Ericsson and MasOrange teamed to deploy the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) in a bid to boost autonomous, intelligent networks with AI-enabled automation for improved performance.

The trial deployment includes Ericsson’s Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) and the vendor’s open ecosystem of AI-powered rApps to deliver automated radio access network (RAN) optimization and energy efficiency, promising improved experience for Spanish telecom MasOrange’s users.

Jean-Christophe Laneri, head of cognitive network solutions at Ericsson, touted rApps as “the future of network management.”

“By collaborating closely with MasOrange, we are able to tailor our solutions to real-world environments and gather invaluable insights that will inform broader adoption of autonomous networks across the industry,” Laneri added.

The use of rApps is increasing in popularity as software applications that help optimize network traffic and the management of telecom networks. They can automate RAN via rich data, AI, and machine learning, with use cases including network healing, network optimization, outage compensation, performance anomaly detection, and energy savings.

As part of the project, EIAP was integrated with MasOrange’s commercial network through the existing Ericsson Network Management system (ENM), with additional rApps also deployed. These include Ericsson Cell Anomaly Detector, promised to help service providers detect network performance issues proactively and automatically; and Future Connections Nix RAN Energy Saver, said to maximize the energy efficiency and sustainability of the network, monitoring and optimizing RAN energy-saving features.

Ericsson said that SMO solutions like EIAP play a crucial role in enabling openness in the open RAN ecosystem by providing standardized architecture and interfaces that support multivendor interoperability. Using an SMO framework can enable the integration of different network functions, allowing operators to deploy a variety of rApps from multiple vendors for advanced automation and optimization capabilities.

AT&T in August deployed a third-party rApp on its live production network in a demonstration of open RAN capabilities, using Ericsson’s SMO platform over the O-RAN Alliance R1 interface.

The rApp was deployed in AT&T’s existing brownfield network, allowing it to communicate with the SMO layer using open, standardized APIs, highlighting the potential of open standards in disrupting closed, single-vendor SON.