The Open Source Focus Group (OSFG) of the O-RAN ALLIANCE convened an ad-hoc meeting on May 23, 2025, hosted by Ericsson in Kista, Sweden. The goal: to identify key open source initiatives relevant to O-RAN, evaluate testing infrastructure needs, and begin planning a collaborative workshop for later this year. The event brought together participants from the O-RAN Software Community (SC), O-RAN Working and Focus Groups, and multiple member companies across the ecosystem.
Key Objectives of the Meeting
- Strengthen awareness of O-RAN-related efforts in open source communities.
- Explore collaboration opportunities for testing, orchestration, and management tools.
- Address infrastructure funding challenges.
- Align on planning for a dedicated OSFG workshop later in 2025.
OSFG Mission and Opening Remarks
The meeting began with a restatement of OSFG’s mission, led by Co-Chairs Irfan Ghauri (EURECOM/OpenAirInterface), James Li (China Mobile), and David Kinsey (AT&T), supported by Martin Skorupski (Highstreet Technologies). The group reaffirmed its commitment to openness, transparency, and non-confidential discussion per O-RAN ALLIANCE guidelines.
Technical Presentations and Community Mapping
A series of technical presentations offered insight into open source workstreams intersecting with O-RAN priorities:
- Robert Schmidt (OAI): Shared updates on network functions and near-RT RIC.
- Sagar Arora (OAI): Presented on cloud infrastructure projects like Nephio and O2.
- Martin Skorupski (highstreet technologies): Discussed managing O-RAN network functions in open source.
- John Keeney (Ericsson EST): Provided insight into ONAP/OSC/Nephio SMO and Non-RT RIC integration strategies.
Building Bridges with Open Source Projects
OSFG is actively working to align with other Linux Foundation and CNCF projects. Efforts include outreach and coordination with:
- ONAP, OpenDaylight, Nephio, Anuket (O-Cloud, Test Specifications)
- xTesting, L3AF, Essedum, and potential collaboration with CNCF projects such as CAMARA.
- 5G Super Blueprint/CNTI: Relevant test catalog use cases were discussed, though more engagement is needed.
The group discussed possibly inviting representatives from these projects to the next OSFG workshop.
Security and the EU Cyber Resilience Act
A brief update on the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) was delivered by Jimmy Ahlberg (Ericsson). Key takeaways:
- No current legal liability for OSFG or O-RAN SC under CRA.
- Nonetheless, the group acknowledged a need to develop a consistent security posture, especially regarding CVE reporting and resolution.
- OSFG supports a transition toward a Zero Trust Architecture but recognizes current codebases are still based on trust assumptions.
Sridhar Rao (Linux Foundation) led a discussion on O-RAN SC’s CVE process—covering scanning, dashboard reporting, and plans to bring on interns to address critical issues by the end of 2025. The group is also exploring whether CVE data should be published on [cve.org] and/or in blog posts.
A proposal was made to request funding for security interns via TOC (Technical Oversight Committee). The broader question of each project’s security stance (“want to fix,” “not interested,” etc.) remains open and will be addressed at the project level in O-RAN SC meetings.
Strengthening Cross-Org Collaboration
The OSFG officially acknowledged the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between O-RAN ALLIANCE and the Linux Foundation Networking (LFN), which establishes a basis for inviting LFN participants into OSFG activities. The meeting explored ways to streamline the invitation process for recurring contributors.
Next Steps and Upcoming Workshop
The group concluded with action items to support an upcoming workshop tentatively targeted for September 2025. Nephio is already planning a face-to-face event, and a joint session with OSFG/O-RAN SC was proposed. The group aims to:
- Finalize dates and agenda.
- Reach out to relevant open source projects for participation.
- Confirm venue logistics and shared funding options.
Looking Ahead
The OSFG ad-hoc meeting in Kista underscored the importance of open collaboration, strategic alignment, and technical integration between the O-RAN ecosystem and open source communities. With a renewed focus on testing infrastructure, security posture, and a shared workshop agenda, the group is poised to enhance the impact of open RAN across global deployments.For additional details or to get involved, please visit the O-RAN SC website.