SONIC Labs – Cohort 6 open call

SONIC (SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre) Labs programme is a collaborative programme from Digital Catapult and Ofcom, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), to allow new solution providers to enter the 5G telecoms supply chain in the UK.

The programme aims to create a commercially-neutral and collaborative environment for testing interoperability and integration of open, disaggregated and software-centric network solutions and multi-vendor architectures. It will drive forward the rollout of a new wireless communication technology known as Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), that enables mobile networks to be built using a variety of different equipment suppliers.

Cohort 6 will address conformance testing, badging and certification of Open RAN systems in line with the following objectives.

• Enable and encourage innovative suppliers of 5G Open RAN products to participate in the UK telecoms ecosystem.
• Facilitate a path towards deployment by UK mobile network operators of Open RAN technologies in UK mobile telecommunications.
• Provide UK mobile network operators (large and small) with a pipeline of innovative, validated and certified suppliers and products to choose from.

It is envisaged that the outcomes of Cohort 6 will provide UK mobile network operators (large and small) with a pipeline of innovative and competitive suppliers and products to choose from thus facilitating a path towards deployment by UK mobile network operators of Open RAN mobile technologies.

Who should apply?

Your organisation does not need to be a UK registered company. However, you do need to be a registered company in a country. Your organisation does not need to be based in the UK but must currently sell or plan to sell their Open RAN products in the UK.

This programme is designed for UK and international telecoms vendors with high maturity to deploy Open RAN products and solutions with focus on CU (centralised unit), DU (distributed unit), outdoor and indoor RU (radio unit) and RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller) including both Non-RT RIC Applications (rApps) and Near-RT RIC Applications (xApps) components. These components must conform to Open RAN standards and specifications.

You can apply for multiple components to be considered for the programme, but there is a limit of funding for 3 products/solutions per vendor for this programme. Each CU, DU (including Upper PHY), RIC and RU vendor will receive £30,000 per product/solution. Please note that vendors providing a RIC with accompanying xApps and rApps and DUs with third-party Upper PHY, will be counted as one product respectively.

If you have taken part in a previous SONIC Labs programme, you are eligible to apply again as long as there are significant new enhancements and maturity to your products used in the previous programmes, and/or you are applying with completely new products.

Vendors will also be responsible for monitoring the project progress and meeting regularly with the Digital Catapult team to discuss project updates and relevant learnings.