HCL Tech sets up 5G open RAN lab in India

HCL Technologies (HCL) on Wednesday launched a 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) lab in India that will enable global telecom industry players to transition to a 5G network.

This will be one of the major projects for the company in India. The company otherwise has revenues coming in from the US and Europe markets.

Interoperable 5G network
This lab will help telecom service providers with multi-vendor options move to a more open, intelligent, virtualised and fully interoperable 5G mobile network to provide an enhanced experience to end-users.

O-RAN architecture benefits include more market competition, customer choice, lower equipment costs and improved network performance. The 5G O-RAN systems will help businesses transform their network capabilities and will bring in opportunities to create new, immersive user experiences and services, the company said in a statement.

“This lab will enable a broad community of O-RAN component suppliers, driven by innovation and open market competition to test the interoperability of products, which will enable smoother rollouts for 5G network providers,” Vijay Anand Guntur, Corporate Vice President of Engineering and R&D Services, HCL, said.

New players
As the O-RAN ecosystem opens, new players have a unique opportunity to provide open radio- and intelligence-focused solutions that will ensure a reliable 5G network experience, he said.

“This HCL lab will help both vendors and 5G network providers accelerate their deployments and improve costs,” he added.

As operators adopt O-RAN, they are increasingly looking for a player to provide interoperability, compliance and interface testing solutions, Ayon Banerjee, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group said adding that “Lab-as-a-Service offering from this O-RAN lab provides a comprehensive network testing solution.” The Hindu BusinessLine