Open RAN security: what worries operators the most?

As digital infrastructure becomes increasingly central to key economic and social outcomes, policymakers are placing a greater emphasis on security and resilience. A key development in this context is the European Commission’s proposal to strengthen cybersecurity requirements through an updated regulatory framework – Cybersecurity Act 2 (known as CSA2). This includes provisions that require the removal of critical equipment supplied by designated high-risk vendors from telecoms infrastructure within a defined timeframe. GSMA Intelligence has conducted unique research to assess the cost of removing critical components from high-risk vendors from European telecoms networks.

Financially strong operators are essential to improve network quality, expand coverage, support growth in capacity and deliver new network functionality linked to 5G standalone, AI and beyond. However, over the past decade, structural trends have placed increasing pressure on the industry’s financial foundations. This report is the first in a series that seeks to address a critical evidence gap in the understanding of the financial sustainability of the mobile sector and its main drivers.

This white paper, using evidence from a GSMA Intelligence survey of operators in Asia Pacific, explains why traditional perimeter-based security is no longer enough and what operators need to do to build a more resilient, architecture-led approach. It covers how AI is changing the threat landscape; why expanding attack surfaces require stronger governance; and how native security, depth defence, dual security operation centre (SOC) operations and AI-enabled tools can help operators protect critical networks.