EchoStar has inaugurated the Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) at its data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This cutting-edge lab, supported by a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, allows vendors to test and validate O-RAN solutions using EchoStar’s live commercial-grade cloud-native Open RAN network.
ORCID provides a “living laboratory” environment, facilitating the development, deployment, and adoption of open and interoperable standards-based radio access networks. Managed by EchoStar, the ORCID consortium includes partners like Fujitsu, Mavenir, and VMware by Broadcom. Together, they have validated O-RAN technology at scale, building a 5G network that now provides connectivity to over 240 million Americans.
Key Points:
- Facility Location: Cheyenne, Wyoming data center. Funding: $50 million grant from NTIA’s Innovation Fund.
- Launch Announcement: Six months after the grant announcement by NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson and Innovation Fund Director Amanda Toman.
- Consortium Partners: Includes Fujitsu, Mavenir, VMware by Broadcom, among others.
- Network Reach: O-RAN 5G network providing connectivity to more than 240 million Americans.
- Purpose: To drive the O-RAN ecosystem from lab to commercial deployment through real field test setups.
“The Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) is now open for business. We appreciate the trust and partnership of NTIA in this effort, which includes a historic $50 million grant from the Innovation Fund,” said Charlie Ergen, co-founder and chairman, EchoStar. “ORCID represents a significant milestone in both EchoStar and the U.S.’s journey to drive and lead the adoption of open and interoperable radio access networks. We look forward to the groundbreaking advancements expected to emerge from this initiative.”