Open RAN in 2025: Can It Deliver on Its Disaggregation Promise?

The conversation around Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) is becoming increasingly prominent. A prolonged debate about its feasibility continues as this next-generation radio access technology strives to establish a solid position in the market. For enterprise telecom buyers and B2B network operators, providers of various sizes worldwide have conducted trials in collaboration with multiple vendors. Interoperability plugfests are underway, national testbeds are being built, and initial deployments are starting. This is all closely watched by key stakeholders eager to see if this open, disaggregated approach can deliver on its many promises.

Ambitious Goals for the Disaggregated RAN Model

The initiative seeks to leverage open, standardized interfaces and software-driven architectures to encourage competition and reduce costs. It promotes innovation through intelligent, data-informed closed-loop network management and aims to unlock new service models using flexible, virtualized technologies.

Success depends on diversifying traditional supply chains with next-gen components like cloud platforms and automation. To meet expectations, the architecture must match or surpass the performance of conventional systems, close feature gaps, simplify interoperability, and achieve anticipated cost efficiencies. All of this introduces new, complex testing demands for business-critical network environments.

What is Hindering Open RAN Adoption?

Performance gaps and unproven, widespread multi-vendor interoperability continue to slow Open RAN momentum. In Spirent’s industry survey of 124 respondents, telecom professionals identified the following near-term hurdles:

• 40% — Multi-vendor interoperability.

• 18% — Performance and robustness issues.

• 14% — New security overheads.

• 11% — New operations and maintenance overheads.

• 5% — New system integration overheads.

• 12% — Other factors, including cost, maturity, and risk.

Why Automation is Critical for Scaling

Conducting manual trials in a complex environment is impractical due to the numerous validation needs and test variations, necessitating automation. For instance, testing the Radio Unit involves conformance and performance assessments under various real-world radio conditions, frequencies, and bandwidths.

Interoperability, mobility management, and scalability bring new validation requirements with the introduction of the Distributed Unit (DU) and the Centralized Unit (CU). It is also important to examine the RAN Intelligent Controller, and security across diverse supplier contexts is crucial.

End-to-end testing becomes crucial to checking the overall system performance as the number of required tests increases rapidly. Without automation, validating a new grid could delay product launches and impact security and reliability. For B2B telecom network teams, the disaggregated nature of Open RAN calls for vendor-neutral tests to build operator confidence and facilitate adoption, with trusted partners offering automated environments to promote collaboration and faster deployment.

Architecture Overview: Components, Roles, and Deployment Options

The following table provides an overview of the key components within an Open RAN architecture. It outlines each component’s role, the interfaces it relies on for connectivity, and typical deployment options such as dedicated hardware or cloud-based platforms.

Key Interfaces Summary

The next table highlights the primary interfaces that connect various elements of the Open RAN environment. It details which components are linked by each interface and describes each connection’s function within the overall grid.

Source: The Opportunities of Open RAN

Disaggregation Risks and Integration Hurdles

New technology from smaller companies is often less reliable than that from established phone companies, leading to potential problems in 5G networks. If one weak part fails, it can impact the entire system. All components must work well together for optimal performance.

However, newer systems are also a reason some companies do not want to change their existing systems, and can make it difficult to function with current setups. Tests help to integrate, but larger companies have to address these issues, which can be more costly and time-consuming to deploy.

Open RAN also faces supply chain delays, especially for computer chips, due to the lasting effects of COVID-19. As a result, some new 5G networks may move ahead without it, missing opportunities to adopt the technology in the process.

Deployments Are Underway, But Timelines Remain Uncertain

Major mobile network providers like Vodafone, Orange, and Telefónica are supporting and implementing Open RAN, while new entrants like Rakuten Mobile and 1&1 in Germany are launching nationwide services. 

