Virgin Media O2 Selects Mavenir for its Open RAN Deployment

Virgin Media O2 has selected Mavenir, the Network Software Provider building the future of networks with cloud-native solutions that run on any cloud, as its Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) vendor. Mavenir will also be the prime integrator, providing its Open virtualised Radio Access Network (Open vRAN) solution for sites on Virgin Media O2’s network.

Virgin Media O2 will work with Mavenir to roll out a scalable Open vRAN solution as part of its network evolution plans and adopt a more flexible and cloud-native architecture.

Mavenir’s Open vRAN solution is built from the ground up to be cloud-native, with fully containerised microservices allowing it to be deployed easily on any cloud. Mavenir’s Open vRAN O-RAN compliant solution works on open interfaces supporting O-RAN Split 7.2x and Split 2.

It further disaggregates into Distributed Unit (DU) and Centralised Unit (CU). These entities work as containerised network functions running on Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) hardware containing Intel processors.

Designed to support multiple Fronthaul splits simultaneously, the vRAN solution provides a vendor-agnostic and future-proof architecture, leveraging Virgin Media O2’s network infrastructure assets.

Mavenir’s Open RAN system will consist of fully virtualised L1, L2 vRAN SW and will operate on Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, along with Intel vRAN Accelerator ACC100 and Intel 800 series Ethernet adapters. The delivery will also feature Mavenir’s OpenBeam™ Radios including massive MIMO, 3rd party O-RAN based Radio Units (O-RU) for open Fronthaul, network monitoring and optimisation.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Through digitalising our networks, we’re seamlessly integrating our infrastructure to get more value from our existing assets. Extending our collaboration with Mavenir to the RAN for the first time will help us establish a future-proof Open vRAN architecture, unlocking the benefits of a multi-vendor open interface while allowing us to rapidly benefit from an end-to-end network solution.”

Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO at Mavenir, said: “Mavenir’s Open vRAN cloud-native approach presents new pathways for automated networks to deliver on the use cases and data demands of today and beyond - driving network elasticity, flexibility and best-in-class automation. The Mavenir OpenBeam radio portfolio fully complements Virgin Media O2’s full spectrum requirements and we look forward to playing an active role in unlocking network automation and openness in the RAN.”

Cristina Rodriguez, Vice President Network and Edge Group at Intel, said: “Open and virtualised RAN represents the future: a flexible and scalable software-defined network. Intel is pleased to collaborate with and be part of the Virgin Media O2 technology journey with Mavenir. Together we are delivering innovation, performance, and we are working towards more sustainable networks.”