TIM (Telecom Italia) has launched one of the first OTIC (Open Test and Integration Center) labs in the world.
The new TIM European OTIC Lab is based at the TIM Group’s Innovation laboratories in Turin and is approved by the O-RAN Alliance.
The O-RAN ALLIANCE was established in 2018 by a global consortium of network operators with the goal of evolving radio access networks to become more open and interoperable.
OpenRAN is increasingly being promoted by governments for improving the security of networks while operators are embracing the technology for increasing market competition—lowering prices, driving innovation, and preventing vendor lock-in.
TIM’s new lab meetings the OTIC criteria and guidelines set by the O-RAN Alliance and will enable the entire OpenRAN ecosystem to test solutions and help accelerate the technology’s deployment across Europe.
“By creating a common platform and set of processes, OTIC will allow vendors to expedite the development of hardened new RAN technologies and products that will support real-world deployments,” wrote Alok Shah, VP of Networks Strategy at Samsung Electronics America in a recent blog post.
“OTIC’s initial focus is to ensure RAN components from participating equipment providers support standardized open interfaces and can successfully interoperate based on the test specifications published by O-RAN Alliance.”
The new lab in Turin promises a collaborative, open, impartial, and qualified working environment. RAN equipment can be tested from individual or different suppliers within the specifications of O-RAN interfaces.
TIM has been a Member of the O-RAN Alliance since 2018 and last February signed a Memorandum of Understanding similar to one signed by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, and Vodafone in January to commit to the promotion and deployment of OpenRAN.
In April, Telecoms reported that TIM was set to become one of the first operators in Europe to deploy OpenRAN on a live network. TIM says that went live in the last few days.
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