Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman Participates in U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Roundtable on Open Radio Access Network Technology

The below is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:

On April 10, Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman and State Department officials convened a dialogue with industry leaders and trilateral partners from the Government of Japan and Government of the Philippines to discuss the future of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology in the Philippines and across the Indo-Pacific region. The Deputy Administrator emphasized the need for comprehensive approaches to Open RAN in the Indo-Pacific region and discussed how USAID, the private sector, and our partners can build cohesive Open RAN systems.

The Deputy Administrator reinforced USAID's leadership on Open RAN deployment, highlighting cooperation with Japanese and Philippines partners through the Asia Open RAN Academy, which USAID established in Manila in 2022. Through the Academy, Japanese and U.S. companies help shape the curriculum and train engineers in preparation for Open RAN testing pilots(link is external). Open RAN technologies have the potential to build broadband networks that are more interoperable, secure, transparent and competitive. Open RAN technologies unlock greater flexibility, lower costs, and better access to innovation - and the chance to bring more communities around the world into the digital economy.

This roundtable took place on the sidelines of the White House's April 11 U.S.-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Dialogue. The three countries gathered in Washington as equal partners and trusted friends, united by the vision we share of a free and open Indo-Pacific and international order based on international law, and pledged to advance this vision for decades to come. By working together, the United States, Japan, and the Philippines can advance the security and prosperity of our own nations, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world.