The latest open source project to be kicked off under the auspices of the Linux Foundation is called Nephio, and it plays into many of the key concerns of operators considering advanced 5G deployments, particularly how to automate management and orchestration of cloud-based networks that are highly dense and distributed. The founding members’ list is well populated, with Google Cloud taking a prominent position alongside various operators and vendors. Collectively, they state their aim as being to “create cloud-native automation and management of 5G networks across multiple edge locations”. Although some US operators, primarily AT&T, have been active in open source projects in the past, none of them appears on the founders’ list, although two Canadian operators – Bell Canada…