The test call was made on the Intel Xeon 6 SoC optimized for vRAN software capable of supporting intensive workloads, AI applications and services across 2G, 4G and 5G networks on a single high-performance server. This streamlined configuration paves the way for Vodafone to manage fewer systems and less hardware that perform on par or better than traditional RAN baseband solutions, while reducing costs, energy consumption and providing a more flexible foundation to introduce AI throughout its network. This milestone was achieved in tandem with ecosystem partners, Dell Technologies (server) and Wind River (cloud platform) and will be commercially deployed during 2026.

The announcement builds on the selection of Samsung as a key strategic partner for Vodafone’s deployment of Open RAN at scale across Europe. Together, the companies deployed their first Open RAN test site in Germany last year and have been extending the technology to additional commercial sites. Later this year, the Hanseatic city of Wismar in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is set to become the first city in the Vodafone mobile network in Germany to be fully equipped with Open RAN. With network performance matching or exceeding that of traditional hardware-based solutions, Vodafone’s Open RAN deployment in Germany is on track to cover broader regions in the country in a phased approach, driven by the rapid integration of the latest processor advancements.

Samsung and Vodafone have continued to strengthen their network collaboration based on open architecture by integrating advanced processors and incorporating AI-powered automation into commercial networks. By fostering an open ecosystem, Open RAN accelerates the delivery of high-performance, energy-efficient connectivity while enabling Vodafone to rapidly introduce innovative services that seamlessly adapt to evolving customer demands.

“Vodafone is focused on delivering the best possible customer experience by building a future-ready network,” said Marco Zangani, Director of Network Strategy and Architecture, Vodafone. “The test conducted with Samsung, alongside our implementation of open network architecture, supports this strategy, enabling us to introduce new 5G-Advanced services while enhancing energy efficiency and streamlining operations through automation and AI from the cell site to the edge of the network and in the core.”

Samsung’s vRAN offers the flexibility to support the latest processing technologies as they come to market, ensuring operators remain ahead of the industry’s rapid innovation cycle. Operators can efficiently manage network resources and apply unused computing capacity to host and run AI and edge applications directly on their existing telco infrastructure, closer to where the data is generated and used. Such versatility enables seamless processing power management and enhances responsiveness, while also paving the way for next-generation customer experiences that range from emerging devices to more dynamic, latency-sensitive applications.

“This breakthrough with Vodafone shows how a software, cloud-native approach empowers networks to become more efficient, more adaptable and ready for what’s next,” said Everth Flores, Vice President and Head of Samsung Networks Europe. “By advancing toward more flexible networks, we are not only facilitating immediate AI adoption but also laying the essential groundwork for an AI-native, 6G-ready infrastructure. We are proud to continue our momentum with Vodafone, as we expand and modernize connectivity in markets across Europe.”

To efficiently manage software-driven networks at scale, Samsung and Vodafone are taking a more intelligent approach to automation, made possible by Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS). This AI-powered automation solution is the ideal fit for Vodafone’s large-scale Open RAN deployment and AI transformation across Europe, by enabling one-click network deployment and easier upgrades.

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung is driving the industry to advance 5G networks and paving the way for 6G and beyond with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN and core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

1. ©Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. ︎

Rakuten Mobile’s selection of Samsung is a testament to the company’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) and O-RAN leadership, honed through years of experience in global, large-scale commercial deployments. Samsung’s O-RAN compliant radios will be seamlessly integrated in Rakuten Mobile’s network, another demonstration of O-RAN’s reliability in a multi-vendor environment.

Samsung will provide a full suite of O-RAN compliant radios, including low-band (700MHz) and mid-band (1.7GHz) solutions, as well as Massive MIMO radios supporting the 3.8GHz band. The company’s compact and lightweight radios can be easily mounted on buildings and poles, enabling seamless installation and capacity enhancements in dense urban environments. Furthermore, Samsung’s advanced, energy-efficient Massive MIMO solutions will accelerate Rakuten Mobile’s network capacity, ensuring high-speed 5G connectivity and a more reliable mobile experience for its customers, even in high-traffic areas.

