ORAN
(Open RAN)
Open Radio Access Network
An open standard for RAN equipment that enables interoperability of components from different vendors, among other benefits.
See: RAN
Before ORAN, all RAN equipment was proprietary and not interoperable. An entire base station (tower) would consist only of equipment from a single vendor.
With ORAN, some components can come from vendor A, while others come from vendor B, and they can still function together.
While this can only be done in specific ways today, the eventual goal is for all components (hardware and software) to be interoperable and interchangeable.