US NIST joins O-RAN Alliance

“NIST will promote open and transparent standards for 5G and other next-generation  wireless technologies to help ensure data privacy and protect against cyber threats,” says US Under Secretary for Comnerce and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio..

NIST works with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, academia and government agencies, to identify and develop the standards needed to support new technologies and to ensure that they are robust, effective and widely adopted.

NIST, which has a programme focused on Open RAN technology, has been involved in RF measurements for more than a century.

The agency’s Communication Technology Laboratory has advanced measurement facilities including anechoic and reverberation chambers (pictured) robotic antenna systems and test beds  for optimising open-source 5G and other wireless systems.

“NIST has unique capabilities for measuring the performance, security and interoperability of Open RAN systems,” Locascio said. “By participating in this alliance, NIST will help the community bring these standards to market more quickly.”