AT&T, Verizon lead new $42.3M open RAN R&D facility in Dallas

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AT&T, Verizon lead new $42.3M open RAN R&D facility in Dallas (fiercewireless.com)

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today awarded $42.3 million to fund an open radio access network (open RAN) R&D and testing center in Dallas, Texas, along with a smaller facility in the Washington, D.C area.

AT&T and Verizon will lead the project. The Japanese telecommunications company NTT DOCOMO and India’s Reliance Jio are also founding members of the consortium, although they're not receiving any funding. The University of Texas at Dallas will assist in the maintenance of the Dallas-area center, while Virginia Tech, Northeastern University, Iowa State University and Rutgers University will provide neutral laboratory support.

It is interesting that the new open RAN R&D facility will be headquartered in Dallas - home of AT&T. But the smaller facility will be on the East Coast, closer to Verizon.