A military-backed, Linux Foundation-led initiative launches an open source RAN stack to accelerate secure, software-defined 5G and 6G innovation.
The Open Centralized Unit Distributed Unit (OCUDU) Ecosystem Foundation has been launched to build a production-ready open-source CU and DU software stack for RAN, marking a significant shift towards software-defined telecom infrastructure.
Hosted by the Linux Foundation, the initiative brings together a global public-private ecosystem spanning commercial players and research institutions. The US Department of War, through its FutureG programme, is a founding member and key driver, with financial backing from FutureG and the US National Spectrum Consortium over three years, subject to Congressional approval.
Founding members include major industry players such as AMD, AT&T, Ericsson, Nokia, Nvidia, SoftBank Corp and Verizon, alongside firms like DeepSig and Software Radio Systems. The foundation also includes 21 general members and 17 research institutions.
Building on Open RAN principles, OCUDU advances a fully software-defined architecture aligned with O-RAN Alliance and 3GPP standards, while introducing a common foundational software layer for 5G and early 6G. Its codebase is already available on GitHub, with the first release expected by April and updates planned every six months.
“We’re just taking it that next step farther and making it a fully software solution,” said Tom Rondeau, Principal Director, FutureG Programme, US Department of War. “The next iteration… [is] to break through… a hardware-focused mindset, and turn us into a software-focused, application development-focused future.”
For defence, open source enables transparency, stronger security monitoring, and hardened communications. It also allows adaptive waveforms, improved spectrum agility, and sustained interoperability—positioning open source as a strategic advantage in next-generation networks.
