The partial or total exclusion of Huawei from many 5G infrastructure contracts, as well as from some established 4G networks, was not just a boon to its immediate rivals – Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung – but also to equipment vendors of varying sizes seeking entry to the cellular field, both the RAN and core. A pack of vendors led by Cisco has been targeting opportunities in the mobile networks market through partnerships and internal developments, seeking to take an enhanced role in the 5G infrastructure value chain by harnessing Open RAN standards. Operators concerned over lack of choice in 5G network equipment have welcomed such overtures and, in some cases, collaborated with emerging players. The deepening partnership between Cisco and…