Open RAN Interoperability Lab Study Tour
SAN FRANCISCO, California, USA, April 5, 2024 – Four months after the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), provided grant support to build the Open RAN Interoperability Laboratory in the Philippines that will serve the Indo-Pacific Region, plans are underway in its design and development phase.
Following a co-creation workshop, a series of stakeholder consultations, and identification of lab locations, a study tour of American universities, private tech companies, and government institutions with Open RAN labs, testbed, or Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTIC) will be held from April 5 to 20, to learn, observe and gain insight in the design and operation of these facilities. These labs, considered to be hubs for research, innovation and excellence, also bring opportunities for collaboration among the academe, government, and industry.
Delegates of the study tour are representatives from AORA Philippines led by its Board of Directors Chair Achie Atienza, AORA India, International Development Group – Indo Pacific Opportunity Project, and USAID. Atienza shares what the study tour hopes to achieve, saying, “the two-week study tour is expected to have rich content, discussions, facility and lab visits, and a promise of commitment for stakeholders to work together towards the common goal of an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet and vibrant digital economy through increased cooperation, competition and choice.”
With the Interoperability Lab as the flagship initiative in the United States and Philippines’ commitment to promote increased cooperation and knowledge sharing through the Science and Technology Agreement (STA), it has received full support from industry players, government, and academia. The facilities and institutions that are part of the study tour come from tech companies and mobile network operators, startups, universities, and government agencies.
