This episode dives into the revolutionary Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) technology, exemplified by Rakuten Mobile's pioneering network and Dish Network's mandated adoption. It explores how O-RAN challenges traditional wireless infrastructure, promising reduced costs, increased flexibility, and greater competition. Ecommerce operators can draw parallels in understanding disruptive technologies, supply chain disaggregation, and the strategic advantages of open standards versus proprietary solutions.
Key takeaways
O-RAN disaggregates hardware and software in mobile networks, allowing for greater vendor diversity and reducing reliance on single suppliers. This concept can be applied to e-commerce tech stacks to avoid vendor lock-in.
Rakuten Mobile's success demonstrates that new players can disrupt established, capital-intensive industries by leveraging innovative, open technologies and cloud-native architectures.
Government regulation and policy can be a significant catalyst for technological adoption and market restructuring, as seen with Dish Network's O-RAN mandate.
The 'cloud-native' approach to network infrastructure, central to O-RAN, offers a blueprint for building more agile, scalable, and cost-effective digital operations, a valuable lesson for scaling e-commerce businesses.
Implementing groundbreaking technology requires overcoming significant hurdles in funding, talent acquisition, interoperability, and performance, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and execution.
In 2019, the Trump administration brokered a deal allowing TMobile to buy Sprint as long as it helped Dish Network stand up a new 5G network to keep the number of national wireless carriers at 4 and preserve competition in the mobile market. Now, in 2022, Dish’s network is slowly getting off the ground. And it’s built on a new kind of wireless technology called Open Radio Access Network, or O-RAN. Dish’s network is only the third O-RAN network in the entire world, and if O-RAN works, it will radically change how the entire wireless industry operates.
I have wanted to know more about O-RAN for a long time. So today, I’m talking to Tareq Amin, CEO of Rakuten Mobile. Rakuten Mobile is a new wireless carrier in Japan, it just launched in 2020 – it’s also the world’s first Open RAN network, and Tareq basically pushed this whole concept into existence. I really wanted to know if ORAN is going to work, and how Tareq managed to make it happen in such a traditional industry. So we got into it – like, really into it. Links:
Rakuten
Rakuten Edge Cloud
"Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM"
Rakuten Group to Acquire Mobile Industry Innovator Altiostar
Gadgets 360
Massive MIMO Transcript:
https://www.theverge.com/e/23061797 Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.
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What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
O-RAN disaggregates hardware and software in mobile networks, allowing for greater vendor diversity and reducing reliance on single suppliers. This concept can be applied to e-commerce tech stacks to avoid vendor lock-in.
What does this episode say about ai & automation?
Rakuten Mobile's success demonstrates that new players can disrupt established, capital-intensive industries by leveraging innovative, open technologies and cloud-native architectures.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Government regulation and policy can be a significant catalyst for technological adoption and market restructuring, as seen with Dish Network's O-RAN mandate.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
The 'cloud-native' approach to network infrastructure, central to O-RAN, offers a blueprint for building more agile, scalable, and cost-effective digital operations, a valuable lesson for scaling e-commerce businesses.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Implementing groundbreaking technology requires overcoming significant hurdles in funding, talent acquisition, interoperability, and performance, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and execution.
