Private networks and open RAN are two of the hottest topics on the wireless network, and if they intersect, Celona wants to be ready. The launch of Silicon Valley, named after Barcelona, where its founders conceived the company, meets the O-RAN Alliance’s specifications for private mobile networks.
Celona says its 5G O-RAN, final and core solutions can be integrated with third-party components. It is also said that O-RAN support offers various RAN splitting options within a single 5G hardware access point using standard interfaces defined by the 3GPP, O-RAN Alliance and Small Cell Forum.
Private networks, not open RAN solutions, are Celona’s core business. Co-founder Rajeev Shah openly questioned the value of open RAN interfaces in a corporate context. “Trying to incorporate this technology into the corporate ecosystem adds unnecessary complexity,” Shah wrote recently. blog post. “Corporate wireless architecture has historically never welcomed a” split radio “model. Instead, it encompasses integrated solutions located in the existing corporate network infrastructure. “
Celona wants to provide an integrated solution that will make cellular as easy as Wi-Fi for IT managers. The company recently launched a service called edgeless enterprise, which converges network services, enterprise applications, cybersecurity tools, WAN optimization, and RAN features to cloud-based computing platforms that can be deployed on-site or remotely.
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By implementing O-RAN specifications, Celona will take advantage of the political backwind that drives open RAN technology. U.S. vendors position open RAN as a cost-effective alternative to equipment made by Huawei and ZTE, companies that are blacklisted by the U.S. government for security reasons.
Investment in Q-Tel
Celona’s newest investor and strategic partner is In-Q-Tel, a non-profit venture capital firm established more than 20 years ago to identify and deliver cutting-edge technology to the US intelligence community.
“The experiment was a great success beyond anything we could think of, because in absolute terms the country is much safer,” said George Tenet, a former CIA director and In-Q-Tel trustee, in a company video. Tenet added that from 2019, Google Ventures is the only venture capital firm to make more investments than In-Q-Tel.
Celona seems to fit in well with In-Q-Tel portfoliowhich includes companies working on smart connectivity, IT platforms and reliable infrastructure.
“Celona’s software-defined wireless networking solution enables businesses to create and manage their own private 5G and LTE cellular networks for secure corporate communications,” said Brinda Jadea, senior partner, investing in In-Q-Tel. “Their solution is designed to facilitate the deployment of a secure wireless connection, making it suitable for deployment in the various operating environments of US intelligence and national security communities.”
In-Q-Tel has the potential to provide Celona’s private networking solution to government entities that may not have experience with cellular network architectures. The nonprofit has a successful history of connecting technology startups with the national security community. In-Q-Tel President Steve Boucher said that the organization works “at the intersection of these two worlds, which do not talk and do not understand each other, and trust both – this is really the secret sauce of In-Q-Tel . “
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