In a move aimed at driving innovation and breaking down long-standing barriers in the telecommunications industry, Mavenir, a leader in cloud-native network infrastructure, has welcomed a new report from the O-RAN ALLIANCE. The report, titled ‘Spectrum Aggregation for Multi-Vendor Deployments’, evaluates spectrum aggregation techniques and calls for an open interface specification to enable carrier aggregation across multi-vendor networks.
The initiative, spearheaded by Mavenir, is seen as pivotal in advancing Open RAN – an industry initiative that seeks to make network systems more flexible and competitive by supporting multi-vendor interoperability. Carrier aggregation, a method that allows operators to combine different bands of spectrum for enhanced bandwidth and performance, has become increasingly relevant as telecom providers expand their 5G capabilities and look ahead to the possibilities of 6G.
Dr Sridhar Rajagopal, Senior Vice President of Access Technologies at Mavenir and the report’s rapporteur, commented on the findings: “This report from the O-RAN ALLIANCE, with its recommendations on multi-vendor carrier aggregation, could not come at a more pivotal time for Open RAN as spectrum discussions continue for expanding 5G deployments and with 6G on the horizon.” Dr Rajagopal added that standardising the interface between Distributed Units (DUs) for multi-vendor carrier aggregation “will remove single-vendor stickiness and will be a game changer for Open RAN.”
Currently, a lack of standardisation in carrier aggregation technology between vendors has created what industry insiders call “vendor stickiness.” This effectively ties operators to a single vendor for future network expansions, often leading to reduced negotiating power, limited flexibility, and greater dependence on the features, performance, and timelines set by incumbent vendors.
Despite ongoing advocacy from operators, an open interface for carrier aggregation has yet to be adopted by the broader industry. Proprietary carrier aggregation interfaces have existed since the LTE era, but the push for an open standard has faced resistance from traditional vendors, particularly in industry bodies like 3GPP. Many operators believe that an open specification would enhance their control over network development, allowing them to mix and match equipment from different suppliers without technical restrictions.
Mavenir and the O-RAN ALLIANCE are now recommending specification development to create a common carrier aggregation solution. An open interface, they argue, would not only support 5G deployments but also lay the groundwork for enhanced low-latency features expected with the arrival of 6G. The report, which explores various practical scenarios for multi-vendor spectrum aggregation, has received broad support from telecom operators and vendors alike, signalling growing momentum for a shift toward open standards in carrier aggregation.
With the O-RAN ALLIANCE’s endorsement, Mavenir hopes that this push for standardisation will accelerate, reshaping the future of telecommunications infrastructure. The adoption of open interfaces would enable a wider range of vendors to compete in the market, potentially reducing costs for operators and facilitating innovation in high-speed and low-latency network services for consumers and businesses.
As discussions progress within industry circles, the call for open carrier aggregation standards is expected to continue to gain traction. For now, Mavenir and other advocates see this report as an important step toward achieving more transparent and competitive networks that offer improved performance and flexibility for the digital future.
