UP Open RAN Laboratory

The United States Agency for International Development and the University of the Philippines Diliman have collaborated to establish the Open Radio Access Network (RAN) Laboratory, located at the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (EEEI) at UP Diliman, Quezon City, equipped with RAN equipment from different vendors based on the agreed design with key stakeholders. The Open RAN Lab is envisioned to be a center for collaboration among mobile network operators (MNOs), ICT vendors, industry organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and other development partners and aims to promote open and disaggregated network technologies, particularly open radio access networks, to foster a robust telecommunications environment. 

The Open RAN Laboratory is established through a phased approach. The first phase will focus on the foundational equipment and essential functionalities of the laboratory that will support the workforce development initiatives of the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA). This phase will lay the groundwork for subsequent phases, ensuring a robust foundation for further development. Phase 2 will build upon the foundations in Phase 1 by implementing advanced technologies and functionalities. Both Phases 1 and 2 will focus on workforce development, ensuring that engineers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the complexities of Open RAN technologies. Lastly, Phase 3 focuses on real-world applications through field trials and the exploration of various use cases.

Implementation

Phase 1 is implemented by our vendor-partner Viavi and follows the VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR) setup. Phase 1 shall provide an end-to-end implementation from User Equipment (UEs) to Core with Open RAN in between: UEs connecting to Radio Units (RUs) that supports open fronthaul interfacing (eCPRI) to Distributed Units (DUs); and DUs connecting to open Centralized Units (O-CUs); all from different vendors to demonstrate interoperability. Hence, Phase 1 is expected to provide a fully automated, cooperative, open and impartial laboratory and testing setup which can be used to demonstrate Open RAN interoperability, performance and security.

The project is funded by the USAID.

For inquiries, please contact open.ran@eee.upd.edu.ph.