5 Ways Samsung is Changing the Mobile Network Industry

Network traffic is becoming more congested as an increasing number of people have access to smart devices. In addition, people are continuing to develop and use more data-intensive applications. This congestion can often result in slow media downloads, causing videos to buffer and aggravating smartphone users who expect instant-access to high quality content. After all, what’s the point of owning an ultra-sleek Galaxy S6 edge if your network can’t keep up?

That’s why Samsung is introducing powerful new technologies that help mobile network operators gain a competitive edge and open up new opportunities in mobile service delivery.

Here’s how Samsung aims to change the mobile network industry:

1. Video Quality of Experience (VQoE) assurance

In 2014, video traffic occupied 40 to 60 percent of total data traffic around the world. As we move beyond LTE and into the LTE-Advanced era, it is becoming increasingly important for mobile operators to offer a video-streaming experience without buffering. Samsung CognitiV Analytics can detect the service level of end-users, and then analyze and optimize service delivery in real time to greatly reduce or prevent buffering.

2. Taking LTE one step higher

Samsung first introduced LTE-Advanced technology in 2013, with the world’s first commercialization of LTE carrier aggregation. This year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we’ve released multiple LTE-Advanced technologies to help operators further extend their network performance. With operators across the world already providing LTE service to users, this new step up will give networks better capacity, efficiency and reliability.

3. Voice over LTE, everywhere

Samsung introduced a new VoLTE Extension technology designed to provide the same reliable voice coverage that 2G (CDMA) has become known for, with the vast quality and capability improvements of Voice over LTE. VoLTE Extension allows LTE networks, originally designed with data coverage in mind, to seamlessly replace aging, inefficient legacy networks without introducing new coverage holes that could negatively impact user satisfaction.

4. C-RAN 2.0 — efficient, reactive resource distribution

Samsung is introducing baseband pooling as part of its new C-RAN2.0 technology to address issues created by data spikes. Data spikes usually occur during big events, like the sports games or concerts.

The technology allows the network to aggregate its baseband resources across a large cluster of cells. This method provides savings on total cost of ownership (TCO) through greater efficiency in resource usage, assigning baseband capacity to areas of the network where it is needed most, and sleeping unused resources during periods of low traffic demand.

Another component of the improved C-RAN architecture is baseband clustering. This technology allows for very fast and efficient coordination between BBUs, or baseband units. Baseband clustering improves cell edge performance, enables advanced scheduling features that mitigate radio signal interference and allows carrier aggregation between base stations for maximum efficiency in radio resource usage.

5. Developing the 5G network

Last year, Samsung announced the release of two major 5G innovations: the world’s fastest-ever 5G data transmission rate, and an uninterrupted and stable connection in a car traveling more than 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour).

This year, it promises to help support the advancement of network technology further by releasing a string of new improvements that bridge the gap between LTE-Advanced and 5G.

The new 60GHz Wireless Backhaul technology allows rapid deployment of new cell sites, making it incredibly useful for efforts to increase network capacity and benefiting small cell deployments in particular. It uses a combination of active beamforming and passive antennas to transmit multi-Gbps speeds in unlicensed millimeter wave bands.

The introduction of Samsung’s Full Dimension-MIMO (or FD-MIMO) extends the capabilities of MIMO technology in many ways. Primarily, it allows an active antenna array to deliver individual, targeted wireless signals within a single cell. This not only improves cell capacity but also reduces inter-cell interference.