Wireless Execs Say Using Open RAN Technology is a Winning Strategy
Sue Marek | March 23, 2025
During a panel hosted by Ookla at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on March 4, Luke Kehoe, Ookla’s European analyst, moderated a discussion about open RAN featuring top mobile executives from Boost Mobile (formerly Dish Wireless) in the U.S., Paradise Mobile in Bermuda, and 1&1 in Germany.
The open vendor ecosystem of open RAN was also a key differentiator for 1&1. Michael Martin, CEO of 1&1 Mobilfunk, said that open RAN enabled the company to build a highly modular network with standardized components. He said the operator launched its network in December 2023 and started offering its enhanced mobile broadband (EMBB) services right away.
Since its launch, 1&1 has migrated six million mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) customers onto its network at a rate of 50,000 customers per day. “That’s a massive achievement,” Martin said. He emphasized that this success in managing a complex customer migration while building a network capable of supporting a large user base in a short period offers valuable lessons for brownfield operators elsewhere aiming to incorporate open RAN into their networks in the coming years.
https://www.ookla.com/articles/...an-technology-is-a-winning-strategy