Radisys’ Distributed Unit Awarded Top Honors After Winning Third and Final Stage of the NTIA 5G Challenge

November 21, 2022 Ankur Sharma

I am pleased to share that Radisys’ Distributed Unit (DU) has won Stage 3 of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunications Services Federal 5G Challenge in collaboration with the Department of Defense. Radisys was the only DU vendor selected to advance to the final stage. 

In the final stage of the challenge, Radisys successfully integrated our 3GPP Release 15 and O-RAN compliant DU solution with a Centralized Unit (CU) and a Radio Unit (RU) from different vendors to deliver an integrated Open RAN solution. This accomplishment proves the viability of building RAN infrastructure from a multi-vendor ecosystem.

Not only was Radisys selected as a finalist and Stage 3 winner, we also received the top honor from the 5G Challenge judges, who presented Radisys with the Best Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) award in recognition of its comprehensive and high-quality submission which exceeded the SBOM’s standards for improved security. 

The objective of the NTIA 5G Challenge is to identify and resolve obstacles to a multi-vendor deployment model and accelerate the commercialization of Open RAN within the US. This final integration of our DU with RU and CU components from multiple vendors deliver a real Open RAN solution and we are excited to see it in action. Our modular and interoperable hardware and interoperable O-DU software will drive down costs and develop its own capabilities and innovation in the wider 5G technology supplier market.

This 5G Challenge is a unique and highly important opportunity to showcase the true range of Open RAN interoperability and vendor diversity that allows Communication Service Providers (CSPs) to choose the best open solutions for their 5G networks. By tapping into a large multi-vendor ecosystem for hardware and software components, CSPs can also minimize the risk of supply chain disruption.

Radisys is committed to advancing 5G interoperability through true plug-and-play operation, and participation in events like the 5G Challenge help accelerate the universal adoption of open interfaces, interoperable components, and multi-vendor solutions. 

We are honored to have participated in this important federal challenge that advances the overall interoperability of a multi-vendor ecosystem for the seamless operation of Open RAN systems. More importantly, we are proud to have not only advanced to the end as the only DU vendor selected, but also to have received the top honors for the entire event. It is a testament to our team’s dedication and hard work. Our award-winning, open telecom software and solutions continue to demonstrate their ability to compete and win at the highest levels in terms of performance, stability, and maturity.

To learn more about our open and disaggregated access products, visit our website.

To learn more about the 5G Challenge, visit the NTIA website and Challenge.gov. For interviews with the participants, watch the NTIA ITS 5G Challenge Showcase.

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