Nobody except the wildest optimists believe Open RAN will be easy. Operators are being asked to deploy the challenging functions of the macro RAN on a cloud platform while simultaneously introducing the 5G core, new use cases and potentially new suppliers. However, confidence that the barriers will be lowered by the mid-2020s has been bolstered by the collective efforts being made across the ecosystem, and most operators are particularly reassured when large suppliers with significant radio expertise lend their weight to the shared endeavor. Nokia has been the most significant member of the old guard to take a leading role in Open RAN, but comments at a recent regulatory meeting showed that even those committed to the cause still have…