Summary
- Ministry of
Science and ICT holds the launching ceremony for "Open RAN Industry
Alliance (ORIA)"
- SK Telecom
(Chair), KT, LG U+, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and other industry
leaders participate as board members
- Announcement of
the policy direction for open RAN industry, including expansion of "Open
RAN Testbeds" and global demonstration projects
- Showcase of
collaboration between large businesses and SMEs, such as Samsung
Electronics-Solid Co., Nokia-Samji Electronics, and more
On August 16th, at the Business Assistance Hub in Pangyo 2nd
Techno Valley, the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong Ho,
hereinafter referred to as 'MSIT') held a launching ceremony for the "Open
RAN Industry Alliance (ORIA)," which was established in April. The event
was attended by telecommunications companies, manufacturers, software firms and
experts from academia and industry related to open RAN technology. During the
ceremony, MSIT presented its vision for open RAN policies and the operational
direction of ORIA.
According to a study conducted by OMDIA in April, major countries
including the United States and Japan are actively introducing open RAN
framework into their national telecommunications networks to diversify their
pool of telecommunications equipment suppliers. With the additional demand from
developing countries in near future, the open RAN market is projected to grow
more than fivefold from $1.2 billion in 2021 to $6.4 billion in 2026. In
response to this growth in the open RAN market, MSIT has announced the
"Open RAN Development Policy Initiatives," which a focus on
establishing supportive infrastructure for full lifecycle commercialization,
securing technological and standardization-related competitiveness, and
promoting a collaborative ecosystem spanning from the public to private
sectors.
Highlights in the Open RAN Development Policy Initiatives are as follows. First
and foremost, by installing equipment made by global manufacturers into the
Open RAN Testbed in Pangyo, MSIT aims to expand testing and demonstration
opportunities for domestic businesses. Building on this practice, an
international certification system for open RAN equipment will be established,
known as K-OTIC (Korea Open Testing and Integration Center). Based on such
infrastructure, support will be provided for the commercialization and market
entry of domestic open RAN businesses and products. In addition, international
events (tentatively called Plugfest), where interoperability of open RAN
equipment is verified, will be held twice a year, attracting both domestic and
foreign businesses.
Figure 1: Central functionalities of K-OTIC
Next, comprehensive support will be provided to domestic businesses to
secure competitiveness in essential technologies, aligned with the
developmental stages of open RAN technology. Through open RAN research and
development (R&D) projects, core technologies such as in components,
equipment, and software, will be developed. Research for domestic and
international standardization will be pursued, including active participation
in international collaboration* with major countries such as the United States
and the United Kingdom.
* (Korea-US) Joint
research project for performance enhancement currently in action, with plans to
expand collaboration with leading universities such as New York University and
Columbia University.
* (Korea-UK) Joint
research project for improved power efficiency of open RAN equipment in action.
Figure 2: R&D plans aligned with the developmental stages of open RAN
technology
Finally, a collaborative ecosystem for open RAN industry will be
cultivated, based on cooperation between the public and private sectors, large,
medium, and small-sized enterprises. This will ensure that securing open RAN
infrastructure and technological capabilities results in occupying the leading
position in both domestic and international markets. The establishment of ORIA,
which is an organizational body of private-public partnership, will accelerate
the development and advancement of open RAN technology, and will serve as a
focal point for driving the discovery and expansion of demand in and out.
In conjunction with these
government policies, ORIA has announced its vision and strategy as follows.
First, ORIA will participate in the planning and coordination of the
government's open RAN R&D roadmap to contribute to the enhancement of
domestic businesses' technological competitiveness. Second, ORIA will take a
leading role in domestic and international demonstration and interoperability
verification (Plugfest) projects, to generate new open RAN demand. Third, ORIA
will actively engage in the establishment of an international certification
system and standardization process for open RAN equipment, thereby creating a
foundation for entering the global market, and assist Korea in becoming a
"leading nation in open RAN technologies and products." SK Telecom
has become the inaugural chair of ORIA to lead the open RAN ecosystem.
On August 16th, Minister
Lee Jong Ho of Science and ICT visited the "AI Network Lab," an open
RAN testbed operated by National Information Society Agency. (NIA) During the
visit, the Minister observed open RAN-based base station equipment and received
an explanation about the role and future plans of the testbed.
Continuing to the booth visits,
Minister Lee was introduced to the exemplary cases of collaboration between
large businesses and small- and medium-sized enterprises. This included the
joint entry of Samsung Electronics and Solid Co. into the US market, as well as
Nokia and Samji Electronics' interoperability demonstration of open RAN
equipment. Moreover, the Minister examined the achievements in open RAN
equipment development and plans for commercialization by promising SMEs that
are stepping up to the challenge in the open RAN market, such as HFR Inc.,
InnoWireless, and FRTek.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of O-RAN
Alliance, a global private organization spearheading the international
discussions on open RAN technology and standards, sent a video message from
Germany. In the message, the Chairman congratulated the establishment of ORIA,
and proposed active cooperation between two bodies. With the participation of
30 businesses and relevant organizations, including demand-side entities
(telecommunications operators) and supply-side entities (telecommunications
equipment manufacturers and software developers) that together consist the open
RAN ecosystem, ORIA is anticipated to engage in vigorous international
cooperation in the field of open RAN technology and standardization.
Minister Lee Jong Ho emphasized, "Amidst intensifying global
technological competition surrounding communication networks, open RAN is
gaining attention as a key element for taking the higher ground in this
competition." He further stated, "Through ORIA, we aim to create a
collaborative and mutually beneficial ecosystem among the public and private
sectors, as well as large businesses and SMEs. We also look forward to proactive
engagement into international cooperation in open RAN technology and
standardization, which will expand the outreach of Korea in terms of
cooperation in advanced technologies in general, not limited to international
joint research in the future."
For further information, please contact the Public
Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr)
of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Please refer to the attached PDF.