Millicom will become one of the first operators in Latin America to implement Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) architecture in partnership with Parallel Wireless. It will be through the Tigo Colombia subsidiary , which will deploy 4G coverage in 362 rural sites.
With this advance, Millicom encourages the expansion of the industrial ecosystem, where traditional and alternative suppliers compete to provide equipment and software for network radio access (RAN) for the benefit of rural communities in Latin America.
The O-RAN implementation will allow the operator to advance its 4G deployment path, as a basis for the future 5G implementation, and take advantage of the potential of the cloud and Artificial Intelligence in the mobile network.
“For Millicom, offering Open RAN technology based on O-RAN standards represents an important milestone. Not only does it mean connecting more people in rural areas, starting with Colombia, but it also provides an innovative approach to reduce costs, increase flexibility and drive efficiency by diversifying our portfolio of suppliers, ”said Xavier Rocoplán, Executive Vice President and Director of Technology and Information for Millicom.
“We look forward to bringing this technology to more communities in our Latin American markets, as we fulfill our purpose of building the digital highways that connect people, improve lives and develop our communities.”
For his part, Keith Johnson, president of Parallel Wireless, highlighted: “This alliance allows us to set a precedent for other operators in the region and support their efforts to bring 4G connectivity to their rural and urban subscribers.”
Parallel Wireless has an O-RAN ALL G software platform , supporting 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G, which forms an open, secure and intelligent RAN architecture to provide wireless connectivity. Currently, the company is associated with more than 50 operators worldwide.
The Open RAN technology will in the future to reduce the costs of network deployment and reduce dependence on large infrastructure providers.