Keysight, IBM Aim to Accelerate Open RAN Deployments in Europe with MoU

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Keysight Technologies, Inc., a leading technology company that delivers advanced design and validation solutions to help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IBM, one of the leading global hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and business services provider, to pursue accelerating open radio access network (RAN) deployments in Europe.

IBM endeavors to use Keysight Open Radio Architect (KORA) solutions in the company’s Open RAN center of excellence (CoE), established in 2021, to help mobile operators drive innovation to meet the standards defined by the O-RAN ALLIANCE. IBM intends to integrate Keysight’s software-centric open RAN test, measurement and emulation tools with IBM’s Cloud Pak for Network Automation, an AI-powered telco cloud platform that enables the automation of network operations.

“Keysight’s collaboration with IBM will help enable mobile operators to speed deployments of digital transformation tools that are critical in supporting industrial competitiveness in Europe,” said Kalyan Sundhar, vice president and general manager for Keysight’s wireless network access business. “The integration of Keysight’s open RAN test solutions with IBM’s Cloud Pak for Network Automation will help service providers in automating applications that are critical to delivering a wide range of connectivity services.”

Based in Madrid, Spain, IBM’s CoE enables communications service providers (CSPs) to deploy IBM solutions in their laboratory environments or live networks to support private and industrial applications. IBM’s CoE aims to advance digital transformation in the telco industry and is supported by IBM Consulting.

“IBM’s hybrid cloud, automation and security solutions are utilized by some of the world’s largest telcos to support their efforts for the next era of communication,” stated Oscar Gonzalez Nogueira, Industry Partner at IBM. “The integration of Keysight’s tools into IBM’s Cloud Pak for Network Automation will further support our ecosystem of CSPs to enhance application and network automation.”

Keysight’s open RAN solutions will support IBM in demonstrating O-RAN solutions to CSPs seeking partnerships. These open RAN solutions will enable vendors to verify conformance, interoperability, performance and security, resulting in the deployment of fully interoperable RAN equipment. IBM’s CoE intends to use Keysight’s radio unit simulator, RuSIM, to validate O-RAN distributed units (O-DU); CoreSIM, to verify the performance of open RAN equipment and Nemo Wireless Network Solutions to optimize and monitor wireless networks.

Keysight delivers end-to-end system test solutions to an open RAN ecosystem that consists of more than 300 mobile operators, vendors and research institutes. Keysight contributes in-depth technical expertise in front-haul transport interfaces, energy consumption optimization and network security, to drive maturity in O-RAN specifications that will accelerate the adoption of open RAN architectures.

Statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.