US NTIA awards funding to VIAVI automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN

The grant is a total amount of $21.7 million in funding over a three-year performance period for the VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR).

VALOR is based on VIAVI’s NITRO Wireless test portfolio, delivered through Lab-as-a-Service (LaaS) and Test-as-a-Service (TaaS) models. This solution is designed to manage and support 5G and Open RAN projects that would benefit from access to tools and expert staff with a minimal ramp-up time. VIAVI provides dedicated engineers (onsite or offsite), automated test processes, access to comprehensive testing capabilities and expertise, standard and customised tools and libraries, and assistance with demonstrations. VALOR intends to empower Open RAN component providers to leverage LaaS in a structurally cost-effective way that the NTIA grant will further augment, regardless of the scale of a component provider’s operation.

“VIAVI is proud to be a recipient of a grant from the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, which will make Open RAN testing accessible, affordable, and sustainable for the entire ecosystem,” said Oleg Khaykin, President and Chief Executive Officer, VIAVI. “Open RAN is critical to securing the telecommunications supply chain of our nation, but the inherent openness and flexibility of this technology also bring about complexities. As a leader in 5G and upcoming 6G, VIAVI is committed to certification, benchmarking, optimisation, and verification to enhance the efficiency, automation, and security of Open RAN systems.”

“Innovation in Arizona continues to flourish thanks to our work on the CHIPS and Science Act,” said Senator Kristen Synema, Arizona. “The $21.7 million grant we secured for VIAVI Solutions in Chandler will fuel economic growth, spur innovation, and lower costs — and we couldn’t be prouder to help make it a reality.”

“Thanks to cutting edge companies like VIAVI, Arizona is a hotbed for industries of the future, including the next generation of wireless technologies,” said Senator Mark Kelly, Arizona. “As a lead negotiator of the Chips and Science Act, I worked to secure investments that will fuel innovation, increase competition, and reduce reliance on wireless equipment providers that threaten our national security.”