Open RAN aficionados gathered at the University of Bristol last week, to discuss the Open RAN and small cell systems of the future, at an event organized by Cambridge Wireless. Nick Johnson, head of UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN), gave an opening talk with an optimistic tone, reminding attendees that the network is getting simpler rather than more complicated, and calling guests to reach out to his agency for support. UKTIN was set up by the UK government to encourage supply chain diversification in the telco industry with open networks in mind, on the recommendation of the government’s 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy. Vodafone strategist Wael Boukley Hasan gave an account of Open RAN and massive MIMO, with examples from Vodafone’s Open…