AT&T has announced that Mavenir will supply the carrier with 5G radios as part of plans to expand its Open RAN network.
In its announcement, AT&T confirmed that Fujitsu will also provide 5G radios for its Open RAN network.
According to AT&T, both vendors will develop radios "specifically for crowded urban areas."
The announcement of AT&T's new partners comes almost exactly a year after it announced a $14 billion Open RAN deal with Ericsson.
AT&T noted that the radios will be open C-band radios (TDD 4T4R) and dual-band radios (B25/B66 FDD 4T4R) which can be attached to existing utility and light poles.
The carrier said the radios can "often be hidden," making them virtually unseen from street level. AT&T also stated that it could bring further third-party radios into the network in the future.
"All open radios will be managed by Ericsson’s Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) via open management interfaces. EIAP is Ericsson’s open network management and service orchestration platform. It supports replacing the old legacy equipment and installing the new radios without missing a beat," said AT&T.
Mavenir's involvement within the network will come as a relief to the company, with S&P Global revealing last month that it did not believe the company has sufficient liquidity to repay the outstanding balance on a $133 million loan that matures in January.
Texas-based Mavenir has been a big advocate of Open RAN (Radio Access Network), a technology that seeks to diversify the vendor supply chain. The purpose of Open RAN is to mix and match vendors and technology providers to diversify supply chain security, promote competition, and drive cost efficiencies.
The vendor has also been linked to a potential stake sale, with Saudi-based Aramco Digital reportedly wanting to invest $1bn in the company. If the deal goes ahead, Mavenir will be valued at around $3 billion.
Mavenir has signed Open RAN deals with a few carriers, notably with UK operator Virgin Media O2 last year.
The company also has deals with Norway's Ice to support the operator's 4G and 5G networks and Bermudan newcomer Paradise Mobile.
As for Fujitsu, the Japanese vendor has Open RAN contracts with a number of carriers, including Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, KDDI, and NTT Docomo.
