The Implications of Nokia Pausing Technical Work with the O-RAN Alliance

For this vignette of a recent episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, Part of the 5G Factor series, analysts Ron Westfall and Shelly Kramer share their perspective on the Nokia’s decision to pause its work in the O-RAN Alliance due to concerns related to working with China-based companies that are on the U.S. Department’s restrictive Entity list. Their conversation addressed: Why the O-RAN Alliance is influential across the entire 5G mobile ecosystem and Nokia’s decision is important. The factors behind Nokia’s decision including the shutdown of ZTE in Q2 2018 for running afoul of U.S. trade and economic policies. How Nokia’s decision amounts to what qualifies only as a kerfuffle since the O-RAN Alliance is one of many major organizations supporting standard-based Open RAN development and that resolving Nokia’s concerns are at hand. Ron and Shelly see Nokia’s decision to pause its contributions in the O-RAN Alliance as sound and that the prospect or idea of massive fallout in advancing the cause of Open RAN and Open 5G are over hyped and misplaced.