b<>com unveils Open XG Hub testbed for 5G & 6G R&D

b<>com has released Open XG Hub, a free software platform that provides an end-to-end test environment for 5G and 6G experimentation, including Open RAN development and validation.

Access is available on request. The Rennes-based technology research institute said the platform lets researchers, developers and industry teams test multiple parts of a mobile network without assembling each element separately.

End-to-End hub

Open XG Hub brings the main building blocks of a 5G or 6G network into a single test environment. It includes a modular distributed unit, the b<>com RAN DU, designed to follow O-RAN and 3GPP specifications.

That compliance matters for organisations working with a mix of suppliers and deployment models. Open RAN has become a prominent industry approach because it aims to standardise interfaces between network components. It is often associated with efforts to broaden the supplier base for radio access networks, particularly in private deployments and pilot programmes.

The distributed unit can adapt across hardware platforms. The hub also supports evaluation of different network architectures and software implementations, and includes functions for testing and integrating third-party components.

Research focus

b<>com framed the release around experimentation and proof-of-concept work for open and private 5G and 6G networks. Users can swap, upgrade and reconfigure network components, and match component choices to required features, software versions and specific experimental set-ups.

This flexibility addresses a common challenge in advanced connectivity research: teams need repeatable environments for performance analysis, interoperability work and regression testing, as well as ways to introduce new components without breaking the rest of the stack.

The platform also targets field-validation work for private cellular networks. Private 5G has gained traction in factories, logistics sites, ports and campuses. Many deployments remain small and application-specific, and often require testing across radio, core, orchestration and observability layers before live roll-outs.

Features listed

Open XG Hub supports deployment and testing of private 5G and 6G networks. b<>com also highlighted use for 5G, 6G and O-RAN R&D, as well as network optimisation tasks.

The hub supports multiple frequency bands and bandwidths. It is also described as compatible with leading open-source projects, although b<>com did not name specific projects in its announcement.

Observability and engineering tools are also included, with advanced monitoring and troubleshooting, as well as tracing and debugging for experimentation and analysis.

b<>com said the platform can be used to test services that require high data rates, very low latency and secure connectivity-requirements often associated with industrial automation, video analytics, robotics, and some defence and public safety use cases.

Licensing model

b<>com described Open XG Hub as freely accessible under an R&D evaluation licence. This differs from many commercial telecom test environments, which can carry licence fees, support contracts or hardware requirements that limit access to well-funded labs.

By offering access on request, b<>com is signalling it wants the hub used in research settings while retaining some control over distribution. The institute did not detail the evaluation licence terms in its announcement.

Patrick Savelli, Head of Advanced Connectivity at b<>com, said the platform is intended to simplify experimentation and widen participation across research and open-source communities.

"b<>com's new 5G/6G technology gives innovators a practical and flexible way to experiment, de-risk, and accelerate new connectivity solutions, and is made available under an R&D evaluation licence to encourage wider contributions from the open source and research communities."

Open XG Hub sits within b<>com's wider work on next-generation digital technologies, including connectivity and cloud computing. The institute works with industrial and academic partners across sectors including industry, defence, healthcare, security and agriculture.

Access to Open XG Hub is available on request. b<>com expects use to grow as interest increases in open interfaces, private network deployments and multi-vendor network architectures.