The Open RAN Cost Advantage or Disadvantage?

Open RAN has gained momentum over the past year but this disruptive technology is still in its early stages and many mobile operators lack clarity on whether the technology will actually be less expensive to deploy and operate than a single-vendor radio access network. Analyst firm Analysys Mason recently released a report indicating that moving to a distributed open RAN architecture can deliver up to 22% in total cost of ownership savings to a mobile operator over three years. However, some experts warn that the cost savings will change for areas of high demand such as dense urban places where open RAN is actually more expensive than using a proprietary vendor. Some large operators are expected to use a combination of both in their networks. This panel will look at the business advantages and disadvantages of Open RAN.