Vodafone builds internal Open RAN developer platform

• Vodafone is deploying Open RAN infrastructure as part of its European network refresh
• To complement the move, it is encouraging its engineers to develop new RAN applications to help manage the telco’s networks
• It has teamed up with Irish software firm Zinkworks to build a cloud-based platform, Rapid RIC, that Vodafone engineers, and external partners, can use to develop, test and monitor new network applications 

In an effort to capitalise on the efficiency and innovation opportunities that come with deploying Open RAN infrastructure, Vodafone Group has teamed up with Irish software firm Zinkworks to develop a cloud-based radio access network (RAN) intelligent controller (RIC) platform, dubbed Rapid RIC, that will enable Vodafone engineers to quickly develop, test and monitor new network management and optimisation applications (known as rApps).

The giant network operator recently lifted the lid on its Spring 6 RAN refresh programme that will see Open RAN infrastructure deployed at thousands of sites across multiple European markets, starting in Germany – see Vodafone and its vendors offer RAN refresh update.

One of the promises of Open RAN is that its open, non-proprietary interfaces enable the easy integration of third-party hardware and software elements, including applications that run on RIC platforms, of which there are two types: The near real-time RIC, which houses and runs xApps (extended applications) that perform automated network optimisation tasks, such as spectrum management/channel modelling in (as the name suggests) near real time (between 1 millisecond and 10 milliseconds); and the non real-time RIC, which performs intelligent radio resource management functions in non real-time intervals (roughly more than 1 second) and which houses and runs rApps (RAN applications) to perform functions, such as network performance and energy-efficiency management. (You can find out more about these different types of RIC and the roles they play in Open RAN networks in TelecomTV’s free-to-download Open RAN: Advances in the RAN Intelligent Controller report that was first published late last year.)

The Rapid RIC is a non real-time RIC that runs rApps, and Vodafone wants its engineers to be able to develop, test and monitor such applications using the platform being developed with Zinkworks. 

What’s important for Vodafone and its team is that to develop and test the rApps, its engineers do not need coding skills, as Rapid RIC is a generative AI (GenAI)-based system with access to the operator’s “reliable data analytics” and a programming interface that enables Vodafone’s staff to “simply create a visual representation of an app using intuitive on-screen prompts and drag-and-drop functionality,” according to the operator. “The app is then automatically generated using AI and ML [machine learning]. This will reduce the need for external resources, driving down project costs, as well as encouraging engineers to learn new skills.” 

Paul Madden, CEO of Zinkworks, stated: “Our collaboration with Vodafone marks a major step forward in how Open RAN applications are developed and deployed. Our visual programme technology used to co-develop the new platform enables rapid innovation, faster service upgrades and better network responsiveness for users of Vodafone’s mobile networks.”

The telco added: “Previously, building RAN applications required both radio engineering knowledge and software skills. This platform uses GenAI to help radio engineers quickly and easily create apps within a secure in-house environment regardless of their AI and ML proficiency.”

The Rapid RIC platform will run on Vodafone’s existing data infrastructure, “primarily on Vodafone’s own dedicated and secure Google Cloud Platform (GCP) data ocean. Vodafone employees can upload and monitor rApps to this private cloud, as well as launch them in multiple markets at the same time.”

Vodafone will also “use a GenAI simulator to validate applications before use, eliminating the need for a more complex digital twin or central data repository,” it noted, adding that it expects Rapid RIC to cut RAN application development and launch times by between 60% and 70%.

“By enabling teams to focus on the user experience of their rApps, free of technical intricacies, such as model training, data preprocessing and infrastructure management, Vodafone expects to be able to deploy new, higher quality features in three to four weeks, instead of months. Robust monitoring tools will be integrated into the platform, providing real-time insights into the performance and reliability of the rApps,” stated Vodafone.  

The operator’s engineering is already developing two rApps – “an energy-saving application that automatically disables unused mobile connections” and addresses “current limitations with existing systems, such as failing to reactivate cells properly, potentially degrading user experience,” and one that will use ML to “fine-tune radio coverage parameters that are typically kept at default settings, improving overall network performance”. 

Alberto Ripepi, Vodafone Group’s chief network officer, noted: “We are working to simplify and accelerate the deployment of AI-powered applications that directly improve the customer experience. This platform allows us to focus on delivering a stronger, more reliable signal and greater network capacity while meeting our sustainability goals.”

Any rApps that are approved for use in Vodafone’s commercial operations will run on the telco’s network service management and orchestration (SMO) platform. Vodafone didn’t identify any particular market that might be the initial testing ground for the new rApps but noted that the resulting rApps might also be applicable to traditional RAN networks as well as Open RAN deployments. It told TelecomTV that it aims to “use the platform across our markets” and that “there are no geographical limitations – it will support multiple RAN technologies. For example, some 4G features have not yet been exploited, which can be addressed with this approach, making the platform immediately useful in improving mature networks.”

Vodafone plans to not only use the resulting rApps itself but also potentially license them to other operators. In time, Rapid RIC might also be made available to “other trusted entities wishing to create applications, and applications already developed can be made accessible” to those trusted partners. 

The telco didn’t state which GenAI tech it was using and noted only in an email response to TelecomTV questions that it has “included some basic AI models and [is] developing the platform in a modular way to be able to add models as necessary as the platform evolves.”

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV