--- title: Canonical’s open infrastructure substrate for open RANs description: Canonical’s open infrastructure products products help telcos shift from proprietary systems to networks with disaggregated virtual RAN components and open RAN architectures url: https://canonical.com/solutions/telco/open-ran --- # Telco infrastructure for disaggregated, virtual, and open RAN architectures Build a resilient RAN infrastructure with Canonical’s secure, cloud-native stack. Purpose-built for Open RAN, it features a native real-time kernel for ultra-low latency, maximum hardware efficiency, and fail-safe updates across your entire cell-site footprint. [Contact us](https://canonical.com/contact-us) --- ## Disaggregated, distributed and interoperable Open RAN infrastructure Open radio access networks (Open RAN) represent an evolution towards open, intelligent, virtualized and fully interoperable RANs. Canonical provides the foundational elements for a cost-efficient, interoperable Open RAN infrastructure built on security-maintained open source software. From the OS-level to orchestration and networking, Canonical provides the software you need to build reliable Open RAN infrastructure with the best of open source. This versatile substrate adapts to your specific architectural needs: [Let’s talk](https://canonical.com/contact-us) ### A trusted foundation From Ubuntu at the OS level to orchestration and networking, Canonical provides 5 years of long-term security maintenance across all of our telco solutions, as well as automated CVE patching, and read-only immutable system protections. [Learn about our release cycle ›](https://ubuntu.com/about/release-cycle) --- ### Enterprise-grade support Lengthen this to up to 15 years with [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro), Canonical’s comprehensive subscription for open source security and support. [Discover Ubuntu Pro ›](https://ubuntu.com/pro) --- ### Real-time operations Ensure real-time responsiveness as needed by Open RAN distributed units (DU) and mission-critical edge applications alike with a [real-time kernel](https://ubuntu.com/real-time) that can be used on bare metal. [Learn about real-time Ubuntu ›](https://ubuntu.com/real-time) --- ### Multi-site operations Simplify operations across multiple radio cloud sites. Centralize fleet management with [Landscape](https://ubuntu.com/landscape) and streamline zero-touch provisioning and management with [Juju](https://canonical.com/juju). [Explore Juju ›](https://canonical.com/juju) --- ### Performance Make use of built-in support for enhanced platform awareness (EPA) features offered by all major hardware vendors, whether you are hosting virtualized workloads on [OpenStack](https://canonical.com/openstack), running cloud-native network functions at the edge, or in the cloud with [Kubernetes](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes). [See the EPA documentation ›](https://documentation.ubuntu.com/canonical-kubernetes/latest/snap/explanation/epa/) --- ### Scalability Deploy your radio software on edge clouds that scale as needed, and flexibly adapt to dynamic traffic loads. [More on edge computing at Canonical ›](https://canonical.com/solutions/infrastructure/edge-computing) --- ## An open foundation for disaggregated, virtual, and open RANs Comprehensive 24/7 support to ensure continuous network availability --- Up to 15 years of security maintenance --- Real-time kernel for deterministic, low-latency processing --- Cost-effective deployments and operations --- Silicon-optimized operating system --- Support for enhanced platform features --- ## Canonical’s telco infrastructure portfolio Canonical’s open source infrastructure products address the needs of Open RAN and 5G edge clouds. Our infrastructure portfolio is modular and optimized for the latest hardware, enabling you to design your infrastructure stack according to your specific needs. Our goal is enabling your telecom workloads to run on an efficient and highly performant software infrastructure. [Learn more about Canonical’s open source infrastructure solutions ›](https://canonical.com/solutions/infrastructure) --- ## Ubuntu for Open RAN To achieve carrier-grade Open RAN deployments, virtual RAN software requires an operating system that is robust, immutable, and proven in real-world telecommunications environments. [Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/) delivers the low latency, security features, and hardware-level optimizations necessary to support next-generation cellular connectivity. ### Real-time compute [Real-time Ubuntu](https://ubuntu.com/real-time) ensures latency in data processing is bounded and low, supporting even the most stringent use cases, such as ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) applications. --- ### An immutable embedded OS [Ubuntu Core](https://ubuntu.com/core), the embedded Linux operating system for devices, delivers an immutable foundation for remote cell sites. This design protects your virtual RAN software against unauthorized modifications and ensures only designated system administrators can alter the environment. --- ### Device management Canonical provides