AT&T outlined continued progress in preparing its mobile network for Open RAN deployment, highlighting advances in radio modernization, cloud-native architectures, and AI-driven optimization. The operator reports that more than 50% of its radio replacement program has been completed, a major milestone in transitioning the network toward infrastructure capable of supporting open interfaces and programmable RAN architectures.
AT&T confirmed it successfully completed an Open RAN call on its commercial network using Ericsson baseband units and 1Finity radios. The company also reported becoming the first communications service provider to deploy a third-party rApp to optimize a live production network. In parallel, over half of AT&T’s network traffic now runs on hardware designed to support open architectures over time, signaling a significant shift in the operator’s underlying RAN infrastructure.
Cloud RAN represents another key component of AT&T’s strategy to move toward a more software-centric RAN environment. The company has already launched Cloud RAN deployments in two cities and expects to complete system integrations and begin broader scaling by the end of the first quarter. AT&T also reported an AI milestone, successfully testing Ericsson’s AI-native Link Adaptation on Cloud RAN infrastructure to improve network efficiency and performance.
• AT&T has completed more than 50% of its nationwide radio replacement (“swap”) program
• More than 50% of AT&T’s network traffic now runs on open-capable hardware infrastructure
• The operator completed an Open RAN call on its commercial network using Ericsson basebands and 1Finity radios
• AT&T deployed a third-party rApp in a live production network to optimize RAN performance
• Cloud RAN is currently live in two cities, with broader scaling planned following system integration milestones
• AT&T is collaborating with the industry through the ACCoRD (Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for Open RAN Deployments) lab to advance ecosystem readiness
• Ericsson’s Intelligent Automation Platform, including the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), is being deployed to enable programmable and automated RAN operations
Rob Soni, VP of RAN Technology at AT&T, said: “We’re advancing multiple fronts at once—modernization, open-capable hardware at scale, Cloud RAN execution, and the software platform layers that turn openness into operational agility.”
🌐 Analysis: AT&T’s Open RAN progress reflects a broader industry shift toward software-defined and programmable radio networks, where cloud infrastructure, automation platforms, and AI-driven optimization replace tightly integrated vendor stacks. Major operators including Vodafone, Rakuten Mobile, and Deutsche Telekom have also expanded Open RAN trials and deployments, while vendors such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung increasingly emphasize AI-native RAN software, RIC platforms, and automation layers to support multivendor ecosystems.
From an architectural perspective, the integration of Cloud RAN, RIC-based programmability, and rApps suggests that operators increasingly view Open RAN less as a hardware disaggregation initiative and more as a software innovation platform. AI-driven features such as link adaptation and policy-driven automation may ultimately determine how quickly operators can translate openness into measurable gains in spectral efficiency, operational automation, and service agility.
