to accelerate the early adoption of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) solutions in the operators’ networks with a robust regional ICT ecosystem.

The consortium has published a whitepaper that sets out the challenges of deploying Open RAN in brownfield networks, such as interoperability, operational complexity, cyber security, performance, and TCO issues. It also addresses potential opportunities, mainly 5G prospects, disaggregation, the path to 6G, and Automation.

Dr. Ali Al Hashmi, General Manager of Network at Omantel, said, "Omantel shares the GCC operators’ view that Open RAN development is rapidly accelerating towards a point of maturity with major performance enhancements and capabilities, in particular for LTE and 5G technologies and beyond. Omantel has been playing a major role in contributing to the tech and telecom industry not just in Oman, but in the GCC. Our strong support to this project reflects Omantel’s strong position as the main enabler for the future of tech and telecom in Oman.”

Historically, RAN has undergone a series of developments in the network architecture. Starting with traditional RAN, it progressed to centralized RAN (C-RAN) and virtualized RAN (vRAN), until the dawn of Open RAN. The first three were vendor lock-in, while Open RAN architecture provides openness and lays the foundation for 6G and future RAN.

Open RAN technology enables the creation of all software and hardware components of the RAN to be built to industry-wide specifications, ensuring interoperability between each component. Open Interfaces allow operators to select hardware from variety of suppliers to mix and match during deployment. This gives operators wide options to choose from available options, specifications and eventually achieve optimized costs and timelines.

To view the whitepaper, please visit the link.

Omantel is the Sultanate’s first and leading integrated telecommunications services provider, enabling the digital society to flourish, allowing new ways of doing business and delivering a world of information, news, and entertainment. While striving to ensure an optimum customer satisfaction, Omantel plays a key social role to provide the required support and assistant to all sectors amongst the Omani society.