PRESS RELEASE
4iG has joined the O-RAN Alliance
Global industry organisation founded by leading telecommunications companies to make radio communications network systems more open and efficient
- 4iG has become a full member of O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) Alliance.
- O-RAN is an industry association that provides an open platform for the development and operation of 5G radio network infrastructure.
- The convergence of the IT and telecommunications industries is a major global trend, accelerated by 5G.
- As a full member of the international industry alliance, 4iG is set to become a front runner in the convergence of IT and telecommunications.
- The infocommunications group shall enter into O-RAN targeted markets with a significant advantage, thanks to its wide capability and great capacity in IT and telecommunications.
4iG Plc has joined the O-RAN
Alliance as a full member. The international alliance, which was founded in
2018, aims to make radio communications systems more efficient by creating a
freely accessible, open development platform. The Open RAN initiative,
supported by the US government too, will open the RAN (Radio Access Network)
market, which is an excellent business opportunity for 4iG. With O-RAN
Alliance's global network of contacts and knowledge base, the Hungarian ICT
group can become the frontrunner of IT telecom convergence and 5G technology
innovation, using the capabilities it already has at its disposal.
The market for radio transmission
systems is currently dominated by a handful of large manufacturers. The O-RAN
initiative, with its open development platform and publicly available standards,
provides an entry point into this hitherto closed market. The key objective of
the global alliance is to enable companies and organisations, including
universities to develop radio network infrastructure components, software, and
specific applications for transmission systems, thereby not only increasing
competition but also improving the efficiency of solutions. In addition to the
trend of IT-telecommunications convergence, the O-RAN strategic initiative is
supported by the necessary innovations and possible development directions of
the upcoming 5G era.
“We see the technological convergence of IT and telecommunications as an obvious opportunity. IT-Telco convergence is a key element of 4iG’s growth strategy, which unfolds profitable prospects for the Group as a whole”, said Péter Fekete, CEO of 4iG Group, commenting on the accession. “The O-RAN initiative is a technological umbrella over 4iG’s capabilities, as this open innovation platform and shared expertise are applicable and leverageable across all three of our business areas, i.e. IT, telecommunications and defence, together or separately.”
The continuous growth of mobile data
traffic makes the development of telecommunications networks and supporting
infrastructure inevitable, but also a prerequisite for the deployment of 5G.
O-RAN enables mobile operators to tailor existing or new network elements and
systems to their specific needs. A software-centric approach will help reduce
vendor exposure and costs, and improve operational, energy and cost efficiency.
By decoupling the hardware and software of the base stations and creating an
open development platform, network infrastructure elements can be combined, and
made scalable to create more competitive and automated ICT ecosystems. The
O-RAN solution can be used to efficiently implement the increasingly widespread
IoT (Internet of Things) devices as well as Industry 4.0 solutions.
O-RAN is a software-centric approach
in which vendors supply vendor-neutral tools to system operators, and a common,
open platform provides access to any independent development. In addition to
4iG, O-RAN Alliance members include Dish, 1&1, AT&T, Bell, US Cellular,
Verizon, Vodafone, China Mobile, China Telecom, Rakuten Mobile, and T-Mobile.
Budapest, 7th November 2022
Notes for the editors:
O-RAN Alliance
O-RAN Alliance was established in February
2018 as a German legal entity by AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, NTT
DOCOMO and Orange. Since then, O-RAN Alliance has grown into a global community
of mobile network operators, manufacturers, research and academic institutions
working in the field of Radio Access Networks (RAN). The Alliance aims to
transform the RAN industry towards smarter, more open, virtualised and fully
interoperable mobile networks. O-RAN specifications will enable a more
competitive and innovative ecosystem to improve user experience. O-RAN Alliance
aims to provide more open and higher level access to the customers of the
Alliance members. The open source and open networking technology will play a
key role in the standardised reference designs of O-RAN and in improving its
adaptability, artificial intelligence, and energy efficiency. By using a common
and open ICT ecosystem, hardware and software compatibility within the industry
can be further enhanced. The simultaneous use of open-source software and
different vendor hardware is the basis for O-RAN collaboration. In the telecoms
sector, 65-70% of total operating costs are related to Radio Access Networks
(RANs). Significant developments in this area are lagging behind, and their
implementation could revolutionise the industry. High deployment costs mean
that previously uncovered areas can be cost-effectively connected to high-speed
networks, and costs can be reduced in densely populated areas.www.o-ran.org
4iG Plc
The
Budapest-based 4iG Plc is Hungary’s leading IT systems integrator with
significant interests in the domestic and regional info-communications markets.
The company has been present in the market for innovative industry-independent
IT technologies for more than 27 years. The company is continuously expanding
its services and portfolio to meet the changing needs and demands of the ICT
market. The Group employs nearly 6,000 people. 4iG is a broad-spectrum
solutions provider with significant interests in IT, telecommunications,
satellite telecommunications and telecommunications infrastructure development.
Listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange, the company aims to build a dominant
market position in a wide range of info-communications services in Hungary,
Central Eastern Europe, and the Western Balkans. www.4ig.hu/home
More
information:
Péter Elkán
Group
Head of Corporate Affairs and
Communications
peter.elkan
(@) 4ig.hu