FCC Sets Sept. 14 Forum on O-RAN for 5G

The FCC said a forum on 5G open radio access networks, postponed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will happen virtually Sept. 14. Chairman Ajit Pai and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are scheduled to speak. Pai will moderate an industry panel on virtualized networks. “Open and virtualized radio access networks may help operators deploy more secure, cost-effective 5G networks,” Pai said Tuesday. The U.S. must “lead the way in researching and developing innovative approaches to mobile network deployment,” he said. The session starts at 10:30 a.m. EDT. "Open RAN networks enable providers to bring together best-in-class vendors, including from the U.S., unleashing innovation and unlocking the economic potential enabled by 5G,” emailed Stephen Bye, Dish Network executive vice president-chief commercial officer, saying Dish is building "the nation's first cloud native Open RAN based 5G network.”