Digital Catapult launches Sonic Labs Open RAN accelerator programme

Just weeks after the innovation centre announced that it was welcoming a new group of international companies to its Sonic (SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre) Labs, Digital Catapult has unveiled its first Sonic Labs technology access programme to address energy-efficiency challenges in Open RAN operations.

Delivered by Digital Catapult and supported by UK communications regulator Ofcom, with funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Sonic Labs innovation programme and research and development facility was established to explore the practical viability and performance of open radio access network (RAN) technology. By looking to break down network components, Sonic Labs’ inaugural technology access programme will consider how energy usage in Open RAN operations can be optimised, championing industrial sustainability through deep tech innovation. 

With telecommunications networks accounting for 90% of operators’ energy use, and RAN representing 80% of this consumption, the access programme has been introduced as, according to Dell’Oro Group research, Open RAN is now projected to account for 20% to 30% of worldwide RAN revenues by 2028, and as Europe’s Open RAN revenue share is set to nearly double by 2028.

Digital Catapult believes developing and deploying energy-efficient Open RAN solutions will be key to supporting the global mobile telecoms sector to achieve its environmental objectives, cutting its carbon footprint while meeting growing demand from customers and commercial partners. 

The programme’s initial work will see Digital Catapult work with five “innovators” to establish energy-efficient Open RAN operations. The five teams will develop, build and implement new solutions to make the global Open RAN market more sustainable.

With access to indoor and outdoor testing sites, the five teams will receive technological guidance and opportunities for collaboration with the broader Digital Catapult network. Running for eight months, the participating companies will also have the opportunity to expand their value propositions, providing a pipeline of innovative and competitive suppliers and products in the Open RAN market.

The breakdown of activity will see Net AI, the University of York School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, and zTouch Networks explore how applied artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions can enhance the performance and resource usage of the radio network used in Open RAN. This will be achieved by optimising a component of the Open RAN architecture called the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), which manages radio resources through real-time analytics and control. Digital Catapult said optimisation using RIC will improve network efficiency, reduce energy consumption and enhance the performance of Open RAN networks.

To operate effectively, Open RAN splits the components of a wireless communication network – Radio Unit (RU), Distributed Unit (DU), and Centralised Unit (CU) – allowing for more cost-effective disaggregation of network resources. As part of the programme, G Reigns and Jet Connectivity will benchmark and optimise the energy consumption of the CPU server cores used by the DU and CU to provide energy-efficient solutions for the mobile network operator (MNO) and private network provider community. Digital Catapult predicts this will lead to enhanced scalability, improved service delivery and reduced operational expenses for network providers.

Commenting on the programme and its aims, Dritan Kaleshi, director of 5G technology at Digital Catapult and the Sonic Labs programme, said: “Energy efficiency continues to be an area of significant focus for the successful development and adoption of open networks around the world. Given this challenge, the Sonic Labs technology access programme will give pioneering organisations the opportunity to work collaboratively with Digital Catapult to build, implement and test tangible solutions to help accelerate the adoption of Open RAN technology in the UK.”

UK telecoms minister Chris Bryant added: “Not only will this slash energy use across digital networks such as 5G, but it will also save money for network operators and provide a more competitive service to consumers. We’re proud to support researchers who strive to make the UK’s tech sector more efficient and sustainable, and this is exactly the type of programme that pushes forward innovation in the telecoms sector, so the benefits of growth are felt amongst British consumers.”