While the Open RAN offers obvious opportunities for non-traditional or challenger vendors in the mobile network ecosystem, it presents a dilemma for established network equipment suppliers (NEPs). So far, Huawei and ZTE have remained distant, even though many contributions to Open RAN code and plugfests have come from the Chinese operators. Ericsson is being cautious. On the one hand, Open RAN appears to challenge its business model just at a time when it is well-placed to dominate 5G RAN. The different recent misfortunes of Nokia and Huawei, plus the strong platform Ericsson built in the 5G-ready phase, have combined to put the Swedish giant in pole position to win the next stage of 4G/5G roll-out. That explains hostility to the…