![]() The commercial argument is driving industry change. The security argument against vendor lock-in points to the risks of being tied to suppliers, such as Chinese firms, whose products are suspected of security flaws. This reasoning gained significant traction during the Trump era and drives the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) ‘rip and replace’ program to do away with network gear from firms like Huawei and ZTE. Security has also been positioned as a major drawback of traditional proprietary infrastructure. This ‘ vendor-locked’ arrangement means mobile network operators (MNOs) are limited to the supply schedules and component offerings of their contracted vendor.Ĭommercially, this arrangement has long favoured the supplier, with operators seeking cost efficiencies and technological agility complaining of their limited options. These components are not interoperable – that is, they cannot function in agreement with equipment built by alternative suppliers. The RAN is what connects your devices to other parts of the network, and ensures the wireless signals travelling invisibly through the aether arrive on your device in the form of text, voice or video.Ī conventional RAN configuration, as is used in 3G and 4G networks, for example, is built on proprietary hardware and software resources developed by a single vendor. It includes base station equipment, cell towers and radios, which work in unison to convert wireless signals into the various data formats that end users ultimately engage with. ![]() The Radio Access Network (RAN) is a critical component of any broader mobile network setup. Open RAN is likely to become a major part of 5G development in the future and ensuring its security needs to become a priority. Open RAN functions are governed by the existing cybersecurity specifications in the 5G standard, but none more. Even more tellingly, it included no cybersecurity requirements. Both private and public players face a significant challenge in securing 5G networks, especially with the increased complexity represented by new developments like Open RAN.Īs a measure of this challenge, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) only released its first Open RAN standard in September of this year. The cybersecurity provisions of 5G standards have lagged behind in their maturity and fit for purpose, with gaps still remaining to be filled. However, other aspects have moved slower. This healthy and continued expansion is made possible by a solid, and constantly evolving, 5G standard. Despite a global pandemic, deployment has continued to move at a decent pace with 5G now available in almost 2,000 cities across more than 70 countries. ![]() We simply haven’t yet achieved the levels of scale required for 5G to realize its potential, but some aspects of the transition to 5G are going well. Of course, 5G will enable many of these promised use cases, and many others we haven’t even dreamed of yet, but have the prophets been proven true? Has 5G changed the world? Many, however, had spent hours waxing on about how 5G technology was to change the trajectory of human evolution, telling tales of what would be possible with ultra-high speed, ultra-low latency connectivity. ![]() For example, few ‘futurists’ predicted the Covid-19 outbreak that brought the world to a standstill in 2020. Work closely enough with the development of technology solutions and you’ll know that the only certain thing about the future is that it’s constantly changing. ![]()
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