Despite challenges in the supply chain, the Federal Communications Commission required Dish to cover 70% of the US as part of the agreement that allowed T-Mobile to buy Sprint. Dish also stated that it met all other commitments by June 14, 2023, which includes installing over 15,000 5G sites. Moreover, Vodafone aims for 30% of its European sites to use this tech by 2030. Telefónica targets 50% upgrades from 2022 to 2025. However, traditional operators are proceeding cautiously, which is slowing market progress.

The following timeline highlights the growth of Open RAN, from early tests to broader urban adoption, showcasing operator goals through 2025.

2021

• Focus: 4G in rural areas

• Operators: Vodafone, DISH

2022

• Focus: Early 5G Open RAN in indoor small cells (SC)

• Operators: Vodafone, DISH, AT&T

2023

• Focus: 5G in non-dense urban areas

• Coverage Target: 70% of the US territory by June 2023

• Operators: DISH, Vodafone, Telefónica

2024

• Focus: 5G in dense urban areas

• Operators: Vodafone, Telefónica

2025

• Focus: Open RAN edge deployments and continued dense urban expansion

• Coverage Target: 50% of 5G RAN as Open RAN by 2025

• Operators: Vodafone, Telefónica

These milestones reflect how Open RAN is steadily advancing from limited early deployments toward widespread, mainstream use, with major operators setting clear coverage targets through 2025.

End-to-End Testing Essentials

Open radio access network requires extensive trials before deploying a complete system, focusing on user equipment, separate functions, and radios. It uses standardized interfaces based on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project for radio specifications, the O-RAN Alliance, the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for transport standards. Each nodal function must meet standards and requirements, ensuring strong synchronization configurations.

After validating individual functions in the lab, they must be tested with neighboring functions, regardless of the vendor, to ensure compatibility. The entire end-to-end network, including services like voice, data, and video, must then be evaluated. This testing process becomes increasingly complex with a distributed architecture involving various providers, necessitating assessments of security, latency, cloud hosting, and the software-driven setup.

Key evaluation aspects alongside adherence to standards include:

• Compatibility between different vendors;  

• Alignment with feature requirements;  

• Effectiveness and resilience;  

• Scenarios involving mobility and transitions;  

• Safety measures;

• Scalability and capacity;

• Timing and synchronization;  

• Validation of applications and services.  

This methodology breaks down the traditional grid architecture into separate parts with numerous connections. Some of these elements may be deployed in different locations, increasing potential points of vulnerability. Because of this, security testing is crucial. It should include standard security measures and full end-to-end authentication, firewalls, and gateways.

One of the main benefits of 5G technology is its low latency, which enables new services and experiences. A key concern is whether this disaggregated network model’s increased number of connected components will introduce delays and impact overall performance.

Stress Testing for Grid Resilience: Critical Scenarios and Solutions

Experts suggest the following testing for system resilience:

• Add delays and packet loss to see how critical services like Domain Name System or image access are affected. Networking issues can also happen locally, so checking local dependencies is important.

• Reduce central processing unit, memory, or storage on server nodes or pods (the smallest deployable units of computing in a Kubernetes-managed environment) to test how the disaggregated radio access network performs under stress. Identify critical failure points to ensure the system handles resource shortages smoothly.

• Simulate pod failures to assess their impact and recovery time. Focus on understanding which parts of the architecture are most sensitive and take steps to minimize risks in these key areas.

• Test how the system handles node events like planned server reboots and unexpected server failures. This is essential for ensuring smooth remote upgrades.

Building a Robust Test Environment for Disaggregated Networks

So while Open RAN promises significant benefits, it also faces challenges that need to be addressed through robust testing and collaboration. Top companies recommend setting up a test environment that can run cloud-native workloads on virtual machines and containers. You will also need a centralized unit, a distributed unit, and other network functions to support this effort and remain competitive. As more deployments begin, thorough examination of interoperability, security, and performance will be crucial to ensure success in the market.

However, in 2025 and beyond, success in Open RAN won’t depend on architecture alone — it will come down to how effectively organizations test, integrate, and manage these new systems in production. Those who invest early in operational readiness will be best positioned to lead in the next chapter of mobile network innovation.