Two recent events highlighted the core dilemma for MNOs, as outlined above – open platforms and virtualization are critical for the 5G business case, yet they will not be mature and ready in the same timescales as the new RAN. At TM Forum’s Digital Transformation World in Nice, France, and at the OpenStack Summit in Vancouver, Canada, the same notes of caution and 5G nervousness were struck by operators and suppliers. At the former, Ibrahim Gedeon, CTO of Canada’s Telus, spoke for many operators when he said virtualization was progressing slowly and, as yet, not delivering the hoped-for benefits. That meant telcos were at risk of a “crippling” spike in expected costs, especially as they move into major upgrades such…