OCUDU Foundation Advances Open-Source 5G RAN Software with Major Members and New Release

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Seven months after launch, the Linux Foundation's OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation expands membership and issues its second open-source RAN release, enhancing 5G capabilities with beamforming, NTN support, and roadmap toward commercial integration.

The OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation, established under the Linux Foundation, has made significant progress since its debut at Mobile World Congress Barcelona in early 2026. Focused on developing open-source software for the centralized and distributed units of the 5G Radio Access Network (RAN), OCUDU aims to facilitate broader industry collaboration around a common, clean code base.

Dr. Tom Rondeau, principal director of the US Department of War’s FutureG programme, explained in an interview with Mobile World Live that the initiative follows a six-month release cycle, with the initial major public release occurring in April, followed by a second release on 8 October 2026. These releases stem from Software Radio Systems’ significant re-architecting of legacy LTE-era RAN code, transforming it into a more accessible, readable, and well-documented platform cross-compatible with both 3GPP and O-RAN Alliance interface specifications.

The April release established a foundational 5G RAN implementation capable of maintaining voice calls and data sessions with standard 5G user equipment, serving as an essential proof of concept and attracting a growing open-source developer community. Feedback highlighted the code’s ease of use, speed, and clarity.

The October update extended functionality with enhanced radio performance features such as beamforming and advanced multi-antenna configurations, improvements to resilience, support for non-public networks, and capabilities for phased-array radio units. Additionally, the project incorporated 3GPP Release 17 non-terrestrial network (NTN) support, responding to developer interest in space-based communication technologies.

Membership has grown robustly since inception. Originally encompassing industry leaders like AMD, AT&T, Ericsson, Nokia, Nvidia, SoftBank, and Verizon, the foundation welcomed Samsung in April, Qualcomm in May, and Intel in August 2026. This expansion has brought the foundation’s membership to 12 premier members—who contribute to governance—and 34 general members.

Dr. Rondeau emphasized the cultural challenges of fostering genuine collaborative development, noting OCUDU as the Linux Foundation’s third-fastest-growing project. Looking ahead, the foundation seeks "at least one real champion" to demonstrate OCUDU integration within commercial products or prototypes within the next year. Encouraging activity has been reported among members working independently on such initiatives.

A notable endeavor is a two-year contract awarded to Cohere Technologies by Dr. Rondeau's office. Cohere is tasked with developing a proof of concept using OCUDU to establish a 5G New Radio (NR) call and then transition to a Zac-Orthogonal Time Frequency and Space (OTFS) waveform for data transmission. This project will support integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), a technology pillar envisioned to coexist with connectivity and edge AI computing in 6G. Although not public like OCUDU, Cohere plans to contribute interface improvements back to the foundation.

Sensing capabilities are particularly vital to the US Department of War for addressing operational gaps and reducing the need for specialized sensors. Dr. Rondeau also stated the importance of competing with global adversaries who may adopt divergent approaches to ISAC data governance, security, and processing.

In summary, the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation is rapidly maturing its open-source 5G RAN software, growing its industry base, and advancing technical features that promise to accelerate innovation in both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks with potential commercial deployments forthcoming.