01/08/2022 

 For Information

This briefing is for all Communications Providers (CPs).

This briefing is to provide CP’s Indicative pricing for a mobile connectivity solution, and understand market appetite.

Mobile Radio Access Network Infrastructure 

Openreach has been discussing and shaping a potential Mobile RAN infrastructure solution based on input from Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Communications Providers (CPs) over the past few months and we now plan to engage with Communications Providers in detail in autumn this year to firm up interest and potential volumes to support a case to develop and launch such an offering.

Assuming there is material interest and potential volumes to support a commercial case, subject to Openreach governance, Openreach would aim to develop and launch the service by early 2025.

This proposal does not constitute an offer capable of acceptance. The proposed new service if launched would be subject to new standard terms and conditions that CPs/MNOs would need to sign up to.

Potential product offering 

·         CPRI and eCPRI service support (including transparency to standard Ethernet transport) providing a capability to support a single 10Gb or 25Gb service or up to 4 x 10Gb or 25Gb services to a single RAN site.

·         Optional small environmentally hardened single fibre working filter block at the remote cell site used to connect to the MNOs’ optics in their radio units, as there will be no active Openreach equipment at the cell site. Cell site service demarcation being the filter block port or reflector port, where no filter is deployed.

·         Openreach will provide the ability for MNOs to type approve their radio unit optics for inter-working conformance testing. Scalable hub-end devices located in the CPs / MNOs racks supporting multiple RAN site traffic ports. These hub devices may be stacked to further scale, as required, or to provide equipment separation at a hub node for geographically clustered cell sites.

·         Network synchronisation and timing transported transparently for ITU-T G.8262 Synchronous Ethernet and IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol, with negligible delay.

·         The offering would be available UK-wide on a minimum 7-year commitment from an access site to a BT exchange. Requests to connect services into carrier neutral data centres or CP Points of Presence other than those sited within a BT exchange would be subject to terms on application.

·         Subject to interest, Openreach aims to support lab and/or field-based technology trials on this solution once we have a more defined offering working with interested parties.

·         With service monitoring from the exchange hub device with additional fibre monitoring via an optical channel reflector placed at the RAN site we anticipate supporting a 5-hour fix Service Level Agreement.

Indicative pricing 

• Connection price* to be confirmed subject to Openreach governance but expected to be in the range of £7,000 to £10,000 based on a service supporting 3 x 10Gb services at the RAN site, supplied from a BT Exchange.  
• Excess Construction Charges (ECCs) subject to survey based on published rates. 
• Rental price to be confirmed subject to Openreach governance but expected to be in the range of £2,400 to £2,800 per annum. 
• Single fibre mainlink charges would apply where circuits are routed between BT exchanges at published rates per metre or part thereof (£0.187 per annum at time of publishing). 

*Indicative connection pricing represents a blend of hub and spoke pricing, assuming a high utilisation of hub device service ports.

If you have any questions or would like more information related to this briefing, please contact simon.3.williams@openreach.co.uk or adam.r.foster@openreach.co.uk.