Sri Lanka to welcome Open-RAN trial by Hutch-edotco partner

Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka (Private) Limited and its infrastructure partner edotco Services Lanka (Private) Limited (edotco) launched an Open-RAN trial to reduce the cost of GB data further and thus pass the cost-benefit to its customers.  

The trial Open-RAN site was deployed in Polatthapitya in the Kurunegala district.   

The traditional mobile radio networks were supplied by a single vendor in a region or specific technology such as 3G or 4G. The hardware and software had to be obtained from the same vendor as a ‘closed proprietary system,’ limiting vendor choices and negotiating power.   

Open Radio Access Network, commonly known as O-RAN or Open-RAN, is a concept that promotes the separation of mobile radio network hardware and software, thus having the potential to improve network flexibility and reduce cost by introducing separate and multiple vendors into the network. O-RAN, one of the latest technologies developed by many global telecom giants, promises lower overall cost structures to deploy 4G and future 5G services.   

According to local media reports, the trial Open-RAN site was deployed at Polatthapitya in the Kurunegala District. The trial will be conducted using edotco’s ‘multi-purpose lamp pole site, a small-cell antenna-enabled telecommunication infrastructure known to facilitate seamless connectivity in urban and rural settings.  

The Malaysia-based vendor runs a solid infrastructure network of 500 multi-purpose lamp pole sites.  

On his part, Hutch Chief Executive Officer Thirukumar Nadarasa said, “Hutch is embraced by customers as the most affordable data service provider while delivering a superior broadband data experience over an advanced 4G network of over 2400 sites nationwide. We are pleased to initiate this pilot project with our partner edotco, which promises to deliver enhanced cost benefits.”  

Thirukumar added: “Deployment of initiatives like Open-RAN must not merely be for the sake of deploying the latest technology but should focus on enhancing the lives of people. The effort taken by edotco as the end-to-end infrastructure and solution integration partner for this project is most commendable.”