North American OTIC in Washington, D.C., Metro Area (Virginia Tech)
The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Alliance has designated the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative as North American Open Testing and Integration Center (OTIC) in Washington D.C./Arlington Va.
![xG Testbed logo Commonwealth Cyber Initiative xG Testbed logo](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.jpg)
![OTIC kogo otic logo open testing and integration center](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.jpg)
The CCI xG Testbed at the Virginia Tech Research Center (VTRC) in Arlington provides testing capabilities for end-to-end radio access network interoperability, conformance, and performance in lab and field environments.
As an OTIC, it supports both end-to-end open-source and multi-vendor O-RAN components. It also provides a platform to realize an end-to-end intelligent RAN control-loop supported by an Artificial Intelligence (AI)/ Machine Learning (ML) framework, which is embedded in the wireless network infrastructure.
CCI’s OTIC is strengthened with in-lab (VTRC) and field (Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus) testing environments. These facilities are equipped with hardware and software that enables researchers to validate disaggregated RAN — Open Centralized Unit (O-CU); Open Distributed Unit (O-DU); Open Radio Unit (O-RU) — components across different locations and transport networks over the air (OTA).
OTIC enables researchers to test and validate RAN components’ interaction with Radio Intelligent Controllers (RICs) and AI/ML-based microservices/applications (i.e., xApps and rApps). Multi-vendor RAN components can be integrated into to our O-RAN in lab and field infrastructure and third-party applications can be easily onboarded via RIC dashboards and Service Management Orchestration (SMO) on the cloud or edge environment. OTIC offers additional O-RAN related services such as use case and proof-of-concept development and end-to-end open-source-based evaluation.
Partnerships
AT&T, DISH Network, and Verizon join CCI as OTIC co-hosts in uniting to realize OTIC’s mission of accelerating national O-RAN advancement, innovation, and deployment.
![AT&T logo AT&T logo](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_2145757353/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
![Dish Network logo Dish Network logo](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_2145757353/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
![Verizon logo Verizon logo](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_2145757353/vt-items_2/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Additional partners include:
- George Mason University (represented by Vijay Shah).
- Wireless@VT (represented by Jeff Reed).
- Old Dominion University (represented by Sachin Shetty).
CCI xG Testbed Provides a Range of Services
Remote Access
![Remote Access for OTIC VPN illustration with hands on keyboard](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1706247715/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Utilize the xG Testbed capabilities while in your own laboratory or office.
Interoperability
![Interoperability illustration for OTIC Interoperability illustration for OTIC](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1706247715/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Confirm RAN components are interoperable across multi-vendor platforms in the lab and in the field.
Performance
![Performance for OTIC Group of people work on laptops around table with KPI Key Performance Indicators](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1706247715/vt-items_2/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Assess your O-RAN components using metrics and quantitative measures.
Conformance
![OTIC compliance illustration Compliance Standards Requirements Regulations](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1706247715/vt-items_3/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Ensure your O-RAN components will meet standards, rules, and regulations.
CCI xG Testbed Locations Include Indoor, Outdoor Environments
Radio-Grid Network at Virginia Tech Research Center in Washington, D.C., Metro Area
![overhead view of testbed overhead view of testbed](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1348433686/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.jpg)
Stroubles Creek CBRS Network at Virginia Tech's Blacksburg Campus
![Stroubles Creek facility Blacksburg, VA Stroubles Creek facility Blacksburg, VA](/content/ccixgtestbed_research_vt_edu/en/cci-designated-as-otic/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer_copy/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1348433686/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.jpg)
For more information about the North American OTIC in Washington D.C./Arlington Va. (Virginia Tech), contact us at: