- The new Dell PowerEdge XR8720t is designed to enable “unprecedented” performance and connectivity, according to the company
- Dell said the server promises to reduce the total cost of ownership for network and edge deployments
- It’s billed as the industry’s first single-server solution for cloud RAN
It might seem like a weird time to introduce a new server for open RAN when the market isn’t exactly going gangbusters. But Dell Technologies' newest PowerEdge server is aimed at changing things up and making open RAN easier and more economical to deploy.
Specifically, the PowerEdge XR8720t is the first single-server solution of its kind on the market, capable of running complete cloud RAN and open RAN distributed unit (DU) workloads. Powered by the Intel Xeon 6 chip, it supports up to 72 cores and 24 SFP28 connectivity ports – meaning it’s well suited for places that need a lot of power without taking up a lot of space. Dell isn’t revealing the price but said this server “significantly” reduces the total cost of ownership for network and edge deployments.
“We see this as the foundational step for cloud RAN implementation in general – the adoption of cloud architecture into the radio access network,” said Sandro Tavares, director of Telecom Systems Marketing at Dell. “This is a necessary step for operators to deploy a more horizontal approach to their architecture, leveraging cloud native principles and so on.”
Of course, it’s the operator’s choice if they want to follow the more traditional stack with a single vendor or opt for a more open approach where they’re mixing vendors across the different layers.
“Regardless of the path they decide to take, being able to deploy this underlying cloud architecture in an efficient manner is of paramount importance and that's what we're doing,” he said.
In the past, one of the big barriers for cloud RAN adoption was the need for multi-server deployments, which adds to the cost and complexity. But this new PowerEdge server consolidates all that into one compact unit, matching the performance of the traditional baseband unit (BBU), he said.
“There’s no need to build more servers in lieu of a traditional BBU on a cell site,” he added.
Tavares declined to say how many open RAN deployments Dell is doing, but it’s involved in many high-profile deployments, including with AT&T and Vodafone. Dell is also a vendor for EchoStar’s Dish Network open RAN network, which is being decommissioned.
“Since we initially launched XR8000 and now with these new components to the XR8000 platform, we firmly believe that we are extremely well positioned to be chosen by customers to be their partners,” he said. “The traction we have seen so far in open RAN basically corroborates this vision.”
Open RAN’s challenges
Open RAN thus far hasn’t produced much by way of vendor diversity, especially where some operators say they need it most: in the radio units. But that’s a tough nut to crack. For a startup to break into the business of producing radios, they’re going to need a lot of money and time to develop something that rivals what the big incumbent vendors like Ericsson and Nokia can offer.
Dell’s not in the radio business, but given Tavares’ experience with open RAN, Fierce asked for his thoughts on this particular challenge.
“It's difficult, if not dangerous, for smaller companies to try to boil the ocean and start developing a ton of different radio variants and so on, because it's very easy to get lost in all of the possibilities in terms radio configurations, spectrums and specific functionalities,” he said. “But if you focus on a specific use case or on a specific market and develop a radio for that particular base, your odds of being successful are significantly higher.”
Analyst: Dell’s timing is good
While open RAN isn’t growing nearly as fast as many hoped and incumbent vendors still dominate the infrastructure market, now’s as good a time as any for new products that can fill the gaps in the open RAN journey, according to Dell’ Oro Group VP Stefan Pongratz.
“I don’t think the timing is odd at all. If anything, it is a good time – cloud RAN accounted for a mid-single digit share of the 1H25 RAN revenues, and the long-term trajectory is up,” Pongratz told Fierce.
One of the main reasons cloud RAN is taking longer than expected is that purpose-built RAN offers more favorable performance and total cost of ownership. If Dell’s new server helps to narrow the gap, that’s a positive sign for the cloud movement, he said.
“Even if the open RAN and cloud RAN journey has faced some speed bumps, operators still see virtualization, automation, AI and openness as key pillars of their next-generation RAN platforms,” he said. “Open RAN and cloud RAN are still happening.”
Dell’s PowerEdge XR8720t will be globally available in the first quarter of 2026.