Verizon has deployed virtualized radio access network (vRAN) kit at some 8,000 5G sites, both mmWave and C-Band, and plans to use this architecture at 20,000 total by the end of 2025. The operator has targeted the 2023 timeframe for commercialization of Open RAN, and Bill Stone, vice president of technology development and planning, described this vRAN effort as “an important precursor to O-RAN.”
Speaking with RCR Wireless News during the recent Open RAN Global Forum, Stone explained, “The vRAN deployment adds to the service differentiation because it’s a flexible, scalable platform that’s enabling us to quickly adapt to new use cases and enable new services.”