NEC commits to 5G Open RAN with purchase of Aspire Technology

Aspire Technology joins the NEC family to enhance NEC Open Networks’ range of solutions and acquire its expertise in 5G Open RAN ecosystem design.

Aspire Technology, based in Dublin, Ireland, is a specialist technology solutions and specialised systems integration (SI) company with extensive experience in open network design and integration, a critical need in the drive towards the successful global adoption of Open RAN 5G. Aspire Technology provides solutions and services across the entire network lifecycle for legacy and open architectures, from 2G to 5G, and will continue to utilise its expertise and experience in the growing open network and Open RAN environment. The acquisition is expected to be completed in July 2022, following confirmation of the necessary procedures and approvals for each organisation.

The NEC Open Networks ecosystem consists of a comprehensive set of open products and solutions, including Open RAN components for disaggregated hardware and software, xHaul transport, converged core, automation/orchestration software and SI services. The addition of Aspire Technology strengthens NEC’s SI offering for 5G Open RAN applications, which require a higher level of system design and integration compared to legacy ecosystems. Aspire Technology is currently working with leading operators, vendors and other IS companies in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Naohisa Matsuda, general manager of 5G strategy and business at NEC, highlights the firm’s latest acquisition: “The strong capabilities and the deep pool of talented engineers at Aspire Technology, combined with their portfolio of technology solutions and applications, is a big step forward for our NEC Open Networks strategy. NEC is now better prepared than any supplier to integrate disaggregated network components into a well-tuned ecosystem.”

For his part, Bill Walsh, founder and CEO of Aspire Technology, believes this was the right move for his company: “We believe the combination of NEC and Aspire Technology will provide tremendous benefits to our customers, both legacy network-based and those evolving to the more Open environment, and also to the broader 5G and Open RAN marketplace, which is growing rapidly. We share a common vision of the 5G and Open RAN market, and a history of delivering complex integration projects with some of the largest carriers in the world. Together, we create a compelling and comprehensive 5G solutions portfolio.”