Accenture, MTN conclude ORAN proof-of-concept

Accenture and MTN have embarked on a proof-of-concept to test the capabilities of an open radio access network (ORAN) solution to improve customer experience and optimise costs.

Two successful trials were completed in the live network in South Africa and Nigeria.

An initial trial phase exploring ORAN solutions was also conducted in MTN South Africa’s lab at its headquarters in Fairland, Johannesburg, prior to the deployment.

Communication service providers (CSPs) are faced with a number of issues including high mobile telephone traffic, a fiercely competitive market and pressure to add and retain customers and differentiate their services, besides others, while working to save costs, the parties commented in a statement on Wednesday.

“To overcome these challenges, CSPs must invest in the radio access network which will help them improve their network performance and customer experience, and develop new sources of revenue,” said Accenture Africa communication, media and technology lead Nitesh Singh.

ORAN has the potential to bring disruptive innovation and efficiencies, transforming the way networks are built and services are delivered to customers.

“This project provided us with an opportunity to share our experience with MTN through the Rakuten communications platform, and to jointly create the next-generation network that will set new standards for future mobile communications in South Africa and across the continent,” he continued.

“MTN is committed to exploring innovative technological solutions to reduce the costs and deliver greater value to our customers. We are confident that in time ORAN holds the potential to enable us to significantly lower the total cost of ownership with an expanded ecosystem and unlock the benefits of cloud-native deployments with greater flexibility and scalability,” concluded MTN spokesperson Amith Maharaj.