Rakuten Symphony Strikes Up Alliance with Intel and Juniper to Deliver Symware

For this vignette of a recent episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, Part of the 5G Factor series, analysts Ron Westfall and Shelly Kramer assess the 5G ecosystem implications of the Rakuren Symphony, Intel, and Juniper Networks collaboration to develop Symware, a carrier-grade Open RAN solutions aimed at modernizing radio cell sites by using the latest cloud-native architecture and capabilities.

Their conversation emphasized:

• Why the Symware multipurpose edge alliance can provide communications service providers with the flexibility to densify their network, support new features while reducing the required hardware per site, and ultimately accelerate Open RAN deployments.
• How the Symware solution combines the containerized cell site routing functionality and a containerized DU (Distributed Unit) one a single general purpose server platform, which can ease adoption complexity and decrease mobile operator capital and operational expenditures.
• The use of Intel's Xeon D Processors and FlexRAN reference software showcasing Intel portfolio innovation by enabling the consolidation of RAN workloads into a single Symware server as well as fulfilling the performance, capacity, and cost requirements of 5G RAN environments.
• How the integration of Juniper's routing technology and ORAN into a single platform can leverage disaggregation techniques and routing stacks to advance 5G networking slicing capabilities key to CSP 5G monetization objectives.

Shelly and Ron concluded that the three-way collaboration gives mobile operators the streamlined Open RAN solution along with the smart security, automation capabilities, and supply chain confidence needed to ramp up their Open RAN plans especially as they are increasingly candid about making Open RAN integral to their overall 5G network build and business objectives.