The Facebook-initiated Telecom Infra Project (TIP) is one of the most disruptive approaches to shaking up the cost structure and supply chain of the telecoms network. It has been challenged recently by the formation of ORAN, which combines XRAN – an open virtualized RAN effort originally set up by AT&T – with the Cloud-RAN Alliance. Some operators are taking sides, but both will help to reset expectations in terms of network costs – even if their actual platforms do not have commercial success. While the ORAN Alliance is largely driven by big operators’ developments and requirements, TIP reveals some of its heritage in the webscale world with a stronger focus on very commoditized equipment which could support new service providers.…