Vodafone Idea (Vi) has recently secured major contracts with traditional network vendors like Ericsson, and Samsung, joining industry giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. This move raises questions about the future of Open RAN technology in India’s telecom industry. Open RAN, a vendor-neutral solution designed to reduce costs by enabling the sharing of hardware, software, and radio components, has been appealing to cash-strapped Vi, which has yet to launch its 5G networks. However, challenges around cost-effectiveness, scalability, legacy infrastructure, and standardization have dampened the initial enthusiasm for Open RAN, with experts now expecting broader adoption only with 6G, which is still several years away in India.
Despite this, there are still some advocates of a truly open network architecture. Japan’s Rakuten has successfully deployed its 4G and 5G networks using cloud-native Open RAN technology, while Red Hat sees the transition to Open RAN as a gradual process rather than an overnight shift.
In June, Vi announced trials with Samsung for virtualized RAN, eliminating the need for physical hardware by running baseband functions as software. Airtel has also been conducting trials, working with Mavenir to deploy 2,500 O-RAN sites in rural markets. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio is developing its own open stack after acquiring Radisys and Mimosa Networks, though attention has shifted as 5G rollouts near completion and capital expenditures decline.
Ashwinder Sethi, a partner at Analysys Mason, described the Open RAN dilemma as a “chicken and egg story,” with operators hesitant to adopt the technology due to uncertain cost savings and the risk associated with unproven economics. Parag Kar, a telecom expert, noted that while virtualized RAN offers flexibility by allowing operators to work with multiple vendors, the increased costs of integrating various components may offset the expected benefits. He also highlighted the growing need for system integrators to manage network performance across different vendors, which will further impact costs.
Globally, Open RAN has lost momentum, with only a few operators like Virgin Media O2, STC, and AT&T deploying it. Research from Dell’Oro shows that Open RAN’s share in global deployments was between 6% and 10% in 2023, with forecasts predicting growth to just 15%-20% by 2027. The exit of China’s Huawei and ZTE from global markets has heightened reliance on a few vendors, such as Ericsson, and Samsung, making Open RAN important for operators seeking multi-vendor contracts.
Not all telecom players have given up on Open RAN. Rakuten Symphony India expects large-scale deployments to begin in 2026, and Vodafone has committed to using Open RAN at 30% of its European sites by 2030. In India, Reliance Jio is continuing to develop its O-RAN 5G stack. Red Hat’s Marshal Correia emphasized the need for a hybrid approach that leverages both traditional and open network technologies, ensuring operators can benefit from a fully open, interoperable future. While challenges remain, Correia is optimistic about Open RAN’s potential to transform network architecture in cost-sensitive markets like India.
