5G networks unwrapped: keeping an open mind

Wireless networks on open standards and architectures have been gathering steam for several years. This includes high-profile efforts to rethink how to build the radio access network (RAN), separating out radio and digital components, and (hopefully) introducing competition, innovation and supply-chain diversity in the process. More broadly, we see a focus on openness in core activities, including how networks are operated and how edge-computing capabilities are built. While the cancellation of MWC removed a major industry showcase for the latest and greatest mobile networks innovations, products that would have been launched were still released and promoted. Amid the flurry of activity, one message was clear: open infrastructure and architectures are gaining ground as we move deeper into the 5G era.