Since its launch in June 2022, the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s (O-RAN) Certification and Badging Program has aimed to accelerate the uptake of open and intelligent Radio Access Networks (RAN) by instilling confidence in O-RAN products and solutions globally. This certification process supports the efficient advancement of the O-RAN ecosystem in implementing O-RAN product deployments.
Recently, two Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTICs) – the European OTIC in Berlin and the Korea OTIC – have issued their inaugural O-RAN Certificates and Badges. Japan OTIC initiated its issuance of O-RAN Certificates and Badges in June 2023, followed by five more in 2024.
Presently, the certified portfolio of O-RAN products comprises 23 solutions from 16 companies, recognised by 5 OTICs, with additional progress underway worldwide. The O-RAN ALLIANCE’s Certification and Badging Catalogue publicly displays all awarded O-RAN Certificates and Badges, including company names and specific products.
Masataka Kawauchi, Representative Director of Japan OTIC and Chairman of YRP R&D Promotion Committee, expressed Japan OTIC’s commitment to supporting industry testing and integration efforts to foster the adoption of open, interoperable, intelligent, virtualised, and secure RAN. He highlighted Japan OTIC’s issuance of conformance certificates and E2E system badges to six products, which have been deployed in the commercial market. He noted ongoing efforts to enhance test capabilities and coverage, alongside contributions to realising Open RAN in collaboration with the industry.
“Deutsche Telekom, as the host of the European OTIC in Berlin facilitated by i14y Lab is thrilled to celebrate this significant milestone of the first O-RAN certificates in Europe together with the O-RAN community, and especially with the award recipients for their commitment to O-RAN compliance,” said Petr Ledl, VP Network Trials and Integration Lab, Deutsche Telekom.
“The value for operators in having certified solutions is the confidence that their conformance has been rigorously tested and assessed, which will minimize the integration complexity of open RAN solutions going forward. For vendors, O-RAN certification supports promotion of products and solutions. Both operator and vendor communities benefit from minimised repetition of tests and savings on testing efforts.”
“We are glad to see the 1st O-RU certificate in Korea this year following the establishment of Korea OTIC (KOTC) at the end of last year,” said Geunwoo Park, Representative of the Korea OTIC. “With the issuance of the 1st certificate, we will not only provide testing and certification services for domestic companies’ O-RUs but also interoperability between various open RAN equipment in Korea and beyond.”
The O-RAN Certification and Badging Program operates in collaboration with authorised OTICs, ensuring impartial awarding of O-RAN Certificates and Badges. The growing global presence of the OTIC community, currently comprising 19 OTICs, signifies a healthy market-driven ecosystem.
The program offers three types of certifications:
- O-RAN Certificate: Validates product compliance to O-RAN specifications via O-RAN conformance tests.
- O-RAN Interoperability (IOT) Badge: Demonstrates interoperability of product pairs connected via an O-RAN interface or O-RAN-profiled 3GPP interface using O-RAN interoperability tests.
- O-RAN End-to-End (E2E) Badge: Validates that an end-to-end system or subsystem meets minimum functionality and security requirements through O-RAN end-to-end tests, providing an indication of performance or other functionalities.
The O-RAN Certification and Badging Program aligns with O-RAN test specifications, with 13 specifications published to date to support comprehensive testing of O-RAN-based products and systems. Further development of testing specifications complements the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s broader specification efforts, ensuring readiness for testing in mature areas.
“Certification of O-RAN products and systems brings clear benefits to both operators and vendors,” said Alex Jinsung Choi, Chair of the Board of O-RAN ALLIANCE and SVP Group Technology, Deutsche Telekom. “We encourage the entire O-RAN ecosystem to consider active engagement in the O-RAN Certification and Badging Program, which aims to accelerate the adoption of open and intelligent RAN solutions.”
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by commenting below or visiting our LinkedIn page.
