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Tag: open RAN

Telco cloud deployment tracker Q1 2025: The various flavours of open RAN

Most large-scale deployments of virtualised RAN (vRAN) at Tier 1 telcos are currently based on single-vendor architecture. But operators are deploying vRAN in innovative ways that aim to preserve many open RAN benefits. This report looks at the current status of vRAN and open RAN deployments as well as the increasing awareness of the importance of deploying cloud-native RAN across multiple containers-as-a-service (CaaS) layers.

MWC 2025: A tech show, not a telecom one

It was no surprise that AI dominated MWC this year. But there were lots of other notable trends on the rise – including cybersecurity and data centres – and some that were disappointingly overlooked. Find out what the STL Partners team saw and missed at MWC 2025.

Telco Cloud Deployment Tracker Q2 2024: Is AWS winning in hyperscale telco cloud?

Telco cloud deployment activity slowed down in Q2 2024 with only 20 deployments added to the tracker, eight of which were completed in earlier years. The remaining 12 included five 5G NSA cores (four already launched) and three SA cores, all of which we expect to go live by the end of 2024. In this report we analyse the prospects for 5G SA including a deep-dive on the state of deployments on the public cloud.

MWC 2024: More than AI and APIs

STL Partners’ Research team present their observations from and analysis of the biggest mobile industry event of the year. There was a lot of buzz around AI and API but behind the tech jargon, we saw evidence that our industry continues to morph to become more open and customer-focused.

Multivendor telco cloud: Mapping the pathway to success

As operators embark on their telco cloud journeys, what should they look out for and what lessons can they learn from others? This report analyses the strategies and progress of four operators leading the way in telco cloud transformation and sheds light on the lessons learned from their initial deployments.

Utilities

Utilities: The role of private 4G/5G

The utilities sector is a promising opportunity area for private LTE and 5G networks. But it is not an easy one for telcos to address, as utility companies often deploy and manage networking technology in-house or via specialist service providers to satisfy service requirements. This report examines the sector realities.

Five ways to get open RAN deployment back on track

The first commercial deployments of open RAN networks have been announced. But operators are unsure whether to deploy quickly for first-mover advantage or play it safe and wait for more proof points. We explore the causes of open RAN inertia and how operators can get deployments back on track.

A3 in open RAN

The use of A3 in open RAN will be an important part of the solution to specific open RAN challenges for telcos. This report reviews the significance of A3 in Open RAN, xAPP and rAPP market opportunities and identifies eleven A3 requirements in developing Open RAN capabilities for telcos.

STL-Partners-MWC23-research-team

MWC 2023: You are now in a new industry

We found subtle but significant shifts at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress 2023 that show how the market’s need is changing to ‘connecting technologies’ rather than ‘connectivity’. This has deep implications for the industry and telcos in particular.