“Rakuten Mobile has made continuous efforts in delivering best-in-class mobile services to our customers through various endeavors such as expanding 5G coverage and optimizing network performance,” said Sharad Sriwastawa, co-CEO of Rakuten Mobile and President of Rakuten Symphony. “By working together with our leading Open RAN partner Samsung, we are looking forward to our continued collaboration in expanding Open RAN deployment globally, on top of adding momentum to accelerating 5G deployments in Japan.”

“Samsung is proud to join forces with Rakuten Mobile as we harness our collective capabilities to drive next-generation connectivity through industry-leading solutions,” said Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This underscores Samsung’s successful entry into a new customer partnership and further solidifies our Open RAN leadership. We expect to bolster our joint efforts with Rakuten Mobile to make greater strides on the global stage by embracing AI and openness.”

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung is driving the industry to advance 5G networks and paving the way for 6G and beyond with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN and core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Recently, Samsung was selected by Videotron to deploy its 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) and 4G LTE Core gateway solutions, powered by AMD EPYC 9005 Series CPUs. Through this project, Samsung is expanding its presence across Canada and beyond, accelerating its cloud-native AI core footprint while retaining operator confidence in Samsung’s proven partner ecosystem and network solutions.

At MWC 2026, Samsung will demonstrate its AI-RAN breakthrough developments by leveraging its AI-powered vRAN with AMD EPYC processors. Following last year’s validation milestone, both companies will introduce the successful results of multi-cell testing conducted at Samsung’s R&D Lab, enabling scalable deployments and greater processor flexibility within software-based network environments. 

This achievement highlights Samsung’s ability and commitment to reach commercial-grade, AI-powered vRAN performance using a fully virtualized software stack on the latest AMD CPU without additional accelerators. It underscores Samsung’s ongoing shift toward software-driven architectures designed to reduce hardware dependency and provide operators with greater choice and adaptability. 

“Samsung’s accomplishment with AMD emphasizes what’s possible when AI-native, open and virtualized architectures meet advanced compute innovations,” said Keunchul Hwang, Executive Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’re making headway to help operators fully scale AI-native networks today with commercial-grade performance and greater infrastructure optionality, ensuring their networks are ready to evolve with emerging technologies and use cases.”

“AMD EPYC CPUs are built to handle the intensive compute requirements of modern telecommunications infrastructure,” said Derek Dicker, corporate vice president, Enterprise Business Group. “Our latest multi-cell vRAN testing with Samsung demonstrates how our latest generation EPYC processors deliver the performance, efficiency and scalability that network operators and enterprises need to build next-generation networks that are ready for AI, automation and future innovations.”

The companies have also expanded their joint efforts for AI-driven enterprise solutions. At MWC, Samsung will present its Network in a Server (NIS) — a fully virtualized next-generation, Edge-AI solution powered by AMD’s CPU. This solution helps operators easily incorporate AI into their networks, reduce operational complexity and unlock new opportunities. Samsung will demonstrate various AI on RAN use cases using NIS verified in real-world environments with a major Japanese operator. These use cases span video analysis, sensor and radar detection services based on Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology, and hyperconnectivity for next-generation devices. 

Samsung is committed to embracing a robust, technology forward ecosystem of chipset partners, providing operators with diverse optionality to accelerate a flexible, AI-powered and cloud-native network evolution.

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, virtualized RAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN, Cloud-native AI core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung will feature this milestone at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 as part of its broader effort to further advance AI enhancements into its market-leading, software-driven network portfolio using NVIDIA platforms. The company will present an AI-RAN demonstration running on NVIDIA AI infrastructure ― an AI-based downlink performance boost (AI MIMO¹ beamformer) that leverages AI algorithms for improved throughput. This demonstration will show how AI can deliver higher spectral efficiency for operators, extracting more capacity from existing spectrum. Together, these activities reflect Samsung’s leadership in bringing AI-RAN innovation towards commercialization.

