Mavenir sees radio access network technology gaining traction in APAC

Mavenir is changing the game for communications service providers (CSPs) with software-based products and technology for building end-to-end mobile networks, paving the way for the affordable adoption of 5G services across the Asia-Pacific region.

Source: Mavenir. Saba.

"Our vision is to transform the mobile network economics and accelerate digital transformation for partners and customers," said Sydney-based Sam Saba, Senior VP and Head of Asia Pacific* region.


According to the company, slowing subscriber growth, regulatory intervention and intense competition have placed significant pressure on operators' traditional mobile revenues, making it imperative for them to find a new way to adopt emerging standards like 5G.

The Mavenir solution brings increased business agility, network elasticity, and dynamic radio access network (RAN) optimisation. Saba explained that in a 4G world, the hardware and software for the radio network have to be from the same vendor. With 5G, that bond can be decoupled, with Mavenir providing the software for radio network hardware from any vendor. Mavenir is also designing the software to work on commercial off-the-shelf Intel processors—significantly reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Additionally, the baseband and radio hardware are traditionally located together. With Mavenir's technology the actual baseband hardware can be located much farther away from the radio part of the radio network, reducing opex and making the structure of the radio network more flexible, Saba said.

A 2018 Mavenir-sponsored virtualised radio access network (vRAN) study found that operators moving to a Mavenir vRAN solution could save 37% in TCO over a five-year period - capex fell by 49% and there was a 31% annual reduction in opex. "We make the business case for operators to invest in the new technology," Saba said.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to be very interested in Mavenir's vRAN and cloud-based portfolio. This is because many ASEAN markets have youth as the largest segment of the population, a strong desire for everything digital, and a lack of legacy 4G infrastructure holding them back from 5G investments. "It opens up the supply chain. We can get new radio vendors to come into the industry," Saba pointed out.

Mavenir technology is already available. In early June,  Big Switch Networks announced an OEM agreement with Mavenir to include Big Cloud Fabric (BCF) in a network function virtualisation (NFV) solution. This was followed by Aspire Technology launching an OpenRAN interoperability and performance benchmarking service with Mavenir.

According to Saba, many of the members in the O-RAN Alliance are conducting feasibility studies and trialling OpenRAN technology such as Mavenir's. O-RAN Alliance members believe that future RANs will be built with virtualised network elements, white-box hardware and standardised interfaces. Rakuten in Japan, a Mavenir messaging platform customer, is running an O-RAN network, Saba shared, while lab trials are ongoing with a large customer in the Asia Pacific region. Other players are considering or conducting trials end-year and in early 2020, he said.

"When you hear that markets are starting to roll out 5G, those markets are in a position to roll out O-RAN architecture," he said.

"We have multiple engagements with multiple players around the region; in essence they are in the feasibility stage," he added. "It is only a matter of time before it becomes a common technology."

*For Mavenir, India comprising South Asian countries is considered a separate region from the Asia Pacific.