Benetel has lent its participation to the SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre (SONIC), a joint program between Digital Catapult and Ofcom aimed at validation of interoperability and integration between various OpenRAN solutions. SONIC, which goes into operation in May 2021, will combine comprehensive laboratory testing capabilities with small-scale implementation activities.
Benetel will provide SONIC with OpenRAN radio units (O-RUs). These will be integrated with products from other solution providers to fully demonstrate OpenRAN’s multi-vendor capabilities and the open ecosystem that it supports.
“We welcome Benetel’s involvement in SONIC. Our goal is to ensure multi-vendor OpenRAN interoperability and the availability of advanced, deployment-ready OpenRAN solutions to address the UK 5G market,” states Joe Butler, CTO of Digital Catapult.
Benetel works with leading players and open initiatives, such as the O-RAN Alliance, the OpenAirInterface Software Alliance (OSA), the Telecom Infrastructure Project (TIP), Open RAN Policy Coalition, and now SONIC, to provide RUs over fronthaul networks that interwork with virtualized baseband units. This open disaggregated RAN is the backbone of next-generation mobile network infrastructure.
Benetel, www.benetel.com