“As AI-powered capabilities become integral to meeting the demands of evolving networks and growing traffic needs, Samsung’s vRAN takes center stage with its software-based architecture,” said Keunchul Hwang, Executive Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “The successful multi-cell test with NVIDIA is another reinforcement of Samsung’s endeavor and leadership in providing operators with more flexibility and the best performance, with an enriched ecosystem consisting of industry-leading CPU and GPU partners such as NVIDIA.”

The companies are also collaborating on driving innovations to enable high-speed connections between the CPU and GPU, by leveraging Samsung’s vRAN and NVIDIA’s unified processor that embeds CPU and GPU into a single chipset. This allows fast and efficient data exchanges between CPU and GPU while enabling optimal balance of performance and total cost of ownership.

Last month, Samsung and NVIDIA continued toward commercialization by completing the integration of Samsung’s vRAN software and NVIDIA’s ARC Compact equipped with NVIDIA Grace CPU and NVIDIA L4 GPU. Going forward, Samsung is committed to further exploring and verifying the synergies that these solutions bring to advanced networks.

“Operators today need AI-native, software-defined infrastructure to stay ahead of evolving connectivity demands. Samsung’s successful multi-cell validation and innovative AI beamforming solution on NVIDIA AI Aerial mark an important milestone towards AI-RAN commercialization,” said Soma Velayutham, VP of AI and Telecoms, NVIDIA.

By combining its experience from large-scale commercial vRAN deployments and expertise on computing platforms from partners like NVIDIA, Samsung commands the lead in AI-powered, software-based networks.

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, virtualized RAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN, Cloud-native vCore to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

1. Multiple-input multiple output, a wireless technology that uses multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to boost data speeds, increase capacity and improve range. ︎

With the seamless integration of Samsung’s vRAN and Open RAN solutions in previous projects, the operator’s live network delivered enhanced Quality of Service (QoS) and an improved end-user experience, showing performance maturity and operational effectiveness comparable to or better than those of traditional RAN solutions.

Samsung and Orange have been working together to ensure that vRAN and Open RAN are viable solutions in building sustainable networks. This open and flexible architecture not only enhances network resilience but also fosters innovation by enabling the operator to leverage optimal solutions.

In this next phase, the companies are further advancing their vRAN and Open RAN collaboration by integrating the latest processors into Orange’s networks. This includes Samsung’s AI-powered vRAN with Intel Xeon 6 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which runs on a single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server from Dell with a cloud platform from Wind River.

This upgraded solution with enhanced computing power enables a powerful, single server to meet high-capacity configuration requirements from Orange, resulting in a smaller footprint, improved performance, reduced power consumption and simplified operations. This also helps the operator to handle intensive workloads and AI applications on a single server by flexibly managing network resources and applying unused computing capacity to run AI and edge applications on its existing network.

“Moving forward to the next chapter of our collaboration with Orange demonstrates how Samsung’s software-driven, open solutions are a proven, robust foundation that offer reliable network performance and services to operators and customers alike,” said Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We’re committed to advancing virtualized and open platforms as beacons of innovation that can harness AI to meet the high demands of future networks.”

“From our first call for the pilot project to our current phase in the field, Samsung’s virtualized RAN and Open RAN have proved significant performance achievements in Orange’s networks,” said Laurent Leboucher, Orange Group CTO. “With new deployments planned ahead, we look forward to further accelerating the transformation of Orange’s networks to be AI-ready.”

This strategic collaboration underscores the continued commitment of both companies to driving innovation based on an open architecture, delivering cutting-edge solutions and AI capabilities into the network.

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung is driving the industry to advance 5G networks and paving the way for 6G and beyond with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN and core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung will deliver a comprehensive, turnkey solution leveraging its cloud-native 5G and 4G Core on Dell PowerEdge servers with AMD EPYC 9005 Server CPUs and Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s leading hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes. This configuration underscores Samsung’s commitment to open, interoperable network solutions and its ability to offer an end-to-end network infrastructure with a diverse ecosystem of partners.

