United Group tapped Parallel Wireless to trial open RAN on Bulgarian operator Vivacom’s network, potentially marking further recovery for the US company after mass lay offs in 2022.

Parallel Wireless stated the trial will assess how open RAN in 2G, 4G and 5G networks compares with traditional approaches to the radio layer.

The companies plan to conduct laboratory and field trials of open RAN at sites in rural and urban environments.

Vivacom CEO Nikolay Andreev cited the potential to improve “vendor diversity” and deliver “much-needed innovation” in the RAN market as potential benefits of an open approach.

Vodafone Group announced plans to conduct open RAN tests with Parallel Wireless and Juniper Networks in January.

Parallel Wireless teamed with Cellcom in April to test functionalities on a standalone 5G network.

Dell’Oro Group figures for Q1 showed virtual and open RAN revenue growth slowed in Q1, though it remained optimistic on the full-year potential.