Mavenir, Axiata deploy first live commercial OpenvRAN with TIP Evenstar 4G

Mavenir and Axiata Group Berhad said they have deployed commercial Open Virtual Radio Access Network (OpenvRAN) using Mavenir’s MAvair and Evenstar 4G Remote Radio Unit (RRU), produced by the Telecom Infra Project (TIP).

While MAVair is the US-based company’s O-RAN-based solution for Open RAN, TIP’s Evenstar 4G RRU comes with 7.2 O-RAN interface.

As per an official statement, the live commercial Open vRAN has been deployed in three properties in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Indonesia where Axiata has replaced legacy incumbent vendors’ sites with the MAVair Open vRAN solution across various scenarios.

These sites are connected with microwave links for backhaul and in some cases, with satellite connectivity, being the first-ever in Open vRAN solutions across the industry, it added.

Mavenir said its virtualized RAN (vRAN) platform will enable the utilization of Open Virtualized RAN technology and its target objective of progressing towards a fully automated network architecture.

At the same time, Axiata said it intends to deploy a commercial Open RAN network by the end of 2021.

“Mavenir is delighted to work with Axiata on their radio network transformation initiative. Together, we have achieved excellent results in Axiata’s commercial network and sites deployed in rural, suburban and urban locations, proving the extreme flexibility of Open vRAN,” said Pardeep Kohli, Mavenir president and CEO.

“We are proud to be among the first to deploy TIP’s Evenstar 4G radios in live commercial Open RAN environments,” said Thomas Hundt, Executive Vice President – Technology at Axiata Group Berhad. “We’re encouraged by how Mavenir’s cloud native Open virtualized RAN has integrated so seamlessly into our legacy networks.”