Key highlights of the collaboration include:

• Resilience and reliability enhancements to support consistent, high-quality experiences
• Automation-ready operations to streamline lifecycle management and reduce complexity
• Flexible scalability and operations to support Videotron’s evolution and growth

“Samsung’s success delivering our RAN infrastructure gave us confidence in their ability to support our Core network,” said Mohamed Drif, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Videotron. “Their solution leverages open, industry-standard platforms that provide the operational flexibility we need as we elevate service for our customers in Quebec and expand our digital-first mobile and home internet brand, Fizz, across Canada. The cloud-native approach aligns perfectly with our network evolution strategy.”

This Core network collaboration builds on the companies’ successful Radio Access Network (RAN) partnership that began in 2019. It demonstrates Videotron’s continued confidence in Samsung’s ability to deliver essential network infrastructure.

“The expansion of our relationship with Videotron from RAN to Core is a testament to Samsung’s best-in-class virtualized end-to-end network technology,” said Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks at Samsung Electronics. “This deployment will empower Videotron to further optimize its network performance and reduce operational complexity, while continuing to ensure seamless connectivity for customers across Canada. With this step in our partnership, we are proud to continue supporting Videotron in realizing its vision of scalable, future-ready networks.”

This latest development between the companies allows Samsung to further strengthen its position in the Canadian telecommunications market. It follows a recent Core launch by another Canadian operator as well as Samsung’s role in pioneering North America’s first roaming gateway. These advanced network solutions leveraging industry-standard hardware and open architecture will enable the operators to provide enhanced services to their customers and lay the foundation for future network innovations.

In addition to expanding Samsung’s Core presence in Canada, this deployment reinforces the company’s commitment to empowering operators worldwide with scalable, cloud-native solutions. Since 2015, Samsung has provided cloud-native Core solutions starting from LTE to 5G standalone. The company has deployed large-scale commercial Cores in Canada, Korea, Japan and India, delivering reliable connectivity to hundreds of millions of users.

Samsung integrates AI-driven automation and intelligent analytics to help operators future-proof their networks, ensuring readiness for emerging technologies. Building on its continued global Core growth and long-term evolution roadmap from cloud core to AI-native core, Samsung is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of telecommunications infrastructure globally.

* Red Hat and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries.

About Videotron

Videotron, a wholly owned subsidiary of Quebecor Media Inc., is an integrated communications company engaged in television, entertainment, Internet access, wireline telephone and mobile telephone services. Videotron is Canada’s fourth strong and competitive national mobile carrier, with 4,328,100 mobile lines as of September 30, 2025. Videotron is also a leader in new technologies with its Helix home entertainment and management platform, and is the Québec leader in high-speed Internet access. As of September 30, 2025, Videotron had 1,259,300 subscribers to its television service, 1,736,400 subscribers to its Internet service, and 562,100 connections to its wireline telephony service. In Léger’s 2025 Reputation survey, Videotron was ranked the most respected telecom provider in Québec for the 19^th time since 2006.

Samsung has been pushing the boundaries of network virtualization, offering operators exceptional performance and reliability. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone, validating that Samsung’s vRAN is the optimal platform for operators to build AI-native, 6G-ready networks by fully leveraging the power of the cutting-edge processor technology.

Conducted on a Tier 1 U.S. operator’s commercial network, Samsung’s cloud-native vRAN with Intel’s latest Xeon SoC ran on a single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server from Hewlett Packard Enterprise with a cloud platform from Wind River. This milestone, coming only a few months after the first wave of Intel Xeon 6 SoC was made commercially available, presents an innovative pathway for single-server vRAN deployments for next-generation networks.

As operators accelerate their transition to software-driven, flexible architectures while seeking more sustainable infrastructure, the ability to run RAN and AI workloads on fewer, more powerful servers becomes critical.