the right tools to manage your fleet of RAN systems at scale. With Canonical [Landscape](https://ubuntu.com/landscape), you get a single pane of glass to manage your entire Ubuntu fleet, simplifying automated security patches, auditing, and access management at scale across your multiple RAN sites. --- ### Native hardware support Whether hosting virtualized RAN functions or edge-native applications, Ubuntu automatically detects underlying hardware features. Built-in support for GPUs, smartNICs, and specialized network accelerators maximizes data-path efficiency at the edge. --- ## Cloud-native execution environments for Open RAN [Canonical Kubernetes](https://ubuntu.com/kubernetes) delivers a production-grade, cloud-native execution environment suited for virtual RAN functions for Open RAN and MEC workloads. Built from fully upstream components running in a confined execution environment, it offers a reliable and trusted software platform, supporting: * Multiple platform awareness features, such as SR-IOV, CPU pinning, DPDK, Hugepages, and GPU acceleration * Various storage solutions, like Ceph, OpenEBS, and hostpath storage * Popular CNIs, like Cilium, Calico, Flannel, and Multus * Support for Cluster API for declarative cluster deployment and management operations --- ## Open source data and AI/ML platforms for Open RAN RAN Intelligent Controllers (RIC) introduce closed-loop AI/ML automation to Open RAN. To optimize performance, the RIC uses **xApps** for near-real-time control, and **rApps** for non-real-time policy decisions. To run these intelligent applications, the RIC requires data pipelines and MLOps tools. With Canonical’s Data and AI products, you can build and run carrier-grade network intelligence for your Open RAN deployments ### Resilient telemetry pipelines Ingest, process, and analyze high-frequency network metrics for xApp, rApp, and RIC workflows. [Canonical’s data solutions](https://canonical.com/data) automate and support open source tools like Kafka, MongoDB, OpenSearch, Postgres, and Spark. [Learn more about Canonical’s data solutions ›](https://canonical.com/data) --- ### Streamline the machine learning lifecycle From experimentation to edge inference, deploy and run [AI/ML workflows](https://canonical.com/mlops/kubeflow) with ease, thanks to our software automation and tooling. Discover how you can build the perfect environment for your Open RAN xApps and rApps at every stage of your AI/ML journey. [Learn more about MLops at Canonical ›](https://canonical.com/mlops/kubeflow) --- ## Optimized for all major hardware platforms We work with all major hardware vendors to optimize our infrastructure products, ensuring that they are ready to run Open RAN CU, DU, and RU at the highest performance and reliability levels. [Learn more about our hardware partners ›](https://ubuntu.com/certified) --- ## Security-maintained and compliant Telecom networks form part of critical national infrastructure. Open RAN deployments must be both safeguarded and compliant with all telecom security standards. With [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/pro), operators get a trusted, comprehensive security subscription service for open source software. * Patching: with [Livepatch](https://ubuntu.com/security/livepatch), OpenRAN fleets of servers get live CVE patches and streamlined updates and upgrades without downtime. * Stability: benefit from up to 15 years of vulnerability fixes for the OS, infrastructure layers, and open source packages. * Compliance: benefit from hardening automations for major cybersecurity standards, including NIST. [Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/security/compliance-automation) enables compliance with security standards, and supports security hardening features to reduce the minimum attack surface. [Learn more about Ubuntu Pro](https://www.ubuntu.com/pro) --- ## Learn more ### Webinars [#### Improving telecom security](https://ubuntu.com/engage/improving-telecom-security-2023-webinar) [#### Telco edge cloud automation at scale](https://ubuntu.com/engage/telco-edge-automation-cloud-native) --- ### Reading [#### What is Open RAN?](https://ubuntu.com/blog/what-is-open-ran) [#### Building new revenue streams: 3 strategic cloud opportunities for telcos in 2026](https://ubuntu.com/blog/new-telco-cloud-opportunity) [#### Safeguarding your telco infrastructure with Ubuntu Pro](https://ubuntu.com/blog/telecom-security-how-to-safeguard-your-open-source-telco-infrastructure) [#### Intelligent auto-scaling in 5G RAN based on MicroK8s with Ubuntu real-time kernel on Intel® technology](https://ubuntu.com/engage/intel-flexran-ubuntu-real-time-kernel) [#### Fast and reliable telco edge clouds with Intel FlexRAN and Real-time Ubuntu for 5G URLLC scenarios](https://ubuntu.com/blog/intel-flexran-and-real-time-ubuntu-for-5g-urllc) [#### Canonical announces the availability of Real-time Ubuntu for Amazon EKS Anywhere](https://canonical.com/blog/real-time-ubuntu-for-amazon-eks-anywhere) --- ## Canonical provides a full stack for your telecom infrastructure. [Contact us to learn more ›](https://canonical.com/contact-us) Close ### Telco Open RAN - Get in touch form