• Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) joins OpenAirInterface Software Alliance, furthering our commitment to the Open RAN ecosystem. With the membership we aim to accelerate 5G development and the way to 6G, through new means of collaboration and innovation, and to strengthen Academia and SMEs eco-systems, by ensuring access to open technology stacks and implementations for R&D. Ericsson firmly believes in the importance of openness and as one of the leaders in O-RAN we hope to bring these communities into tighter collaboration.

Ericsson, a global leader in information and communication technology, has officially joined the OpenAirInterface Software Alliance (OSA) as a strategic member and part of the Board.

Established in 2014, the OSA is a French non-profit organization, funded by corporate sponsors. The OpenAirInterface Software Alliance is recognized for its consistent commitment to accessible and community developed software, the availability of the OAI 5G stack for academia, SMEs and others has been incredibly important to secure a vibrant and innovation filled ecosystem built around OSA. OSA recent partnership with the O-RAN Software Community underscores the willingness of the ecosystem to converge toward open API and Open RAN (vRAN/vCore).

By becoming a member of the OpenAirInterface Alliance, Ericsson demonstrates its dedication to open standards, interoperability, and the shared goal of pushing the boundaries of wireless technology. This collaboration is expected to bring together the technology foresight and leading edge expertise of Ericsson with the community-driven approach of the OpenAirInterface Alliance. In particular, Ericsson views a high-quality open and SW-defined implementation of the user equipment (UE) protocol stack as a key contribution of OAI to the vendor ecosystem and future community-driven innovation.

The global Ericsson engagement in OAI will be further augmented by its R&D center in France, inaugurated in 2020 and focused on the latest technology across 6G, AI, cloud and cybersecurity.

Key Highlights of the partnership:

• Advancing 5G Technology: Ericsson's extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, coupled with the OpenAirInterface Software Alliance's commitment to community driven open-source development, will undoubtedly contribute to OSA also playing an important role in 6G development, just as they have for the development of 5G.
• Open Standards and Interoperability: With this partnership we will work towards promoting open standards and ensuring interoperability among various wireless communication systems. This approach aligns with both Ericsson's and the OpenAirInterface Software Alliance's commitment to creating a more accessible and collaborative ecosystem, providing opportunities for researchers, developers, and industry professionals to contribute to and influence the future of wireless communication.

Irfan Ghauri, Director of Operations OpenAirInterface Software Alliance says: “We are delighted to see Ericsson joining the board of the OSA which we see as testimony of the value OSA brings to the industry in the shape of a rich and rapidly growing open source software in 5G and next generation cellular technologies. Ericsson, as a leader in this industry is a key partner in helping OSA make the right choices towards further increasing its impact in serving the community by providing higher and higher quality open source software.” 

Per Beming, Head of Standardization & Industry initiatives Ericsson says: "We are excited to join the OpenAirInterface Alliance and contribute our expertise to the community. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to driving innovation and open standards in the telecommunications industry."