In the heart of Liverpool, a transformative project unfolded, aiming to redefine how we experience connectivity in high-demand environments. The Liverpool City Region High Demand Density (LCR HDD) project, a £9 million initiative led by the University of Liverpool and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), set out to tackle the challenges of providing robust mobile connectivity in venues like arenas, festivals, and public spaces.
High-density venues, such as the M&S Bank Arena and the Salt and Tar events space in Bootle, often grapple with network congestion during large events. Traditional network infrastructures struggle to accommodate the surge in demand, leading to dropped calls, slow internet speeds, frustrated attendees, and even lost business opportunities. The LCR HDD project sought to address this by deploying innovative 5G Standalone (SA) networks using Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) technology.
Weaver Labs played a pivotal role by deploying its flagship platform, Cell-Stack, to orchestrate and manage the Open RAN components across the trial sites. Cell-Stack enabled the creation of decentralised, software-defined network infrastructures that could adapt in real time to the dynamic demands of high-density environments. By abstracting the complexity of the network and enabling seamless integration of distributed elements, Cell-Stack supported automated provisioning, resource allocation, and real-time adaptation across the test environments.
To extend this orchestration capability, Weaver Labs used the Qualcomm Dragonwing RAN Automation Suite to deploy and automate a RAN automation agent, a key component of a RAN orchestrator. The RAN automation agent’s role is to monitor RAN metrics and configurations, normalise runtime data, and securely forward information to its off-premises controller, hosted in the cloud. Architecturally, this involved an on-prem RAN automation agent deployed at the network edge and a cloud-based controller responsible for lifecycle management and bidirectional communication.
Using Cell-Stack and Qualcomm’s edge automation tools, the team fully automated the deployment of the Dragonwing RAN Automation Suite’s Automation Agent within the private 5G network. This included replacing previously manual steps — VM creation, network preparation, Microsoft services and Docker installation, agent identity setup, and post-installation configurations — with scripted workflows. The result was a streamlined, hands-free rollout process powered by Day-0 configuration packages and robust lifecycle management.
Complementing Weaver Labs’ orchestration capabilities, Qualcomm enabled its Dragonwing RAN Automation Suite for Private Networks, a cloud-native platform designed to simplify the deployment, optimisation, and operation of 5G SA networks.
With the Dragonwing RAN Automation Suite, network commissioning becomes seamless via automated detection and configuration of base stations, enabling rapid site activation and initial performance optimisation. Observability and troubleshooting are enhanced through intuitive dashboards that offer easy access to KPIs and diagnostic tools. The suite also integrates tightly with the supported RAN Automation Agent, enabling secure, reliable, bidirectional communication between the local network and cloud automation services.
The Agent not only supports log collection and lifecycle management, but also enhances orchestration flexibility through its virtualised deployment model. Its use of O-RAN interfaces furthers network disaggregation, a key principle behind Open RAN, and facilitates scalable, flexible deployments suitable for both neutral hosts and private networks.
M&S Bank Arena
The M&S Bank Arena hosted the Act 1.5 event, featuring performances by Massive Attack, IDLES, and Nile Rodgers. The event aimed to demonstrate how live music events can be compatible with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C climate goal. The Open RAN technology was trialed to explore its potential in lowering carbon emissions at large-scale events. The deployment included the introduction of greener eSIM technology to reduce plastic use and emissions.
The Liverpool City Region High Demand Density project stands as a milestone in the journey to modernise mobile infrastructure for the environments that need it most. By bringing together the orchestration power of Weaver Labs’ Cell-Stack and the automation capabilities of the QualcommDragonwing RAN Automation Suite, this collaboration delivered a real-world demonstration of how open, software-defined 5G networks can be deployed quickly, operated efficiently, and scaled sustainably.
More than a technology showcase, this initiative proved the commercial and operational viability of Open RAN in complex, high-density scenarios — paving the way for scalable adoption in arenas, city centres, and public venues across the UK. It also highlighted how flexible, cloud-native architectures can support national goals around connectivity, innovation, and sustainability.
By reimagining how networks are built, deployed, and managed, Weaver Labs and Qualcomm have shown what the future of telecoms looks like — and it’s open, agile, and ready for the demands of tomorrow.
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