The OpenAirInterface Software Alliance, providers of 4G/5G stack and core network software as open implementation, joined the LinuxFoundation as Associate Member. The OpenAirInterface (OAI) has also joined as a member project of the LinuxFoundation Networking Fund (LNF).

Open Networking Summit Europe in Amsterdam this September 2018 highlighted why OAI and several LNF projects are strongly complementary. Collaboration between OPNFV, a LF project, other open projects (see picture here), and the OAI was shown in what was presented as a demo and keynote at the summit. This demo showcased a Virtual Central Office environment with split RAN components (CU/DU) where commercial smartphones connected to two different types of networks (pubic internet and corporate) spoke to each other through the central office node. Traffic flow monitoring was also shared with the audience.

OpenAirInterface’s offering brings a new component to the LNF community, providing access to real radio and core as open implementation, thus enriching the telecom ecosystem that LNF promotes. Modular network functions can be readily written based on OAI code and quickly prototyped to demo interfaces and APIs defined by standardization bodies. The software can then be installed in data center environments over OpenStack or containers, an effort that is currently ongoing.

We, the Alliance believe that there is need to demonstrate feasibility and viability of open source software for telecoms by joint deployment of these software pieces all the way from the management layer (e.g., ONAP) down to the VNF layer (OAI and others) and showing these technologies in end-to-end settings opening great opportunities for existing and new players in the industry.

A candid version of the ONS 2018 keynote is shown in this video (this was recorded while rehearsing).