- U.S.-based Airspan uses O-RAN software to "virtualize" network functions in the cloud.
- It enables mobile network providers to reduce their dependence on the custom-made hardware of Ericsson and Nokia.
- The smaller competitor's higher gross margins show better production efficiency, but it is suffering from supply chain woes.
- As a newcomer in the 4G LTE and 5G RAN space, it has to incur higher marketing and research expenses, but its strong partnership ecosystem deserves to be emphasized.
- Inflation-induced escalating costs could tilt the balance in favor of O-RAN more rapidly than expected, and with $3 billion of TAM, Airspan should be valued accordingly.
For further details see:
Airspan: Small, But A Challenger For Ericsson And Nokia With O-RAN