Domestic researchers are actively pursuing research collaboration with leading research institutes in the field of Open RAN technology. This is expected to be of great help in securing commercialization technology for open LAN and securing the global competitiveness of domestic open LAN technology.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on the 16th that it has decided to begin full-scale research cooperation with Northeastern University in Boston, USA.

This research collaboration with Northeastern University aims to strengthen collaboration with the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT) Lab under Northeastern University.

The WIoT Research Institute is leading research in open LAN and 5G/6G mobile communications.

In particular, Northeastern University operates the Colosseum, the world's largest open wireless test system, and a commercial-scale 5G/6G test system.

By recently establishing the Open6G OTIC, an Open RAN Test Center accredited by the Open RAN Alliance (O-RAN Alliance), the company has established itself as a hub for Open RAN testing and 6G mobile communication technology research.

Currently, the WIoT Research Institute is establishing a cooperative system with U.S. government agencies and forming partnerships with various global companies, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Qualcomm, to conduct joint research on the development of challenging 5G and 6G mobile communication technologies.

ETRI's Stereoscopic Communications Research Institute also announced that it pursued this partnership to establish a Korea-US cooperative system in the 6G mobile communications field and to secure global competitiveness and original technologies.

In particular, an international joint response system essential for participation in the OpenLAN international standardization and global plugfest, which is the goal of the OpenLAN intelligent control research project that began at ETRI in 2023, has been established.

ETRI's Mobile Communications Research Center played a key role in establishing the ITU's IMT-2030 vision and is focusing on securing core technologies through leading 6G research.

Accordingly, it has emerged as an international technology issue.We are actively participating in research to commercialize open LAN.

ETRI's Director of the Stereoscopic Communications Research Lab, Baek Yong-sun, stated, "This partnership provides an opportunity for close research collaboration with a leading U.S. research institute. Going forward, we will continue our research on open RAN and 6G fundamentals to ensure Korea leads the next-generation mobile communications sector and enhances our national competitiveness."

Professor Tommaso Melodia, a world-renowned expert in Open RAN and director of the WIoT Research Institute, also stated, "I am delighted to be able to conduct joint research with ETRI in the Open RAN field. I hope that the results of our joint research will serve as a milestone in leading the way in 6G mobile communications."

Going forward, the researchers plan to flesh out the partnership between the two institutions, establish a network of human resources, exchange technology through researcher exchanges, and draft a proposal for joint projects.

This technology is part of the 'International Joint Research on Intelligent Control Technology for Improving QoE Performance of 5G Open LAN' (2022) and 'Development of Wireless Intelligent Control Technology for Open LAN Intelligence' (2023) projects, which were supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP), with LGU+, Ucast, and Doodoowon participating as joint research institutes.