Rakuten is Leveraging O-RAN to Reimagine Mobile and it Could Change the Way We Use Our Phones Forever
MILAN MILANOVIĆ 16 Nov 2020OV 2020
As a brand new entrant in the Japanese mobile space, Rakuten took its cloud-centric approach and virtualized everything from radio to the core with hundreds of virtual functions implemented. These functions are delivered from multiple computing centers leveraging COTS hardware.
Rakuten has also fostered innovation on the radio access side by having infrastructure giants like Nokia agree to open up the radio, which is typically a black box. This allows Rakuten to control all the hardware that goes into the network, the supply chain, the ecosystem as well as the security aspect of this platform. Rakuten prides itself in the “zero touch provisioning” which breaks free from traditional network rollouts, drastically speeds up the deployment process and requirements, and redefines the way telecom operators can architect, provision and deploy the network.
A company like Rakuten — with decades of experience running server-centric IP-based services — already has an advantage over traditional telcos because of the hundreds of edge data centers they operate. At this time, Rakuten has an infrastructure of nearly 300 edge data centers that can bring content geographically closer to the user and drastically reduce latency. The CP workloads are handled by central data servers, and the entire operation is managed by the horizontal cloud. Everything from radio access, transport and network functions are virtualized and orchestrated by the Rakuten Mobile operating system.
The Rakuten model is a very early dive into the world of O-RAN architecture. It went from a proof-of-concept to a fully fledged commercial mobile network serving millions of customers in what felt like the blink of an eye. There are still many unknowns, in particular in terms of future scalability and security, but the operator seems to be very confident with its own Rakuten Mobile Platform (RMP). In fact, that same platform is being offered as a turn-key solution to existing mobile operators and new entrants.
This model promises a significant cost reduction in both capital and operating expense, including head count (due to the data-centric nature and the level of automation). This approach seems to pose a threat to the traditional telecom giants like Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei in terms of revenue. However, these companies’ willingness to open their radio components and allow customization for Rakuten’s specific needs implies that broader change is coming in the telecom world.
www.speedtest.net/insights/blog/...ng-o-ran-reimagine-mobile/