Authenticating radio access network components using distributed ledger technology

One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions operable to perform, when the software is executed on one or more servers of a network, operations to coordinate resource sharing of disaggregated radio access network (RAN) components or entities of a disaggregated RAN architecture with use of a distributed ledger which is provided via the network for authentication and authorization of the disaggregated RAN components or entities, the operations including:

• registering with the distributed ledger a first RAN entity of a first vendor and a second RAN entity of a second vendor;
• obtaining a request from the first RAN entity of the first vendor to use resources of the second RAN entity of the second vendor;
• in response to the request, validating with the distributed ledger whether the first RAN entity of the first vendor and the second RAN entity of the second vendor have been registered with the distributed ledger and are to share the resources;
• and
• based on the validating, providing to the second RAN entity of the second vendor a notification that the first RAN entity of the first vendor is to be permitted to share the resources of the second RAN entity of the second vendor.

An apparatus comprising:

• an interface configured to enable communication with one or more radio access network entities in a radio access network;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the interface and to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform operations to coordinate resource sharing of disaggregated radio access network (RAN) components or entities of a disaggregated RAN architecture with use of a distributed ledger which is accessible via the apparatus for authentication and authorization of the disaggregated RAN components or entities, the operations including:
• registering with the distributed ledger a first RAN entity of a first vendor and a second RAN entity of a second vendor;
• obtaining a request from the first RAN entity of the first vendor to use resources of the second RAN entity of the second vendor;
• in response to the request, validating with the distributed ledger whether the first RAN entity of the first vendor and the second RAN entity of the second vendor have been registered with the distributed ledger and are to share the resources;
• and
• based on the validating, providing to the second RAN entity of the second vendor a notification that the first RAN entity of the first vendor is to be permitted to share the resources of the second RAN entity of the second vendor.