DISH Wireless wins $50M NTIA grant for 5G Open RAN Integration and Deployment Center

New Commerce Department investment leverages DISH’s wireless leadership to drive open RAN innovation

NTIA officials tour DISH 5G open RAN cell site in Las Vegas today

Littleton, Colorado, January 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DISH Wireless, a subsidiary of EchoStar, has received a historic award. $50 million A grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish the Open RAN Center for Integration & Deployment (ORCID). ORCID allows participants to test and validate their hardware and software solutions (RU, DU, CU) against the complete commercial-grade open RAN network deployed by DISH.

“The Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) will play a key role in strengthening the global Open RAN ecosystem and building the next generation of wireless networks,” he said. charlie argen, co-founder and chairman of EchoStar. “Leveraging DISH’s experience in deploying the world’s first standalone Open RAN 5G network, ORCID is uniquely positioned to test and evaluate Open RAN interoperability, performance, and security from domestic and international vendors. We appreciate NTIA’s recognition of ORCID’s role in advancing DISH and Open RAN,” the Administration’s continued commitment to innovation and U.S. leadership in wireless connectivity. ”

To date, this grant represents NTIA’s largest grant in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (Innovation Fund). ORCID is stored in a secure location at DISH Cheyenne, Wyoming The campus will be supported by consortium partners Fujitsu, Mavenir, and VMware by Broadcom, and technology partners Analog Devices, ARM, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Intel, JMA Wireless, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, and Samsung.

NTIA Administrator alan davidson and Innovation Fund Director Amanda Thoman Will join EchoStar Co-Founder and Chairman charlie argenEchoStar CEO Hamid AkhawanVice President and Chief Network Officer marc ruanne and other stakeholders will announce the grant and tour the DISH 5G Open RAN cell site later today. Las Vegas.

During this event, DISH will outline the unique benefits of ORCID, including leveraging DISH’s experience as the sole operator of ORCID. US Commercially deploy standalone open RAN 5G networks. DISH and its industry partners have been validating Open RAN technology on a national scale. DISH’s network currently serves more than 246 million Americans.

ORCID allows participants to test and evaluate individual or multiple network elements to ensure interoperability, performance, and security in open, interoperable, standards-based radio access networks. You can contribute to the development, deployment, and implementation of ORCID’s “living laboratory” powers the Open RAN ecosystem from laboratory testing to commercial deployment.

ORCID highlights include:

• ORCID combines both laboratory and field testing and evaluation activities. ORCID will be able to test elements provided by certified vendors against DISH’s live, complete commercial-grade Open RAN stack.
• ORCID uses DISH’s spectrum, which is a combination of low, mid, and high frequencies, to enable testing and evaluation in the field.
• Rather than validating a single vendor’s stack, ORCID evaluates Open RAN elements by mixing and matching elements from other vendors. DISH’s experience in multi-vendor environments provides ORCID with unique insight into integrating open RAN into brownfield networks.
• ORCID’s multi-tenant lab and field testing is conducted in a secure environment at DISH. Cheyenne, Wyoming The facility already adheres to strict security protocols given its satellite capabilities.

About DISH Wireless
DISH wireless, a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is changing the way the world communicates with its Boost Wireless Network. In 2020, the company became a wireless carrier across the United States with his acquisition of Boost Mobile. The company continues to innovate in wireless, building the nation’s first virtualized Open RAN 5G broadband network. boost infinite, boost mobile and gene mobile wireless brand.

SOURCE Dish Network Co., Ltd.