KT Collaborates with Japanese Carrier NTT Docomo on Open RAN

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] KT announced on the 27th that it will strengthen cooperation with Japanese mobile carrier NTT Docomo to expand the global ecosystem of Open RAN technology.

At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 held in Barcelona, Spain, KT will discuss Open RAN technology cooperation with NTT Docomo, including software-based virtualized radio access networks (vRAN). The two companies will specify cooperation details in ▲virtualized base station performance verification ▲Open RAN system verification ▲Open RAN ecosystem expansion.

Through this cooperation, KT plans to build a virtualized base station system with NTT Docomo, verify the technology, and secure software-centric Open RAN technology.

Earlier, in January last year, KT established an Open RAN testbed at the KT Convergence Technology Institute in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where base station equipment from various manufacturers is interconnected for testing with NTT Docomo. They have continued cooperation with NTT Docomo by successfully interconnecting their self-developed 5G base station equipment on the testbed and securing multi-vendor interconnection technology.

KT is an inaugural member of the international Open RAN standardization organization ‘O-RAN Alliance’ and in July last year proposed Open RAN interconnection specifications reflecting the domestic 5G radio network environment, which were adopted as international standards.

Open RAN is an open radio access network technology that enables interconnection and use of base station equipment from various manufacturers. Previously, network equipment specifications differed by telecommunications equipment manufacturers, making interconnection difficult, but Open RAN technology allows compatibility among equipment from different manufacturers.

Lee Jong-sik, Senior Executive Director of the Infrastructure DX Research Institute at KT Convergence Technology Institute, said, "As interest in Open RAN technology has recently increased, global cooperation has become important to further expand the Open RAN ecosystem. KT will continue to discover various Open RAN technologies and cooperate and coexist with diverse companies."