扒哥吃瓜

About the fund

The UK government听published the 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy in 2020.听This set out听its听commitment to听building听secure and resilient communications infrastructure, as well as enhancing competition and innovation within the telecoms supply chain. These ambitious plans were supported by a 拢250 million Open Networks R&D Fund, which aimed to accelerate the development and deployment of open interface architectures, such as Open RAN.听

During the programme, momentum was already听evident听in the global market to ensure open-interface solutions reached near commercial grade for wide-scale deployments.听听

The government鈥檚 拢250 million investment听accelerated听the听pace of听these initiatives - enabling the development of open-interface solutions and听intensifying听efforts to shape technology standards alongside key industry and international partners.听

This听investment听represented听a听significant听step forward in听the UK鈥檚听endeavour听to play听a leading role in听early stage听research and guide the development of technology standards,听in collaboration with听industry and international听stakeholders.听

It is with this in mind the investment and planned activities were听designed听to听safeguard听the security, resilience,听competition听and innovation benefits of diverse telecoms supply chains, without compromising on the performance,听features听or efficiency.

The programme ran until March 2026, with each project focusing on different aspects of the technologies that underpin open networking. It supported the telecoms sector and wider ecosystem to develop open and interoperable products. The programme created space to explore new approaches and options, enabling continued support for businesses and researchers as the market evolved.

Evolving the innovation ecosystem

UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN)

UKTIN听was听the innovation network for the UK telecoms sector,听funded through the Open Networks Programme,听bringing together industry, academia, and government to catalyse telecoms R&D investment, cooperation, and commercialisation.听

Formed in 2022, UKTIN鈥檚 mission听was听to transform the UK telecoms innovation ecosystem,听by听capitalising on the country鈥檚 strengths in technology, academia, and entrepreneurialism, while positioning听the sector听for growth as new opportunities听emerged. UKTIN provided听an impartial, inclusive, and collaborative forum for听telecoms innovation,听convening听organisations听from听industry,听government听and academia into听a single听network where they could听interact in a neutral environment and on a level playing field.听Through this network, participants听forged听new connections,听identified听ideas and concepts with innovation potential from听across the UK,听developed a shared听understanding of industry needs听and听skills听requirements,听and matched听resources (such as investment and talent) to organisations and projects.

Read more about the work of UKTIN on their and through their

Accelerating maturity

Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) Competition

The ONE competition offered up to 拢80听million听of funding in the next phase of the UK Open Networks Research and Development (R&D) Fund.听

The competition听sought听to听address听key barriers to the adoption of open mobile networks, focussing on the following areas:听

1. High Demand Density (HDD) Use Cases/Demonstrations: HDD sites听such as听city centres听and听transport hubs听represent听some of听the most challenging environments for听mobile network听performance.听The competition supported projects听to听听develop,听demonstrate听and test approaches for optimising mobile network performance in听these demanding settings.听听

2. Processors, radio听frequency听and other RAN Hardware:听The competition funded projects听addressing challenges听across听radio frequency components,听hardware,听chipsets听and听radio technologies,听helping to ensure听that the听foundational听building blocks for the听telecoms听ecosystem are secure,听resilient听and diverse.听

3. RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and other RAN Software Automation:听Funding听was also provided to projects听investigating听the鈥�RIC, X听app听and R app software components, with the aim of improving听efficiency,听reducing听energy consumption,听accelerating听deployment听and enhancing security.听听

Read more about the听ONE听projects听on their case study page.

Future RAN: Diversifying the 5G Supply Chain Competition (FRANC)

The FRANC听Competition was an open UK government competition launched in July 2021 to support the听objectives听of the UK鈥檚 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy by driving innovation across Radio Access Network (RAN) technology. The competition aimed to incentivise industry to create new products and services that unlock the full potential of Open RAN and help diversify the telecoms supply chain, 拢36 million听was听awarded to successful projects following evaluation. It closed in August 2021 and funded fourteen听consortia working across a range of technical areas听from cloud-native and AI-enabled RAN platforms and advanced test systems to hardware innovations and modular, interoperable 5G components. The selected projects听demonstrated听solutions to enhance performance, interoperability,听security听and manufacturability within Open RAN, helping to broaden the UK ecosystem of suppliers and accelerate the development of next-generation mobile network technologies.听

Read more about the FRANC projects听on their case study page.

Future Open Networks (FONRC) Research Challenge.

The FONRC challenge was launched to encourage universities to work with telecom organisations of all sizes to undertake research and development into the design of future telecoms networks, ensuring they remained open to competition and new market entrants.

The three winning consortia were led by prestigious UK universities: University of York, University of Bristol and University of Surrey.

The projects supported the creation and development of more UK-based capabilities to help diversify the UK telecoms industry, while also accelerating the development of future technologies, such as 6G.

See more information about the Future Open Networks Research Challenge winners via the competition winners announcement page.

And read more about the work of these projects through their final reports:

International outreach

Developing UK-specific requirements听provides听new and emerging market entrant suppliers听with听greater clarity over the products they听need听to听develop to compete in the UK, as defined by their customers, and this greater transparency听makes听the UK a more appealing market.听This workstream听was maximised听through international partnerships and collaborative R&D to develop global markets for export and provide an avenue for like-minded partners to contribute to the diversification of the UK鈥檚 telecoms supply chain.听

The听programme launched a partnership听with the Republic of Korea听in 2022听to accelerate the development of power-efficient products and solutions for open interface architectures.听听

See more information about the UK & Republic of Korea Open RAN R&D collaboration..

