February — Capgemini and Deutsche Telekom have entered into an agreement to engineer a unified, open platform for intelligent Radio Access Network (RAN) automation, aimed at simplifying operations and advancing the transition to autonomous networks.
The platform is designed to support Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) across both Open RAN (O-RAN) and legacy RAN environments, including 4G and 5G networks within Deutsche Telekom’s European operations. According to the companies, the solution enables incremental modernization while protecting existing investments and minimizing disruption to live networks. It also supports multi-vendor RAN management, reducing reliance on proprietary systems.
As telecom operators manage increasingly complex RAN environments spanning multiple vendors and technologies, the companies said automation and open architectures are becoming central to improving efficiency and controlling operational costs.
The platform features an open architecture supporting an ecosystem of rApps, which are applications designed to automate RAN functions using artificial intelligence or digital twins. These run on Radio Intelligent Controllers (RIC) and can be deployed on hyperscaler infrastructure or private telecom clouds. The companies said this framework could enable an application marketplace for third-party solutions.
Shamik Mishra, CTO Connectivity at Capgemini Engineering, said the platform provides operators with standards-aligned, vendor-neutral automation capabilities. Thomas Lips, SVP RAN, Disaggregation & Enablement at Deutsche Telekom, said the companies are preparing to roll out the platform across Deutsche Telekom’s European footprint and position it as a global software service.
The solution will be showcased at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, featuring a unified RAN dashboard, real-time topology visualization and AI-driven optimization tools.
