# [Intern] 24/06/2022 The white paper of the O-RAN and the practical advantages of the O-RAN compare to C-RAN
###### tags: `BMW-Lab`, `Intern`

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**Goal:** To understand the white paper of the O-RAN and the practical advantages of the O-RAN compare to C-RAN.
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**References**
- [white paper of the O-RAN](https://rimedolabs.com/blog/the-oran-whitepaper-2022-ran-intelligent-controller/)
- [O-RAN compare to C-RAN](https://stlpartners.com/articles/telco-cloud/why-do-open-ran_c-ran-v-ran-o-ran/)
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## Background of the O-RAN.

The primary objective of the European operators workingunder the Open RAN MoU is to guide and foster the development of a non-fragmented Open RAN ecosystem and vendors’ roadmaps while ensuring Open RAN reaches parity with best-in-class traditional RAN solutions. Special attention is paid to encourage a competitive European Open RAN ecosystem of technology
providers and system integrators, hence strengthening the European RAN industry.This “Technical Priorities Document” provides a list of technical requirements that the signatories of the Open RAN MoU consider priorities for Open RAN architecture. It serves as a guidance to the RAN supplier industry on where to focus to accelerate market deployments in Europe, focusing on commercial product availability in the short term, as well as solution development in the medium term. In terms of timeframe, the operators wish to ensure the readiness of Open RAN solutions for large scale network roll-out from 2022 onwards. Macro deployment is identified as the primary target for the operators.To ease the deployment of a fully disaggregated multi-vendor RAN, the operators are setting out a list of essential requirements for implementation by suppliers. A gap analysis between the
operator requirements and current standards has been performed to indicate areas where further standardization is required in order to accelerate the specification of non-mature defined open interfaces and functions. For the avoidance of doubt, this Executive Summary, and the Technical Priority Document, only indicate areas where the operators consider further
standardization is required; they do not define any Open RAN standards. Standardization will be subject to the established standard setting bodies such as the O-RAN Alliance. Open Fronthaul is considered as the key interface to implement a disaggregated, multi-vendor RAN, including Massive MIMO, as a baseline for first macro deployments.To become a competitive alternative to traditional RAN, the operators require solutions that will not compromise on network quality, security, high energy efficiency, as support for 4G and 5G based on both SA and NSA, efficient RAN sharing and legacy band support.
Other capabilities related to an intelligent and programmable RAN are expected to emerge later, offering the potential for specialist start-ups to emerge and play an active role. All are essential in the long run to build a competitive Open RAN ecosystem.

## The practical advantages of the O-RAN compare to C-RAN:

## C-RAN.

C-RAN (Also CRAN) stands for Centralized RAN or Cloud RAN. In C-RAN (Cloud RAN) the BBU moves to a centralized location and the cell site only has the antenna and the RRU. This centralization of BBU functionality (also called BBU pool) results in the name centralized RAN or C-RAN.


The benefits of C-RAN includes CAPEX and OPEX reduction as deployment and maintenance cost per cell site are reduced because of BBUs centralization. In addition, it improves spectral efficiency and reduces inter channel interferences, as centralized BBUs can share the resources dynamically among the multiple RRUs. The inter-channel interference is eased because of the joint scheduling and processing.

## O-RAN.
The O-RAN alliance is working on specifications to open the interface between RRU and DU and further between DU and CU. This means that a customer can mix and match the components from different vendors without being locked to one vendor for all these three components, thus resulting in an open RAN network.


These new open components as per O-RAN alliance’s specs are called O-RU, O-DU and O-CU (where O stands for Open) which is actually a modular base station software stack on off-the-shelf server hardware.
An Open RAN, or Open Radio Access Network is a concept based on interoperability and standardization of RAN elements including a unified interconnection standard for white-box hardware and open source software elements from different vendors. Open RAN architecture integrates a modular base station software stack on off-the-shelf hardware which allows baseband and radio unit components from different suppliers to operate seamlessly together.