The O-RAN ALLIANCE, in collaboration with the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things at Northeastern University, has successfully concluded its seed funding initiative, which was launched in November 2023. This initiative aimed to support research and development in next-generation open Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure. The funding initiative was spearheaded by O-RAN ALLIANCE's next Generation Research Group (nGRG) to foster O-RAN-related 6G research and explore how O-RAN can evolve to support future mobile wireless networks by leveraging global industry and academic research.

The seed funding was intended to significantly enable broader funding for research platforms focused on next-generation infrastructure. Northeastern University utilized the $200,000 sponsorship to enhance its Colosseum lab and research platform, resulting in the development of a comprehensive, automated O-RAN Digital Twin (O-DT) platform. This platform is specifically designed for the research community to accelerate innovation at the intersection of AI, open RAN, and network optimization.

The evolved O-RAN Digital Twin platform allows researchers to deploy O-RAN-based networks, including base stations, user equipment, and Radio Intelligent Controllers (RIC), with ease. It automates data collection, training, and testing pipelines for RIC-based xApps and rApps, and supports continuous validation of open-source protocol stacks. The platform is also designed to support future development of dApps for real-time network control and other advanced use cases.

Michele Polese, Research Assistant Professor at Northeastern University and PI of the O-RAN O-DT project, noted that the O-RAN ALLIANCE seed funding has transformed Colosseum into a state-of-the-art platform that empowers the research community to develop RAN innovations. This initiative has facilitated the creation of new solutions aimed at addressing the challenges of intelligent and dynamic network control and optimization. The O-RAN Digital Twin will continue to evolve to meet the future needs of modern RANs.

Ravi Sinha, VP Technology and Solution Development at Reliance Jio and co-chair of nGRG, expressed excitement about the tangible value that the O-RAN ALLIANCE seed funding initiative is delivering to RAN researchers. He emphasized that these research outcomes will inform future specification development within the O-RAN ALLIANCE, fostering a global market of scalable, innovative, and competitive solutions that advance the mission of an open, intelligent, virtualized, and fully interoperable RAN.

The O-RAN ALLIANCE is a global community comprising mobile operators, vendors, and research and academic institutions dedicated to reshaping the Radio Access Network (RAN) industry. Its mission is to drive the industry towards more intelligent, open, virtualized, and fully interoperable mobile networks. The O-RAN specifications aim to create a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem with faster innovation to enhance user experience. O-RAN-based mobile networks also improve the efficiency of RAN deployments and operations for mobile operators. The O-RAN ALLIANCE publishes new RAN specifications, releases open software for the RAN, and supports its members in integrating and testing their implementations.

The Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT) at Northeastern University envisions a future where people and their environment are wirelessly connected through AI-powered devices and networks. WIoT is committed to making wireless communications faster, more energy-efficient, and more secure. Within WIoT, Open6G serves as a hub for Open RAN innovation, offering research, development, and testing facilities for advanced wireless networks using Open RAN and AI technologies.