Challenges in Implementing Telecom Innovations

Open/Cloud/Virtual RAN expenditures dropped 30% in 2024. Some call it disappointing. We call it growing up. The promise hasn’t changed—disaggregated networks that give operators flexibility, better cost of ownership and a platform for revenue growth. But our understanding of what it takes to capture that promise has evolved. Early brownfield deployments focused on proving technology worked. Operators now ask harder questions: • How do I manage multi-vendor environments at scale? • How does my operational model change with a common horizontal infrastructure platform from core to edge to RAN? • How do I mitigate risk and maintain SLAs when troubleshooting becomes exponentially more complex? These aren’t technology problems—they’re operational transformation challenges. We’ve seen this before. The pattern is always the same: technology arrives first, operational transformation takes longer, and success belongs to those who approach it holistically. The market correction in 2024 doesn’t suggest the failure of network transformation—it a sign that the industry is maturing in its understanding of what successful transformation requires. That’s exactly where we need to be… and as the open telecom ecosystem answers these hard questions, the segment will inevitably return to growth. #OpenRAN #TelecomTransformation #NetworkModernization

🔍 Why Isn’t Private 5G Everywhere Yet? EVERYONE is talking about it.... Enterprises want Private 5G—ultra-reliable, secure, and scalable connectivity. But implementing it? Not as simple as flipping a switch. Here are the real-world challenges we see enterprises facing: 📶 1. Spectrum Confusion CBRS? Licensed? Unlicensed? Standards by country and region ➡️ Overcome it: Work with partners who understand regulatory landscapes and can guide the right spectrum path—balancing cost, performance, and compliance. 🛠️ 2. Integration with Legacy Infrastructure Private 5G must connect seamlessly with existing IT/OT, Wi-Fi, and cloud ecosystems. ➡️ Overcome it: Deploy modular architectures and edge gateways that translate across protocols and systems. Wi-Fi to P5G is a common use case 💰 3. Unclear ROI & Business Justification CIOs and CFOs often ask: Where’s the return? ➡️ Overcome it: Start with high-impact use cases—predictive maintenance, ubiquitous coverage inside/outside, and low cost of deployment and management. It has to be similar to how enterprise IT managed their current IT architecture. 🧠 4. Lack of In-House Expertise Telco-grade networks are new territory for many enterprises. ➡️ Overcome it: Partner with solution providers that offer managed Private 5G services—from design to deployment to ongoing operations. 🔐 5. Security and Data Ownership Enterprises worry about exposing critical OT systems and proprietary data. ➡️ Overcome it: Private 5G keeps traffic local and encrypted. When implemented properly, it can be more secure than Wi-Fi or public LTE. 🌐 Private 5G is transformative—but only if done right. The key is starting small, choosing the right use case, and selecting partners who can reduce risk and accelerate time-to-value. #GXC know P5G! Let’s talk about making Private 5G work—for real-world enterprises. #Private5G #EnterpriseNetworking #DigitalTransformation #Connectivity #CBRS #EdgeComputing #Industry40 #SmartManufacturing #WirelessInnovation #5GDeployment

Welcome to the "O" Town! The OpenRAN (O-RAN) Town project demonstrates the potential and challenges of deploying a multi-vendor Open RAN solution. Deutsche Telekom piloted a multi-vendor Open RAN solution in Germany, named "O-RAN Town" with the aim to assess technology readiness, integration complexity and operational challenges of Open RAN. While Open RAN has made good progress and continues to mature, the overall design also comes with its own complexities as experienced during this work. The main challenges faced during the O-RAN Town project were: 🛑 High Integration Effort: Integrating components from multiple vendors required significant effort to ensure compatibility and seamless operation. 🛑 Software Stability: Ensuring the stability of software across different vendors’ hardware was a major challenge, necessitating extensive testing and debugging. 🛑 Performance Issues: Achieving the desired performance levels was difficult, particularly in terms of latency and throughput. 🛑 Coordination Among Stakeholders: Tight coordination among operators, vendors, and system integrators was crucial but challenging to maintain. 🛑 Energy Efficiency: Optimizing energy efficiency to match traditional RAN systems was a key focus area that presented ongoing challenges. 🛑 Lifecycle Management: Adapting to rapid advances in standardized hardware components required continuous updates and management. The above highlights the importance of collaboration, integration, and continuous improvement to achieve a scalable, high-performance OpenRAN based network. #openran #5g #telecom #network #telcos #technology #VPspeak [^482]