A Telecom Infra Project (TIP) initiative aimed at creating an ecosystem of open RAN kit bore its first fruit, as software provider Mavenir and network solutions outfit MTI delivered the first in a line of remote radio units expected from the project.

The Evenstar B3 Remote Radio Head offers single-band capability covering the 1800MHz frequency. Mavenir stated the kit recently cleared end-to-end interoperability testing and is now in laboratory trials with “multiple MNOs”.

Mavenir noted the unit was developed as part of TIP’s Evenstar programme, which launched in February with the goal of creating an ecosystem of 4G and 5G equipment to accelerate open RAN adoption.

Pardeep Kohli, Mavenir’s CEO, stated the availability of low-cost open RAN kit as “key to faster adoption”.

Yago Tenorio, TIP chairman and head of group network architecture at Vodafone Group, in October told TIP’s Insights Series Global event the first Evenstar radio would cost less than “$1,000 per unit”, and moves to deliver more single-band, multi-band and massive MIMO products were being considered.

The same month, TIP stated other Evenstar players were working on distribution equipment in addition to the programme’s initial focus on remote radio units.