The University of Oulu joins Linux Foundation initiative on open source RAN
OCUDU builds on an initial software stack developed by DeepSig and Software Radio Systems with support from the U.S. Department of Defense’s FutureG Office and the National Spectrum Consortium. The project focuses on production-ready, cloud-native implementations of the centralised unit and distributed unit components of Open RAN, covering CI/CD pipelines, interoperability testing and deployment-ready blueprints. Membership gives 6G Flagship researchers and the 6G Test Centre direct access to the open source codebase, reference architectures and validation frameworks. The work is expected to inform 6G research and standardisation.
Finland’s membership was highlighted at the International ISAC Innovation Forum, convened by the FutureG Office in Arlington, Virginia, on 21 and 22 May.
“OCUDU is an important initiative for enabling open, programmable, and interoperable AI-RAN innovation through stronger ecosystem collaboration. For the University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship, this aligns closely with our active AI-RAN research and broader work on AI-native wireless systems and future 6G technologies,” says Dr Dileepa Marasinghe, AI-RAN Research Manager, 6G Flagship.
The University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship is also an active member of the AI-RAN Alliance, contributing to international efforts to advance AI-native radio access networks. Participation in both the AI-RAN Alliance and the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation strengthens opportunities to bridge AI-RAN research, open source development and future 6G innovation. AI-RAN refers to wireless systems in which artificial intelligence is embedded directly in the radio access network.
“OCUDU membership lets our researchers participate in and contribute to an international engineering effort alongside leading research institutions. For a public university with a long-standing role in wireless research, this is a natural setting in which to work, learn, and develop the next generation of researchers", says Professor Jukka Riekki, Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu.
The 6G Test Centre at the University of Oulu, a designated NATO DIANA test centre, will use OCUDU components in its research and validation work.
“The 6G Test Centre contributes a dual-use validation environment to OCUDU, supporting the development of secure, interoperable FutureG capabilities. This is one of the key drivers behind public investment in open RAN ecosystems," says Hannu Nikurautio, Research Director, 6G Test Centre.
OCUDU launches a developer webinar series on 4 June 2026, giving 6G Flagship and Test Centre researchers a route to engage with the project’s engineering community.
About 6G Flagship
6G Flagship is the world’s first 6G research programme, based at the University of Oulu, Finland. Operating under the University of Oulu and funded together with the Research Council of Finland, the programme involves roughly 600 researchers working to develop the scientific foundations for 6G technology. More at 6gflagship.com.
About the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation
The OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation is a Linux Foundation initiative developing open, secure and interoperable Open Source RAN centralised unit and distributed unit implementations. More at ocudu.org.