South Africa Open RAN/Open Core Trends and Developments

This IDC Market Perspective explores the momentum behind open RAN and open core in South Africa. Open RAN is a new approach that separates the hardware and software components of a RAN, allowing communications service providers to use products from multiple vendors. Open core is a cloud-native mobile core that supports 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi access technologies for deployments in licensed, unlicensed, or shared spectrum, and in private networks. The document focuses on definitions and identifies the key trends for these technologies, as well as any associated market developments."Although the deployment of open RAN and open core is almost non-existent in South Africa, the next several years will see telcos adopting these technologies as part of their network strategies. That said, various challenges remain in relation to these technologies, particularly in terms of security, interoperability, cost savings, and broader industry support." - Senior Research Analyst Mervin Miemoukanda, IDC Middle East and Africa