Montabaur / Tokyo / Richardson: With “1&1 O-RAN”, the German mobile network provider 1&1 operates Europe’s first fully virtualized 5G network based on the new Open RAN technology. After offering Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) since December 2022, mobile services (eMBB) are now also available. Thus,1&1 O-RAN is fully functional and available throughout Germany. Wherever the 1&1 network, which is currently being set up, does not yet have its own coverage, customers will automatically use national roaming on the Telefónica network, and from summer 2024 onwards on the Vodafone network.

The efficient network control of the cloud-native 1&1 O-RAN is carried out via the leading software and platform from 1&1 technology partner Rakuten, along with a core network from Mavenir. Rakuten Symphony, a Rakuten Group company providing global B2B services for the mobile telco industry and enabling next-generation, cloud-based, international mobile services is responsible for the end-to-end integration of the network. The cloud-native core network is provided by Mavenir as the industry’s leading cloud-native network software provider.

Unlike conventional mobile networks, Open RAN technology consistently separates software and hardware. The antennas are no longer controlled on-site at radio masts but are software-based in a private cloud that 1&1 operates on commercial off-the-shelf servers in hundreds of decentralized edge data centers. Gigabit antennas are connected to these via fiber optics. 1&1 works flexibly with the most secure and best manufacturers via standardized interfaces. Products and services from over 80 companies are already being used in the 1&1 O-RAN, without any dependencies on dominant equipment suppliers from China.

“All network functions are located in our private cloud and are controlled by software. This comes mainly from Rakuten and Mavenir. As system integrator, Rakuten also ensures that all network components interact smoothly. In this way, 1&1 benefits from the extensive experience that Rakuten has gained in recent years in operating the world’s first Open RAN in Japan. The full functionality of the 1&1 O-RAN is a major milestone in our company’s history,” says Ralph Dommermuth, CEO of 1&1 AG.

“As the first provider in Europe to operate a commercial Open Radio Access Network, 1&1 has created a digital beacon with its innovative mobile network. As end-to-end technology partner for 1&1’s network, Rakuten is delivering the efficient and highly automated control of the antennas in the 1&1 Open RAN. Using our specially developed orchestration software, we serve as system integrator to ensure that core network applications interact seamlessly with all other software and hardware components in the 1&1 O-RAN. We are very proud of the result of our joint work with our partners,” says Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group.

“For the 1&1 O-RAN, Mavenir provides all components in the core network that are required for a state-of-the-art 5G mobile network – cloud-native and interoperable. Our software for the core network runs as container-based microservices on Rakuten Symphony’s platform and serves both fixed wireless access (FWA) and mobile services (eMBB). We congratulate 1&1 on Europe’s most advanced mobile network and are proud to be part of this innovation from the beginning,” says Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO Mavenir Systems Inc.