Let’s frame the Open RAN value proposition to better understand the benefits of disaggregating radio hardware and software, trading single-purpose equipment for general-purpose hardware and moving vital network functions into the cloud. First and foremost, network economics need to change; for 5G, and LTE, to scale and provide the kind of meaningful business value touted in press releases and sales briefs, something has to give. Telecom operators are dropping billions of dollars every year into building networks yet are met with stagnating ARPUs, operational complexities that introduce more costs, and it’s not sustainable.
