AT&T is setting a strong pattern of developing disruptive technology for virtualized networks inhouse and then placing it into an open source initiative. Its ECOMP management and orchestration (MANO) technology ended up as the major portion of ONAP (Open Network Automation Protocol). Its dNOS network operating system for white boxes has become a Linux Foundation project. Now its XRAN development of a disaggregated, virtualized RAN, which had already been open sourced, is to merge with the C-RAN Alliance to provide a cross-industry platform that particularly aims to support 5G slicing and vertical market applications. The motivations are the same in all three – to accelerate progress in breaking down the traditional supply chains, and cost bases, of the telco network;…