Joint solution showcases how AI-RAN can reduce detection times from hours to minutes and enable the shift toward autonomous network operations

Wind River, an Aptiv company and global leader in software for the intelligent edge, and Vodafone are collaborating to operationalize AI-RAN for Open RAN networks. The joint solution will be showcased at MWC Barcelona, March 2–5, in the Wind River booth (Hall 2, Stand 2F25).

Open RAN is transforming how networks are built. AI-RAN is transforming how they are operated. As operators deploy more disaggregated infrastructure, traditional operations models are reaching their limits. The volume, velocity, and variability of network data now exceed what human-driven operations can effectively manage. The Wind River–Vodafone collaboration demonstrates how AI-RAN moves intelligence from dashboards into the operational core of the network.

“Open RAN fundamentally changes how networks are built; AI-RAN changes how they are operated,” said Paul Miller, CTO, Wind River. “Operators are moving from static infrastructure to dynamic, software-defined environments where complexity grows faster than human operators can manage. Our collaboration with Vodafone demonstrates how AI-RAN can turn operational data into continuous intelligence, enabling networks that detect issues earlier, adapt faster, and move closer to autonomous operation. Together, we are showing how AI-RAN can become the operational backbone of next-generation telecom infrastructure.”

“As our networks evolve to support growing demand and more dynamic, open architectures, it’s essential that we adopt technologies that continually improve performance, operational efficiency, and reliability. By collaborating with Wind River, we can introduce AI‑RAN innovation into our operations, providing our teams with the intelligence necessary to stay ahead of issues before they affect our customers,” said Marco Zangani, Director of Network Strategy & Architecture, Vodafone Group.

Powered by Vodafone’s 5G network running on its O-Cloud platform and built from the container infrastructure delivered by Wind River^® Cloud Platform with analytics from Wind River Analytics, the solution continuously ingests massive telemetry streams across the RAN and cloud layers. AI models learn normal system behavior over time, detect subtle deviations, predict emerging issues, and guide remediation actions before customer experience is affected.

Unlike traditional OSS tools that analyze events after they occur, the joint solution continuously learns from live network behavior, enabling operators to shift from reactive troubleshooting to predictive and increasingly autonomous operations — a central objective of AI-RAN architectures.

Demonstrations of the solution show the ability to:

• Reduce anomaly detection time from hours to minutes through multi-layer telemetry correlation
• Continuously learn from more than 70TB of network data per week, enabling long-term behavioral modeling across distributed RAN environments
• Scale short-term learning and troubleshooting analytics in TBs per hour, supporting real-time operational decisions
• Accelerate root-cause identification and remediation workflows, reducing mean time to resolution and limiting service impact
• Enable teams to manage larger open RAN footprints without proportional increases in operational cost or staffing

Why This Matters for the Industry

The telecom industry has spent years virtualizing infrastructure and disaggregating the RAN. The next challenge is operational scale.

AI-RAN enables operators to:

• Run larger, more distributed networks without linear increases in OpEx
• Detect performance degradations before customers notice them
• Shorten recovery cycles and improve service reliability
• Lay the operational foundation for fully autonomous networks

The joint Wind River–Vodafone work demonstrates that AI-RAN is no longer a future concept — it is becoming a deployable operational capability.

Join Wind River at MWC Barcelona

In addition to highlighting AI-RAN solutions with Vodafone, the Wind River exhibit at MWC Barcelona will showcase its portfolio of carrier-grade solutions that accelerate cloud adoption, automate operations, and improve resilience through real-time analytics and orchestration for AI-enabled frameworks. Wind River is powering the future of edge AI and intelligent networks across domains including telecom, enterprise, automotive, and industrial. For more information or to schedule a meeting at MWC Barcelona, visit https://explore.windriver.com/MWC-2026.

About Wind River

Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for the intelligent edge. For more than four decades, the company has been an innovator and pioneer, powering billions of devices and systems that require the highest levels of security, safety, and reliability. Wind River software and expertise are accelerating digital transformation across industries including automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio supported by world-class global professional services and support and a broad partner ecosystem. To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com.

Wind River is a trademark or registered trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc., and its affiliates. Other names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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