What Is O-RAN?
O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) is an industry initiative and architecture that breaks the traditional, single-vendor radio access network into modular, interoperable components connected by open, published interfaces. Instead of one supplier delivering a sealed base station, O-RAN separates the Radio Unit (RU), Distributed Unit (DU), Central Unit (CU), and management layers, so operators can mix hardware and software from different vendors. The O-RAN Alliance publishes the specifications, and the most widely referenced interface is the "7.2x" fronthaul split between the RU and DU, carried over eCPRI or Ethernet.
The practical appeal is flexibility and cost control. Software-defined RAN functions run on general-purpose computing platforms rather than proprietary appliances, which lets operators scale capacity in software, upgrade hardware on independent cycles, and introduce automation and analytics through the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). For industrial and private network operators, O-RAN principles also make it easier to build small, local 4G/5G cells
