One of the most important contributions that the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) is making to the push towards fully open, interoperable networks is to provide real world frameworks for deploying systems based on open specifications like those of the O-RAN Alliance. Gathering and distilling detailed operator requirements, defining processes, facilitating reference designs, and enabling requests for information (RFIs) are just some examples of the valuable, pragmatic developments which are emerging from TIP’s working groups, and which will make it more realistic and less risky for operators to start embarking on open networks. We have already seen a series of RFIs and RFQs (request for quotes) in the small cell and 4G/5G RAN area, led by Vodafone and Telefónica. Now those…