Via Satellite illustration.

EchoStar Corporation has opened a new Open RAN (O-RAN) testing and evaluation lab at the company’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The the Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) is a site where vendors can test and validate O-RAN solutions using EchoStar’s live O-RAN network.

The facility was supported by a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (Innovation Fund). The NTIA awarded Dish Wireless the grant in January. Dish Wireless is now part of EchoStar, post-acquisition. 

EchoStar manages the ORCID consortium, which includes Fujitsu, Mavenir, VMware by Broadcom, and other technology partners. The consortium is working to validate O-RAN technology across the U.S. and build an O-RAN 5G network that provides connectivity to more than 240 million Americans nationwide.

“ORCID represents a significant milestone in both EchoStar and the U.S.’s journey to drive and lead the adoption of open and interoperable radio access networks. We look forward to the groundbreaking advancements expected to emerge from this initiative,” commented EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen.