O-Ran Curriculum

Prerequisites:

A basic familiarity with wireless communication concepts.

Course Description:

This concise 6-week course provides an introduction to the rapidly evolving field of Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN). Students will gain an understanding of the key principles driving Open RAN, its disaggregated architecture, the importance of open interfaces, and its potential impact on the future of mobile networks. Through lectures, discussions, and assessments, students will explore the fundamental concepts and the ongoing developments in this dynamic area.

Course Objectives:

After completion of this course, students will be able to:

● Explain the core motivations and principles behind Open RAN.

● Describe the basic disaggregated architecture of Open RAN (RU, DU, CU).

● Identify the significance of open interfaces in enabling interoperability.

● Discuss the role of virtualization and cloudification in Open RAN.

● Recognize the potential benefits and key challenges of Open RAN adoption.

● Understand the ongoing standardization efforts and the relevant industry organizations.

Course Outline

Topics

Week 1: Introduction to RAN and the Need for Open RAN

○ Fundamentals of Radio Access Networks (RAN): Basic components and functions.

○ Evolution of RAN architectures (brief overview of 2G-5G).

○ Limitations of traditional RAN: Vendor lock-in, inflexibility, cost.

○ The emergence of Open RAN: Drivers, goals, and potential benefits.

○ Key industry players and organizations (O-RAN Alliance, TIP).

Week 2: Open RAN Architecture: Disaggregation and Functional Splits

○ The disaggregated Open RAN architecture: Radio Unit (RU), Distributed Unit (DU), Centralized Unit (CU).

○ Functional split concepts: High-level overview and the significance of different split options (e.g., Fronthaul).

○ Control Plane (C-Plane) and User Plane (U-Plane) separation in Open RAN.

○ Logical interfaces within the Open RAN architecture.

Week 3: The Importance of Open Interfaces

○ The critical role of open and standardized interfaces for interoperability.

○ Introduction to key Open RAN interfaces: Fronthaul (with a focus on Open Fronthaul), Midhaul (F1).

○ The O-RAN Alliance specifications for open interfaces and their impact.

○ Benefits of open interfaces: Vendor diversity, innovation, and cost reduction.

Week 4: Virtualization and Cloudification in Open RAN

○ Introduction to Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and its application in Open RAN.

○ Cloud RAN (C-RAN) concepts and the move towards cloud-native RAN.

○ Benefits of virtualization and cloudification: Flexibility, scalability, resource efficiency.

○ High-level challenges of virtualizing RAN functions (performance, latency).

Week 5: Benefits, Challenges, and Use Cases of Open RAN

○ In-depth discussion of the potential benefits of Open RAN for mobile operators and the ecosystem.

○ Key challenges and considerations for Open RAN adoption (interoperability, security, performance).

○ Overview of emerging Open RAN use cases: Rural deployments, private networks, neutral host.

○ The evolving Open RAN ecosystem and vendor landscape.

Week 6: Standardization and Future Trends

○ A closer look at the O-RAN Alliance: Working groups and key specifications.

○ The role of other industry consortia (e.g., TIP) in the Open RAN landscape.

○ Ongoing standardization efforts and the roadmap for Open RAN evolution.

○ Future trends and the potential impact of Open RAN on 5G Advanced and beyond.