CommScope brings Open RAN indoors

CommScope has announced three Open RAN (Radio Access Network) advances to its network portfolio—facilitating open, sustainable, and converged 5G indoor networks.

CommScope is introducing support for third-party Open RAN Distributed Units (O-DUs) on its flagship all-digital ERA® DAS (distributed antenna system) as well as the award-winning Open RAN-compliant ONECELL® small cell. Additionally, CommScope is seamlessly supporting Open RAN on its in-building radios.

“CommScope is taking an important step for the industry in driving the indoor adoption of Open RAN technology,” stated Upendra Pingle, Senior Vice President, Intelligent Cellular Networks, CommScope. “Traditionally, Open RAN has focused on enhancing macro and outdoor networks, but we’ve extended these benefits to indoor networks to offer unprecedented flexibility in delivering on-premises 5G coverage, capacity, and control for both public and private networks. These innovations are a testament to CommScope's commitment to advancing 5G and underscore our ongoing investment in our partner ecosystem.”

CommScope is adding native Open RAN interface support for ERA systems, extending current support for third-party interoperability. This allows venues to adopt open 5G connectivity that is completely digital—not only for the DAS, but also for MNO (mobile network operator) and private network connectivity. The ERA platform’s O-DU support enables new deployment models with zero-touch configuration, leading-edge performance, and minimal in venue MNO footprints that can reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional DAS deployments by nearly 90%.

For the ONECELL platform, CommScope is extending its current virtualized open fronthaul access to support third-party O-DUs—an industry first. This enables MNOs to leverage both native small cell and new Open RAN integration options while accelerating multi-operator 5G adoption for enterprises.

CommScope’s extension of Open RAN support to its software-defined radios—across both the ERA and ONECELL platforms—converges and simplifies radio selection, making it easier for customers to adapt to evolving technologies while benefitting from seamless, high-quality cellular coverage.

Kyung Mun, Principal Analyst at Mobile Experts, noted, “We have predicted the convergence of DAS and small cell technology for enabling flexible coverage and capacity network solutions in indoor venues for some time. CommScope’s adoption of Open RAN for the ERA and ONECELL platforms is an excellent example of this convergence as operators and enterprises seek flexible indoor networks to extend 5G services into public and private venues.”