Developing facilities and demonstration capabilities

SONIC

The听SmartRAN听Open Networks Interoperability Centre (SONIC Labs) was听established听in 2021听to help commercialise open-interface solutions and test their performance.听Over 拢25 million听of Open Networks Programme funding听was committed to create SONIC Labs as a commercially neutral, collaborative environment for open, disaggregated, and software-centric network solutions and multi-vendor architectures. Maintained and听operated听by Digital Catapult and Ofcom, it provided testing services for suppliers and enabled the wider community to听demonstrate听their equipment to the standards required by network operators. The facility was designed and built for long-term capability, leaving a lasting impact on the UK telecoms ecosystem. To read more about the project please read their

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UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL)

UKTL听was听established听to support and inform the UK鈥檚 security and supply chain diversification ambitions by providing independent, world-class testing, evaluation and research capabilities for telecoms equipment and software. Based in a purpose-built facility in Solihull and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, UKTL was opened in 2023 and is听operated听by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), offering industry,听government听and academia a secure, neutral environment to assess security,听resilience听and interoperability before deployment.

UKTL played a key role in advancing the UK鈥檚 telecoms diversification and security policies by听identifying听vulnerabilities, supporting diverse supplier entry, and contributing to the development of more secure and resilient networks as telecoms technology evolved. Its work has strengthened confidence in future-ready communications infrastructure and helped build capability across the UK鈥檚 critical telecoms ecosystem.听

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A neutral-host solution for deploying Open RAN technology

NeutrORAN was one of the early projects funded through the Open Networks Programme, demonstrating practical progress in the adoption of Open RAN technologies. Delivered in partnership with NEC, a leading Open RAN supplier, the project implemented and tested a multi-operator 鈥渘eutral host鈥� Open RAN solution in rural outdoor environments in North Wales, including Cefn Du and Menai Science Park (M-SParc).

By enabling multiple service providers to share infrastructure, NeutrORAN showed how Open RAN and neutral host models could deliver more cost-effective, scalable connectivity to underserved areas, with potential applicability beyond the UK. The project also built on NEC鈥檚 wider investment in the UK, including the establishment of Open RAN and 5G R&D centres.

Publications

For DSIT publications, announcements and useful documents regarding the Open Networks Research and Development Fund please visit the Open Networks Research and Development Fund collection page.

Digital content

MWC 2024: the world鈥檚 leading connectivity industry event听

Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, the world鈥檚 leading connectivity industry event, welcomed its largest audience in years with over 101,000 attendees听in 2024. Colleagues from DSIT鈥檚 Digital Infrastructure Directorate, telecommunications leaders and industry partners gathered to discuss the future of the industry, the impact of government interventions and听showcase听the latest innovations听

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Telecoms Innovation in the UK听

In London on 14 September听2023, the 19 successful projects in the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition were announced, part of government鈥檚 拢250 million Open Networks R&D Fund delivering on the 5G Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Strategy. Hear the industry, project and academic partners reflect on the strength of telecoms innovation and the opportunities for growth at the Open Networks Programme Collaboration Event.听

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The value of collaboration - The Open Networks Programme听

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In London on the 14 of September听2023, The Right Honourable Sir John听Whittingdale, Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure announced the 19 successful projects in the Open Networks Ecosystem (ONE) competition - a part of the government鈥檚 拢250 million Open Networks R&D Fund delivering on the 5G Telecoms Supply Chain Diversification Strategy.鈥�听

The event provided a mixture of conference, exhibition and networking opportunities, bringing together 250 attendees from the various projects funded by the Open Networks Programme.听Representing听a broad cross-section of the UK telecoms community, it was used as an opportunity to collaborate with others on progress and learnings to date, as well as share best practices and forge new connections.听

DSIT鈥檚 Digital Infrastructure Directorate Explainer听

The Digital Infrastructure (DI) directorate in the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) sets policies to promote investment, protect national security, grow the UK telecoms ecosystem, and run innovative programmes for the next generation of telecoms technology.听

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Building Skills in UK Telecoms听

Vishal Mathur, the Telecom Infra Project鈥檚 (TIP) Head of Engagement, reflects on the importance of building skills in the UK telecoms industry at the inaugural UK Telecoms Innovation Ecosystem Conference听in 2023. TIP听was听the lead partner in ARI-5G,听 one听of the governments听ONE competition projects.听

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DSIT鈥檚 first stand at Connected Britain 2024听

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The Connected Britain 2024 conference was an exciting convergence of experts, innovators, and policymakers, and DSIT played a key role in听showcasing听the latest in digital infrastructure. Held at听ExCeL听London from September 11-12, 2024, the event drew over 7,500 attendees, making it a significant opportunity for networking, learning, and collaboration.听

Future Networks Programme听(FNP)听Themed Weeks Campaign听听

The FNP Themed Week campaign was a nine-week initiative that ran across social media channels, with anchor content published on UKTIN鈥檚 platforms. The campaign听highlighted听the innovative work being done across FNP projects,听including the Open Networks Programme as well as the Wireless Infrastructure initiatives,听encouraging projects to engage by sharing relevant content aligned with weekly themes.听

Each week focused on a specific theme, with projects posting related use cases and content during their designated weeks.听听

Week 1:听Agritech/Rural industries听

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Week 2: Public health and social care听

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Week 3: Security听听

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Week 4: Tourism, Entertainment and Creative industries听

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Week 5: Transport听

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Week 6: RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC)听

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Week 7: Hardware听

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Week 8: Advanced Manufacturing听

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Week 9: Labs听听