10173047ORCA, an OpenRAN Configuration Assistant: a Simulation Tool for Planning Flexible, Interoperable Mobile NetworksClosedFast Start ResponseInnovate UK**ORCA (OpenRAN Configuration Assistant) is a feasibility study exploring the viability of a low-cost, visual planning tool to support the adoption of OpenRAN mobile network architectures in the UK**. The study targets organisations currently underserved by traditional network design tools (including local authorities, SME telecom providers, university testbeds, and training institutions) who often lack the specialist expertise or vendor support required to engage with OpenRAN. Currently, OpenRAN deployment planning relies heavily on proprietary, vendor-specific tools or **complex engineering interfaces designed for expert users. These are frequently inaccessible to smaller or non-traditional players.** ORCA will investigate whether a standards-aligned, no-code interface could enable users to explore, compare, and validate typical OpenRAN configurations for example, allowing a local council to pre-plan small-cell layouts for a town centre, or a rural ISP to simulate coverage for a 3-sector macro site using drag-and-drop templates. The study will focus on several core activities: mapping applicable standards (such as 3GPP TR 38.801 and O-RAN WG6); analysing existing workflows used by early OpenRAN adopters; identifying requirements for interface design, export formats, and configuration logic; and validating commercial feasibility through early business modelling. Expected outputs will include interface wireframes, layout and flow logic, reusable deployment templates (e.g. rural, urban, indoor), and a commercialisation roadmap outlining paths toward future MVP, SaaS delivery, or licensing models. **These outputs will serve as the foundation for a future demonstrator or pilot-ready platform.** **If successful, ORCA could enable a broader group of UK stakeholders to engage with OpenRAN** **by lowering technical entry barriers, supporting more diverse participation in mobile network innovation, and reducing reliance on proprietary vendor services.** The study will also explore how ORCA could support training, capability-building, and scenario-based learning in academic or vocational settings, helping to grow the UK's telecoms skills base in line with projected demand for OpenRAN-related roles. **By addressing a tooling gap** identified in UKTIN's 2023 SME engagement survey, **ORCA aims to contribute to the UK's 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy and DSIT's goal of enabling a more open, competitive, and sustainable telecoms ecosystem.**