Product
Juniper RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC)
The Juniper RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) brings intelligence, agility, and programmability to the radio access network (RAN). It supports third-party applications that can improve service experience, reduce infrastructure and operational costs, and deliver new business models.
The Juniper RIC platform is based on a cloud-native microservices architecture and is fully compliant with O-RAN Alliance specifications and interfaces. It includes the Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) RIC, the Near-Real-Time (Near-RT) RIC, and specialized rApps and xApps applications. It can interface with any O-RAN-compliant Central Unit (O-CU) and Distributed Unit (O-DU). It supports both an open API and an SDK for integration with third-party O-RAN-compliant xApps and rApps, giving network operators greater flexibility and choice of suppliers.
Key Features
- Open, Interoperable Platform
- Compliant with O-RAN Specs
- Open API and SDK
- O-RAN-Compliant xApps/rApps
- Microservices Architecture
- AI/ML Support
Features + Benefits
Open and Interoperable RIC Platform
The Juniper RIC complies with O-RAN specifications and interfaces on the northbound and southbound sides for integration with Open RAN ecosystem partner solutions. It can interface with any O-RAN-compliant O-CU/O-DU, onboard third-party O-RAN-compliant xApps/rApps, and integrate with any O-RAN-compliant Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) solution.
Open API and SDK
Juniper’s RIC architecture supports both an open API and an SDK for simplified integration with third-party applications and systems. When developing xApps/rApps for the RIC, developers can choose a network-based API, which eliminates compile-time dependencies, or a C++ SDK.
Microservices Architecture
The Juniper RIC platform is built on a cloud-native, microservices-based, containerized architecture to provider better scalability and extensibility. It supports SaaS as well as on-premises deployment models.
Industry and Ecosystem Leadership
Juniper is an active proponent of Open RAN in several industry and standards organizations, contributing to seven of the 11 working groups in the O-RAN Alliance. Juniper chairs the Network Slicing Task Group, co-chairs the Use Case Task Group, and serves as editor and contributor to several specification documents.
O-RAN-Compliant xApp/rApps
Juniper, along with its partners, provides Tenant/Slice Aware Admission Control, RAN Slice SLA Assurance, Energy Efficiency, Traffic Steering, and Self-Organizing Networks (SON) xApps/rApps. The Juniper RIC also supports third-party xApps/rApps from Parallel Wireless and AirHop.
Resource Center
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Find Juniper RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) in these solutions
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Juniper RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) FAQs
What is a RAN Intelligent Controller?
A RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) is a software-defined component of the Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) architecture that’s responsible for controlling and optimizing RAN functions. The RIC is a critical piece of the Open RAN disaggregation strategy, bringing multivendor interoperability, intelligence, agility, and programmability to RANs. The RIC enables the onboarding of third-party applications that automate and optimize RAN operations at scale while supporting innovative use cases that lower mobile operators’ total cost of ownership (TCO) and enhance customer experiences.
What are the components of Juniper’s RIC offering?
Key elements of the Juniper RIC include our Non-Real-Time (Non-RT) and Near-Real-Time (Near-RT) RICs and specialized applications called rApps and xApps. The Juniper Non-RT RIC enables greater-than-one-second control and policy guidance over the RAN elements and their resources through rApps. It also enables AI/ML capabilities for the RAN. The Non-RT RIC runs in the network operator’s cloud.
The Juniper Near-RT RIC is responsible for fast loop control of the RAN network functions. It provides less-than-one-second control over the RAN nodes and resources. It can host and deploy specialized xApps.
Juniper’s Non-RT RIC communicates with the Near-RT RIC over an A1 interface to provide policy-based guidance to the xApps running on the Near-RT RIC that optimizes RAN behavior for variables such as capacity, customer-specific service levels, and energy efficiency. Our Non-RT RIC uses long-term network data, such as performance metrics and enrichment data from external applications, to train and generate AI/ML-driven applications.
Juniper, along with its partners, provides O-RAN compliant xApps/rApps such as Tenant/Slice Aware Admission Control, RAN Slice SLA Assurance, Energy Efficiency, Traffic Steering, and Self-Organizing Networks (SON).
What are the benefits of the RIC?
The RIC, which controls and optimizes RAN functions, is a critical component that ultimately allows service providers to bring innovative new services and features to market faster. The RIC brings intelligence, agility, and programmability to the RAN, enabling the creation of third-party applications that automate and optimize RAN operations at scale while supporting innovative use cases. The RIC helps mobile operators reduce both infrastructure and operational costs, improve network performance, and increase business agility. Use cases such as quality of service/quality of experience (QoS/QoE) optimization and traffic steering improve service performance for personalized and custom experiences, while RAN efficiency use cases can lower operations costs by reducing energy consumption. The RIC can also help mobile operators build new revenue streams with personalized services, network slicing, and indoor location tracking capabilities.
Who should deploy the RIC?
Where can I get help with a Juniper RIC product?
For help with a Juniper RIC product, please reach out to your Juniper account manager or contact Juniper sales.
