Linux Foundation Launches OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation to Drive Open-Source AI-RAN Innovation
The OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation is designed to serve as an open collaboration hub that will build, scale and sustain the OCUDU technical project.
The Linux Foundation has announced the launch of the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation, a new collaborative initiative aimed at accelerating open-source innovation in AI-driven radio access networks (RAN) for 5G and early 6G systems. The announcement was made during Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona.
The OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation is designed to serve as an open collaboration hub that will build, scale and sustain the OCUDU technical project. The initiative focuses on developing open-source software for the Centralized Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) layers of modern telecom networks while providing tools and infrastructure to support integration, testing and deployment.
By creating a shared platform, the foundation aims to enable telecom operators, vendors, cloud providers and research institutions to collaborate on interoperable software and accelerate the adoption of AI-native networking technologies. The effort also seeks to establish a reference platform for RAN systems that incorporate AI-based algorithms and solutions for next-generation connectivity.
“By aligning global efforts under the Linux Foundation, we're building an open, trusted, and secure open source platform to power the next decade of wireless innovation,” said Arpit Joshipura, general manager of Networking, Edge and IoT at the Linux Foundation. “The OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation represents a key step forward in open source RAN, specifically for CU and DU.”
The foundation has attracted strong industry participation. Founding members include major technology and telecom companies such as AMD, AT&T, Ericsson, Nokia, NVIDIA, SoftBank and Verizon, alongside more than 20 general members and several research institutions.
The initiative complements industry standards bodies such as 3GPP and the O‑RAN Alliance, helping build a community-driven ecosystem for open and programmable wireless infrastructure.
With telecom networks becoming increasingly software-defined, the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation aims to accelerate innovation in AI-native RAN architectures, enabling developers and operators to build advanced applications and services for the next generation of wireless networks.
Last year, the Linux Foundation has announced the launch of the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), a new open governance body aimed at advancing open, interoperable, and community-driven development of agentic artificial intelligence.
