Ericsson struck an agreement with MasOrange to upgrade its network with open RAN technologies, a partnership the pair claim puts the Spanish operator at the forefront of open and programmable networks in Europe.

In a statement, Ericsson explained it will support integration of Orange Spain’s and Masmovil’s existing networks following their merger, and deploy “high-performing and sustainable network solutions” designed for an increasingly open architecture.

The Swedish vendor will deploy its radio system products and core solutions, including massive MIMO antenna-integrated radios and RAN compute offerings, which are compatible with open RAN.

Ericsson will also add more network nodes and sites to increase performance, coverage and capacity, helping the operator address growing demand for 5G services across urban and rural areas, along with large venues such as stadiums.

It stated the approach would enable “greater flexibility, scalability and innovation in network operations and service delivery”.

The project started this month and is running in parallel with the deployment of Ericsson’s standalone 5G offering in rural areas of Spain.

Once complete, MasOrange will operate one of the most extensive, high-capacity and modern standalone 5G networks in Europe, Ericsson stated.

Decisive moment
Meinrad Spenger, CEO of the Spanish operator, said the collaboration represents “a decisive moment not only for MasOrange, but also European telecommunications”.

Ericsson SVP and head of market area Europe and Latin America, Jenny Lindqvist, added the agreement contributes to a future where high-performance and differentiated networks are key “to digitalising enterprises and society”.

The agreement with MasOrange builds on a multi-billion dollar deal Ericsson struck in 2023 to deploy open RAN for US operator AT&T.