The operator group was a prominent supporter of open RAN and now appears to be translating its enthusiasm into action
MTN Group has announced it is working with the ORAN Development Company (ODC), “to develop and test innovative Open RAN solutions tailored to unique requirements of networks across Africa”. MTN serves more than 280 million customers in 16 African markets.
Apparently the ODC has headquarters in North Virginia in the US with development teams in the UK and India. Beyond that, there seems to be little information about the company.
MTN was a prominent supporter of open RAN before going somewhat quiet on the subject but now appears to be steaming ahead: MTN and ODC are to collaborate on joint lab tests and field trials.
The press statement said, “This collaboration supports MTN Group’s commitment to provide affordable, high-quality telecommunications throughout the continent, with advanced Open RAN architectures enabling greater network flexibility,”.
Matthew Johnson, Global Head of ODC, was quoted saying, “Our collaboration with MTN Group focuses ODC directly on MTN’s unique network needs, enhancing efficiencies while supporting the evolution of next-generation capabilities, silicon, and AI.”