This is where O-RAN comes in

As discussed earlier, the C-RAN model in 5G has enabled numerous innovations. However, a fundamental challenge in the actual implementation of these ideas arises: vendor lock-in.

Vendor Lock-In

Vendor lock-in occurs due to poorly defined and unstandardized communication protocols between different components of the network. This lack of standardization leads manufacturers to employ their own proprietary protocols in their products. Consequently, components from different manufacturers are unable to communicate effectively. This issue is rather serious as it prevents the mixing and matching of BBUs and RRUs, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the entire C-RAN architecture.

The solution?

To address this problem, the O-RAN ALLIANCE has proposed the Open-RAN specification and initiated the development of open-source software for .

O-RAN Specification

But how exactly did the O-RAN specification define the component of RAN? And how did they managed to seperate and ? Well, O-RAN splits the component bases on their function in RAN. This is called Functional Splits.

CU

DU

RU

k

As demonstrated above, 5G divides the functionality of RRU and BBU into three distinct parts: Radio Unit(RU), Distributed Unit(DU), and Centralized Unit(CU). In this architecture, the DU and CU are software components that run on servers, while the RU consists of the radio hardware responsible for transmitting and receiving signals. Each option for splitting up functions into these components has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the suitability of each can vary depending on specific environmental needs. Notebly, the splits option 7.2, is the one chosen by the O-RAN Alliances, thus becoming a popular choice within the industry.

A Bridge from O-RAN to its security concern, and into PTP.

Now that we understand the structure of O-RAN and 5G, there's still one important aspect to consider: Security. With the added complexity that comes from allowing interoperability between component providers. The security concern about the O-RAN architecture is of upmost importance and one of the major hurdle we need to overcome on the road of 5G.
This problem is multifaceted and complex. In this post however, we will only be discussing PTP, which is one of the protocol used in the O-RAN specification.