On a single server of Samsung’s AI-powered vRAN with enhanced processors, operators can consolidate software-driven network elements such as mobile core, radio access, transport and security, which traditionally required multiple servers, significantly simplifying the management of complex site configuration.

This innovative approach not only reduces network power consumption, capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operational expenditure (OPEX), but also facilitates operators’ seamless adoption of AI-RAN and AI services, accelerating their readiness for 6G through its flexibility and automation capability.

“This breakthrough represents a major leap forward in network virtualization and efficiency. It confirms the real-world readiness of this latest technology under live network conditions, demonstrating that single-server vRAN deployments can meet the stringent performance and reliability standards required by leading carriers,” said June Moon, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are not only deploying more sustainable, cost-effective networks, but also laying the foundation to fully utilize AI capabilities more easily and prepare for 6G with our end-to-end software-driven network solutions.”

Samsung’s vRAN leverages the latest Intel Xeon 6 SoC with Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel AMX), Intel vRAN Boost and up to 72 cores, delivering significant improvements in AI processing, memory bandwidth and energy efficiency compared to the previous generation.

“With Intel Xeon 6 SoC, featuring higher core counts and built-in acceleration for AI and vRAN, operators get the compute foundation for AI native, future ready networks,” said Cristina Rodriguez, VP and GM, Network & Edge, Intel. “This collaborative achievement with Samsung, HPE and Wind River enables greater consolidation of RAN and AI workloads, lowering power and total cost while speeding innovation.”

As a leader in network innovation, Samsung has been spearheading the deployment of vRAN solutions with major operators worldwide and has achieved many industry breakthroughs, including the industry’s first call on a commercial network and large-scale deployments utilizing Intel Xeon processors with Intel vRAN Boost. The company continues to push the boundaries of network virtualization, working closely with ecosystem partners like Intel to deliver solutions that help operators build networks that are more efficient and sustainable.

“This successful first call is an important milestone for the industry,” said Daryl Schoolar, Analyst and Director at Recon Analytics. “By demonstrating multiple network functions running on next-generation processing technology, Samsung is showing what future networks look like — more cloud-native, more scalable and significantly more efficient. This achievement moves the industry beyond theoretical performance gains and into practical, deployable innovation that operators around the world can leverage to modernize their networks, accelerate automation and better support AI-driven use cases.”

Samsung Networks has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung is driving the industry to advance 5G networks and paving the way for 6G and beyond with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI-RAN and core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

1. Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. ︎

In line with this transformation, Samsung Electronics is building a next-generation technology ecosystem through AI-native networks and strengthening global partnerships to prepare for the 6G era.

In the final part of this interview series, Samsung Newsroom spoke with JinGuk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC) at Samsung Electronics, about the company’s strategy to drive the convergence of telecommunications and AI for the 6G era through global partnerships.

Defining a New 6G Paradigm With AI-Native Networks

Ahead of the 6G era, the integration of AI and telecommunications is creating new value beyond performance gains. “The fusion of AI and telecommunications will deliver two core benefits — innovation in user experience and greater network efficiency through automation,” said Jeong. “To achieve this, Samsung is leading research on AI-native networks that embed AI across every layer of the telecommunications network.”

“AI native doesn’t mean applying AI to specific equipment or functions — it means embedding AI technologies throughout the entire process, from design to operation,” he continued. “For example, in the physical layer (L1), AI reduces noise in radio signals, while in the data link layer (L2), it efficiently allocates network resources for each user.” This approach enhances network performance while reducing power consumption, paving the way for a more sustainable telecommunications environment.

Advancing 6G Through Open Innovation and Collaboration

Through its AI-native approach, Samsung is developing intelligent networks that learn and optimize themselves. “Close collaboration with global telecom operators is essential to realizing the user experience innovations and operational efficiencies enabled by AI,” said Jeong. “Samsung is pursuing joint initiatives to bring these technologies to real-world network environments.”

