VIAVI Solutions announced that the company has been selected to design, build and operate a comprehensive lab to further the adoption of Open RAN, lower barriers to entry for new players, and train a highly skilled workforce that can fuel the Open RAN industry in Asia.
The lab, which will be located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, is based on the VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR) and is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) Project in collaboration with University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Electronics and Electrical Engineering Institute (EEEI) and Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA).
The Open Radio Access Network (RAN) Interoperability Laboratory is a flagship initiative established between the United States and the Philippines during President Marcos’ historic visit to the White House in May 2023. Based on the VALOR blueprint, the lab aims to comprehensively address the availability, affordability, and accessibility of testing and evaluation of Open RAN networks through an innovative, highly automated hybrid testing Laboratory-as-a-Service (LaaS).
At the Philippines Open RAN Laboratory, VIAVI will mirror the reference architecture from VALOR and incorporate components from reputable hardware and software vendors carefully selected to embody the spirit of multi-vendor Open RAN, including Fujitsu and SOLiD.
As vendors integrate their products into this environment, validation will be carried out end-to-end by the NITRO Wireless Open RAN Test Suite:
- The TM500 Network Tester provides UE and RU emulation
- OneAdvisor 800 Wireless provides portable spectrum analysis
- VIAVI drive / walk test
- VIAVI Automation Management and Orchestration System (VAMOS) provides test orchestration, analysis, validation, and reporting.
“By promoting open architecture, we foster innovation, empower local operators, drive competition, and ultimately expand life-changing digital access for the Filipino people, fulfilling President Biden’s and President Marcos’ shared vision of a prosperous, secure Indo-Pacific region,” said USAID Philippines Director of the Office of Economic Development and Governance Amy Lovejoy.
“We are confident that the Open RAN Laboratory will be fully utilized by the university in executing research and extension that will improve connectivity for every Filipino to drive our country’s digital transformation,” said UP Diliman Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II. UP has already awarded USAID-supported scholarships towards connectivity research and development that will use the lab.
“VIAVI is proud to extend our leadership in Open RAN test labs to the Philippines,” said Rajesh Rao, Vice President, Asia Pacific South, VIAVI. “Our globally proven NITRO Wireless test suite, automated by the VAMOS framework, integrates best-in-class products to provide a robust test environment. We appreciate the confidence from USAID, UP EEEI, and the Asia Open RAN Academy in VIAVI and our partnership with technology leaders. We are excited to enable high quality interoperable telecom infrastructure and associated services in 5G, and progressively towards 6G.”
VALOR is funded by the U.S. NTIA Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund.
 Diliman Electronics and Electrical Engineering Institute (EEEI) and Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA).){kind=link}