Open RAN (O-RAN)
Open RAN is an industry initiative to disaggregate traditional base station hardware and software into interchangeable, multi-vendor components connected via open interfaces. The goal is to reduce vendor lock-in, lower costs, and accelerate innovation by allowing operators to mix and match radio units, distributed units, and centralized units from different vendors.
Related terms explained
Network Slicing
Network slicing creates multiple isolated virtual networks on shared physical infrastructure, each tailored with specific performance characteristics — low latency for autonomous vehicles, high bandwidth for video streaming, or massive connection density for IoT sensors. Promised as a key 5G feature, it remains largely undeployed commercially as of 2026