With the recent rollouts, India's 5G market is a significant opportunity for open RAN vendors to deploy the technology at scale. Open RAN principles provide the cornerstone for a fluid evolution to the next G, delivering greater flexibility for mobile network operators (MNOs) and subscribers alike. The move towards ORAN architecture is driven by the numerous benefits it offers to telecom service providers. Recently, Shri Devusinh Chauhan, Communications Minister, GOI, kick started C-DOT’s Open RAN test bed project for conformance, certification & interoperability testing of O-RAN based solutions. The testbed, developed by the C-DOT, aims at helping innovators, startups, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other stakeholders to test the open RAN technology. As per the government, this initiative will facilitate stakeholders involved in research and development in the area of open RAN by extending testing facilities for the proliferation of the open RAN ecosystem in India.

Private 5G networks and Open RAN are technology enablers that open up a new host of possibilities for business. Open RAN vendors are starting to see potential in enterprise networks, and companies that deploy private wireless are evaluating open RAN. Open RAN deployment in private networks also promises to make private cellular networks more easily deployable and manageable due to open reference designs that are similar to those used in enterprise Wi-Fi. Opening up the ecosystem to new vendors means that a wide range of solutions can emerge that are optimized for various price points, physical environments and use cases, so those deploying networks can select the best price/performance characteristics for their customers.

With this as the background, Bharat Exhibitions is pleased to organize its flagship event, the 3rd edition of Open RAN India 2024 International Conference scheduled on 16th February 2024 at Hotel Shangri-La, New Delhi. The conference will be a dynamic forum for senior executives of leading telecom operators, enterprises, and Govt. agencies to understand and formulate strategies to enhance the networks in line with business needs. Open RAN will definitely help the Atmanirbhar Bharat movement, and some companies have already started showing momentum in this regard. For telecom players, it lowers capex and opex, brings in more efficiency and innovative solutions with quicker deployment of 5G. For software makers, it is an opportunity to build ‘Make in India solutions for the global market. For system integrators, it is a way of expanding their reach globally. Indian telecommunication companies will have to ensure cost-effective and early deployment of services as well as generate additional revenue streams to stay ahead of the curve.

Open RAN India 2024 is expected to attract 250 plus business professionals representing key industry stakeholders such as telecom operators, government agencies, regulator/policy enablers, technology companies, equipment and handset OEM’s, IoT Players, Test & Measurement Companies, International experts and consultants on a common platform to discuss and debate and work on actionable, relevant and structured framework for deployment of 5G networks across India.