• The two companies implemented intelligent and open network management and automation aimed at improving overall performance, energy efficiency and sustainability
• The project included industry-leading SMO solution – Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) – as well as Ericsson and 3rd party rApps
• Accelerates MasOrange’s deployment of autonomous networks solution to meet market demands

Ericsson and MasOrange have deployed the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP), including Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) and its open ecosystem of AI-powered rApps, to deliver automated RAN optimization and energy efficiency, ultimately improving the experience of MasOrange’s users.

During the project, EIAP was integrated with MasOrange’s commercial network through the existing Ericsson Network Management system (ENM) and the following rApps were deployed:

• Ericsson Cell Anomaly Detector: Allows service providers to detect network performance issues proactively and automatically, significantly reducing the time and expertise required to manage increasingly complex networks.
• Future Connections Nix RAN Energy Saver: Allows a step further in the effort for maximizing the energy efficiency and sustainability of the network, dynamically configuring, monitoring and optimizing RAN energy saving features, avoiding any impact on service performance.

Jean-Christophe Laneri, Head of Cognitive Network Solutions at Ericsson, says: “rApps are the future of network management, with intelligent automation empowering service providers to deliver superior service quality with greater speed and precision. By collaborating closely with MasOrange, we are able to tailor our solutions to real-world environments and gather invaluable insights that will inform broader adoption of autonomous networks across the industry.”

This initiative brings to MasOrange’s the newest AI models and network optimization expertise with Ericsson’s leading EIAP and rApp capabilities. The joint effort accelerates the realization of an autonomous, intelligent network and demonstrates how operators can leverage AI-enabled automation to improve performance, reliability, and efficiency.

SMO platforms play a crucial role in enabling openness within the Open RAN ecosystem by providing standardized architecture and interfaces that support multi-vendor interoperability. Through the SMO framework, different network functions can be seamlessly integrated, allowing operators to deploy a variety of rApps from multiple vendors. These rApps enable advanced automation and optimization capabilities.

The openness fostered by the SMO and rApps approach not only facilitates innovation and flexibility but also helps operators to efficiently manage a heterogeneous network environment, driving agility and cost-efficiency while supporting the evolving demands of modern mobile networks.

Ericsson and MasOrange share a long-standing relationship built on years of partnership that has driven MasOrange’s network evolution in Spain, from early 5G deployments in the country to building one of Europe’s most extensive, Open RAN-ready 5G Standalone networks. This project advances the joint work toward the highly programmable network announced in 2024, strengthening the SMO layer to boost automation, openness, and service agility. It reinforces the foundation for MasOrange’s next-generation architecture and moves both partners closer to delivering fully programmable capabilities at scale.