The SMO framework is evolving from managing Open RAN to enabling autonomous network operations

The open radio-access networks (O-RAN) service management and orchestration (SMO) framework has gained traction over the past few years. It was originally designed to manage and orchestrate the lifecycle of RAN components across distributed and multi-vendor environments. However, more recently, the telecoms industry has been increasingly positioning SMO solutions as an instrumental component for enabling autonomous operations – not only within RAN, but also across broader network domains. This shifting of focus in SMO’s core functionalities has led to vendors each taking their own spin on developing these solutions, resulting in varying levels of readiness and openness of SMO implementations.