O-RAN ALLIANCE Summit 2026 - Live Replay

Why It Matters

Open RAN’s shift to production‑grade deployments unlocks cost savings and innovation speed for operators, while laying the groundwork for a competitive, standards‑driven 6G future.

Summary

The O‑RAN Alliance Summit 2026, held at MWC, served as a barometer for the open‑radio‑access‑network ecosystem as it moves from experimental pilots toward large‑scale, revenue‑generating deployments. Analyst Gabriel Brown opened the session, emphasizing that the alliance’s eight‑year journey is now entering a phase where operational efficiency, multi‑vendor interoperability, and real‑world value creation dominate the agenda.

Speakers highlighted concrete progress: 2025 saw 147 new specifications adopted, tighter integration with regional bodies such as ATIS, TTA and the Linux Foundation, and a security‑by‑design mindset embedded throughout the stack. Massive‑MIMO deployments, SMO‑driven automation, and service‑based APIs have moved from proof‑of‑concept to production, while the alliance has already launched its first 6G work items in collaboration with 3GPP, signaling a proactive stance on the next generation of connectivity.

Thomas Lips, chair of the O‑RAN Alliance, underscored that “mission without execution is intent,” citing Rakuten Mobile’s rapid rollout of a 350,000‑site, multi‑vendor open RAN that now serves over 10 million subscribers and achieved profitability within five years. The operator reported that 80 % of its network employs massive‑MIMO, proving the commercial viability of dense, cloud‑native deployments. AT&T’s VP Rob Sony added that both greenfield and brownfield operators are now transitioning from planning to live execution, reinforcing the alliance’s claim of scaling across diverse market segments.

The implications are clear: operators that embrace open RAN’s standardized, automated, and secure framework can accelerate network modernization, reduce capex, and position themselves for early 6G adoption. Vendors and ecosystem partners stand to benefit from a growing pool of interoperable components, while the broader telecom industry gains a more resilient, cost‑effective pathway to meet escalating data‑demand and emerging use cases.

Original Description

At the 2026 O-RAN Alliance Summit during MWC, industry leaders discussed the evolution of open RAN from concept to large-scale deployment. Deutsche Telekom's Thomas Lips, chair of the O-RAN Alliance board, outlined progress including 147 new specifications and partnerships with regional standards bodies like ETSI and ATIS. The summit featured operators including Rakuten Mobile, which has deployed 350,000 cells across a multi-vendor ecosystem and achieved EBITDA profitability within five years. Panel discussions covered operator success stories, with emphasis on moving from traditional integration challenges to productivity-focused implementations. The alliance is also beginning 6G work items in collaboration with 3GPP, positioning open RAN principles for next-generation networks.

Recorded: Live March 2026

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