Open Radio Access Network O-RAN Solution

This procurement exercise is to procure Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) solutions for the MarK project. Advanced Radio in Milton Keynes (MarK) is a project supported by the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) Competition under the UK government's Open Networks Research and Development (R&D) Fund. The initiative promotes open and interoperable technology development, mainly in telecoms.

The project aims to develop a viable network solution by integrating commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products with commercial terrestrial and non-terrestrial wireless systems. This network will use O-RAN design principles for a real-world stadium environment, evolving the current 5G network capabilities. By the end of the project, an expanded 5G testbed will be established, and a blueprint for deploying O-RAN in high-demand environments will be created. There's an intention to start operational validation of the solution, preparing it for commercial launch. The O-RAN solution should support multi-vendor deployments and use a completely disaggregated, flexible and scalable approach.