Mavenir global chief, Telecom News, ET Telecom

5G Crucial to India's Digital Transformation: Mavenir's Global ChiefNEW SHARE: US-based Mavenir, a telecommunications software provider, views OpenRAN or the open radio access network as an infringer of telecommunications space because it carries lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and uses its inherent power for the fifth generation (5G) networks around the world. The company serves nearly 50% of the world’s telephony subscribers through more than 250 partners of telecommunications operators. In cooperation with Muntazir Abbas from ETTelecom, President of Mavenir and CEO worldwide Pardip Koli talks on India’s telecommunications sector, Atmanirbhar Bharat (India alone) 5G networks and plans to use the latest $ 500 million investment. Edited excerpts:

What are your suggestions in the telecommunications space?

Mavenir is a network software provider that is building the future of cloud software networks that run on any cloud and transform the way the world connects. We focus on accelerating the transformation of the software network for telecommunications service providers. We are the only player in the world to offer an open platform for hardware and virtualized software solutions for network infrastructure in the telecommunications sector.

Over the last 5 years we have also invested in new areas such as the open source web platform, Open vRAN and after many years of focused engineering efforts have been able to offer a complete end-to-end product portfolio in each layer of the infrastructure infrastructure stack in an agnostic way. the platform. From 5G application, service layers to packet core and RAN, OSS, BSS, automation, AI and Analysis, we are leaders in developed, cloud-based networking solutions enabling innovative and secure end-user experiences.

What are the strengths of your portfolio in the highly competitive telecommunications space, dominated by Chinese and European players?

We use innovations in IMS (VoLTE, VoWiFi, advanced messaging), private networks, as well as cohesive packet core and OpenRAN vRAN in transforming legacy networks into a digital platform for telecommunications service providers. Today, we are part of more than 250 telco customers in over 120 countries, serving over 50% of the world’s subscribers.

How do you view OpenRAN as a destroyer?

Open RAN is an intelligent access network integrated into general purpose platforms with an open interface between software-defined functions. One of the advantages of Open RAN is the achievement of the best multi-vendor network of its kind, which allows operators to offer innovative solutions specific to different industry verticals from RAN vendors, third parties and their own R&D teams. activity and giving operators flexibility and diverse engagement models. Open RAN also brings disruptions in the form of lower total cost of ownership achieved by disaggregating general-purpose hardware and software to deploy base stations and reduce operating costs.

The performance benefits provided by Open RAN include the ability to add network intelligence optimizations based on artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI / ML) with a standardized API so that the open community can contribute to network optimization applications without to have to provide the whole solution. In this way, it automates the operation of network functions, reducing Opex.

How does Mavenir claim that its progress in the OpenRAN ecosystem will change course?

Traditional RANs with closed and proprietary interfaces are difficult to scale and less efficient to automate. This leads to a shrinking supplier ecosystem, reduced price competition and slow innovation. Software-oriented Open RAN enables scalable, agile, and best-of-breed networks with improved network performance using AI / ML, accelerated market time, and CAPEX and Opex efficiency. Statistical amplification of multiplexing allows intelligent scaling of the resources of the main band, reducing energy consumption. Silicone innovation and dynamic computing using big data analysis further optimize energy savings and productivity.

Mavenir uses its previous strengths for virtualization and cloud software to lead the industry in software setup of RAN networks. We enable new players to enter the market, traditionally controlled by three suppliers, and to innovate and disrupt by expanding the supply chain. We will enable the merger of the telecommunications and IT industries and this will completely change the way the telecom is viewed in the future.

We regularly file patents. On average, we register about ten to 15 patents each year. At present, Mavenir must have nearly 500 patents. We have invested in the development of OpenRAN. 5G is still in its early days of implementation and is being built for newer markets and businesses. To adapt to scaling and deploy many more applications at a low cost, cloud virtualization, public and private, is the way forward.

How do you plan to use the latest $ 500 million investment?

Earlier this year, we received an investment of $ 500 million Koch to build products and services to build the networks of the future. Our plan is to use the money to expand our operations in line with our clients’ fingerprints and portfolio expansion, as well as to continue investing in new areas through our research and development activities, which have always been our strength. In connection with the adoption of 5G, this investment enables us to design our products for different verticals with an emphasis on automation, artificial intelligence and various operational delivery models that will benefit our global customers.

What do you think about 5G in India?

5G is critical to India’s digital transformation as it will enable communications service providers (CSPs) to move beyond the subscriber-driven business model and rediscover themselves as digital service providers (DSPs) to drive innovation , safety and productivity in industries and enterprises to stimulate use of Industry 4.0. The Indian telecommunications industry has realized the benefits that 5G will bring, and we can expect some limited distribution of 5G to begin in early 2022.

Which new bands do you think would be suitable for telecom operators in India to launch 5G services?

India has the highest population density in the world, and to serve 7 billion users worldwide, we need to use as much spectrum as possible. Traditional groups are already crowded and a new spectrum is needed.

5G services need a combination of spectrum in low (below-1 GHz), medium (3.5 GHz) and high (mmWave) bands. This is mainly due to the fact that 5G is designed to go beyond mobile broadband service, but offers a much wider range of applications such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), massive machine communications type (MMC), and fixed wireless access (FWA). While high bandwidth will allow fast speed and capacity if you are close to the cage location, low bandwidth ensures excellent coverage. In addition, mmWave will play a crucial role in providing the high-speed and low latency required for 5G applications. It is known to facilitate the use of eMBB and FWA.

We also believe that 5G to quickly reach industries and businesses is only possible if there is spectrum allocation for private networks such as industries and businesses.

How do you see the Indian initiative Atmanirbhar Bharat (independent India) and how do you align your company’s goals with it?

The Indian telecommunications industry has come a long way in the last 25 years – from the era of GSM / 2G to now, when it is on the brink of 5G. This growth has been achieved through a promising ecosystem of local and global telecommunications players, supported by the incentives and policies of the Government of India. Over the years, the Indian government’s mission has evolved from “Make in India” to “Atmanirbhar Bharat” – an independent India – both aspects of the same basic vision. The country has talent and experience that deserves worldwide recognition, especially in the field of technology, and we are forced to promote such opportunities as we believe in India’s potential to be the world’s next manufacturing hub and maintain its leadership in software.

We are in line with the policy of the Prime Minister of India Atmanirbhar Bharat. We have a very strong research and development center in Bangalore with products built from India to India and the world market.

What is your roadmap and plans worldwide?

We are seeing more interest in accepting public clouds in the customer base, so we have recently become more aggressive in the space, working with all major players to integrate our operator software. We continue to look for opportunities for inorganic growth, where we believe it is appropriate in our portfolio and an opportunity to provide value to our customers. The recent acquisitions of Telestax and IPAccess are examples of the same.

We are also committed to building an ecosystem around O-RAN’s proposals through ongoing partnerships and the forum’s contribution to stimulating industry. There are many opportunities that 5G offers for innovation in areas such as cloud and application security, smart data routing and IIoT. We carefully assess where it makes sense to invest in new areas that complement our existing products in the short to medium term and we are confident that we will provide value with our plans for the foreseeable future to our customers.