Vodafone UK set out its stall as the first operator in the country to deploy 5G multi-operator RAN (MORAN) technology in its infrastructure, which it argued will eventually cut costs and reduce the environmental impact of its network.
In an update on the status of its 5G rollout, Vodafone said the introduction of MORAN would allow operators to share base stations. This, it added, would help cut energy usage and reduce the number of masts required.
Sharing infrastructure is viewed as a key way of reducing the cost of connecting rural areas by operators, while also meeting regulator Ofcom’s aims of increasing competition in regions only served by one or two providers.
In October 2019 the market’s four players struck a £1 billion deal [1] to pool resources to fill 4G coverage gaps in rural areas by sharing masts and other infrastructure.
This followed an extension of a network sharing deal [2] between Vodafone and Telefonica UK, which operates the O2 brand, to incorporate 5G. The move was hailed by both companies as increasing the pace of rollout while limiting financial and environmental impacts.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/latest-stories/uk-operators-forge-1b-rural-coverage-deal/[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/vodafone-o2-finalise-uk-5g-network-sharing-pact/
