NEC is exploring the possibility to commercially deploy OpenRAN technology

The Japanese tech major said that OpenRAN will be a challenger network technology in India, especially for high-speed 5G networks. NEC recently set up an Open RAN laboratory in India as a complement to its Center of Excellence (CoE) in the U.K to accelerate development of the 5G open ecosystem.

NEC Corporation said in a statement, it is working closely with the Indian telecom operators to explore the possibility to commercially deploy OpenRAN technology for their 5G networks.

As the Indian telecom operators are looking to adopt the new technology to take the marquee position in the Indian telecom market. The Japanese tech major said that OpenRAN will be a challenger network technology in India, especially for high-speed 5G networks.

Aalok Kumar, President & CEO, NEC India said, there are a couple of operators that, because of the marquee position they want to take in India, are slightly ahead in both ambition and in terms of aggression. So, we expect that ORAN will definitely be a challenger technology in India. And, possibly can also change the entire landscape of how the infrastructure is operated and maintained in the country.

Kumar said, they are currently exploring how they could optimize their investment and the compatibility of the new technology to their legacy network.


Kumar further said that the CoE was established not just for global, but for the Indian market as well. “We believe that the European market and North American market and the Indian subcontinent will probably be the most attractive 5G and OpenRAN opportunity in the coming year. The CoE is for the first five or six big opportunities globally.


A report states, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio are increasingly looking to expand their telecom gear supplier options beyond traditional equipment vendors by using Open Radio Access Networks (OpenRAN) technology. The adoption of OpenRAN technology will help these telcos cut network-related costs and allow them to bring more customization as they upgrade their networks for 5G technology.