Rakuten is not the only Japanese operator driving Open RAN. NTT Docomo is also a significant supporter and contributor and has been deploying a commercial open network in Tokyo that is supposed to support the Olympic Games. Docomo, always in the forefront of new architectures, has extended its multi-faceted and long-time partnership with NEC – also a key Rakuten supplier – to the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). The RIC is an important element of the O-RAN platform and introduces entirely new functions, unlike many of the specs, which merely open up existing architecture elements and interfaces. As such, the RIC, which abstracts control and management functions that were traditionally embedded in the equipment, has been the focus of intense interest…