Intel believes it has a 5G opportunity worth $25bn by 2023, when it considers not just semiconductors but software and tools, and it has announced a revamp of its FlexRAN reference architecture, which has been a foundation of many virtualized RAN trials around the world. One development is that Amdocs’ SmartRAN optimization solution will be integrated into the FlexRAN software architecture. This will see FlexRAN’s machine learning libraries harnessed to improve SmartRAN’s data analytics and management so that customers can optimize their networks based on large numbers of criteria and parameters, on a per-application basis. Amdocs is developing its SmartRAN solution for testing use cases defined by the O-RAN Alliance, starting with massive MIMO. With the FlexRAN integration, operators will…