Abstract¶
The rapid evolution of 5G, 6G, and beyond requires a radical departure from traditional, closed-source proprietary development. This session introduces OCUDU (Open Central Unit / Distributed Unit), a pioneering initiative designed to accelerate wireless innovation by bridging the gap between industry, academia, and government.
At its core, OCUDU serves as a robust Open Source research platform, allowing academic researchers to move beyond theoretical simulations into real-world deployments. For students, it provides a “living lab” environment, fostering a new generation of engineers proficient in disaggregated RAN (Radio Access Network) architectures and cloud-native telecommunications.
We will explore the Three-way collaboration model that powers OCUDU, illustrating how:
Government entities leverage the project to ensure national security and technological sovereignty.
Industry partners accelerate time-to-market and reduce R&D costs through shared codebases.
Academia gains access to carrier-grade stacks for high-impact research and education.
The session will conclude with a recipe for how this collaborative framework creates sustainable commercial opportunities and serves as a blueprint for future large-scale open-source initiatives across academia and the broader tech ecosystem.
Ranny Haiby | The Linux Foundation¶
Ranny Haiby serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Networking, Edge, and Access at The Linux Foundation, where he drives technical innovation and fosters synergies across critical open-source projects. A software industry veteran with over two decades of experience, Haiby specializes in network automation, cloud-native transformation, and the intersection of open standards and open-source software. Prior to joining the Linux Foundation in 2022, he held senior leadership roles including Director of Open Source at Samsung Research America and Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff at Nokia.