Many positives are assigned to open networks Operators hope for supplier ecosystem, innovation and economic benefits But the theory still needs to be tested broadly and at scale And red flags persist, particularly around complexity and integration issues For sure, many major operators are fully behind the Open RAN movement and are urging as much investment and activity as possible in the hope that, ultimately, they will be able to source more flexible, best-of-breed and cost-effective (even more secure!) technology for their networks. But there are also those with major reservations about the open architecture approach. One such is Neil McRae, Chief Architect and Managing Director, Architecture & Technology Strategy at BT Group. During a recent live Q&A discussion as part of TelecomTV’s Open Telco Summit, he was unequivocal about the challenges operators will face if they mix and match their technology suppliers. (See The After Show Live Day 1.)