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4iG has joined the O-RAN Alliance

PRESS RELEASE

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