“These efforts are driven by our open innovation strategy,” he added. “By diversifying collaborations with partners — from field trials with telecom operators to advanced research with academia and partnerships with global industry alliances — Samsung is expanding the ecosystem and taking a leading role in standardization.”

Since 2024, Samsung has strengthened its global partnerships. The company has worked with NTT DOCOMO on user-specific network optimization technologies and with KT to improve coverage and data transmission speeds in potential 6G frequency bands.

Samsung is also enhancing user experience through collaboration with KDDI Research on distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology. With Verizon, the company is expanding global discussions on next-generation telecommunications through the Verizon 6G Innovation Forum. In addition, Samsung has begun research with SoftBank on AI-based network performance enhancements. Moving forward, the company plans to continue strengthening its partnerships with telecom operators worldwide.

Beyond these partnerships, Samsung is expanding the AI-driven telecommunications ecosystem through global collaborations. As part of the NextG Initiative Corporate Affiliates Program, the company is co-developing next-generation 6G technologies with Princeton University. Samsung is also broadening its collaboration with leading chip vendors, including Qualcomm, Intel, Arm and NVIDIA.

“The expansion of our partnerships with major telecom operators shows our commitment to turning the technological direction outlined in our 6G white paper earlier this year into concrete research agreements,” said Jeong. “In particular, AI-RAN has moved beyond general simulations and lab-based testing and can now be validated in real-world network environments — allowing global telecom operators to directly experience its benefits. This will be a key driver in accelerating global standardization discussions.”

Global Leadership Toward 6G

Samsung is also leading technical discussions within global industry alliances, shaping the transition to the 6G era.

Since the founding of the AI-RAN Alliance in 2024, Samsung has served as vice chair of the board and chair of Working Group 3 (AI-on-RAN) — spearheading efforts to explore new services through the convergence of AI and wireless technologies. As vice chair of the board for the Next G Alliance, the company also plays a key role in driving research, development and standardization for 6G across North America. “Leveraging our industry-leading expertise in semiconductors, hardware, and software, Samsung is helping lead technical discussions and decision-making within these global alliances,” said Jeong.

Building on its strengths, Samsung continues to demonstrate leadership on the global stage by showcasing proven technologies. At international exhibitions such as Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, the company drew significant attention with its latest AI-RAN innovations. Through its own Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit, Samsung invites telecom operators, manufacturers, government agencies, and academic experts from around the world to share the latest research and achievements in AI-powered telecommunications.

Under the theme “Future Wireless for the AI Era,” last year’s Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit featured a live demonstration of AI-RAN technologies and explored AI integration, sustainability and user experience innovation. “This year’s summit, scheduled for November, will take place under the theme ‘Unlocking New Possibilities With AI-Centric Networks,’” said Jeong. “We plan to showcase AI-RAN technologies validated in real network environments, along with innovative real-world applications.”

Transforming Everyday Life Through Next-Generation Communications

Samsung’s ongoing participation in global alliances and international forums is ultimately aimed at creating meaningful user experiences in everyday life. “In the 6G era, we’ll go beyond improving network performance. Services such as AR and XR will become more widespread, and entirely new ones will emerge,” said Jeong. “Events like the 6G Innovation Forum will also focus on these new services.”

Mobile communications technology has evolved in roughly 10-year cycles, with each generation delivering leaps in performance. The 6G era, however, will redefine network performance and serve as a catalyst for transformative services across industries and everyday life. With ultra-high speeds, ultra-low latency and massive connectivity, 6G is expected to deliver unprecedented communication quality and differentiated user experiences.

Samsung is ushering in a new paradigm through the convergence of telecommunications and AI. By working closely with telecom operators, global industry alliances and academia, the company is leading next-generation communications innovation through ongoing technical collaboration and shared achievements.

With this fourth and final installment, the Next-Generation Communications Leadership series has explored Samsung’s 6G standardization vision, global leadership initiatives, AI-RAN research achievements and global partnership strategy. As Samsung prepares for the 6G era with its unrivaled leadership, the company is poised to bring meaningful change to everyday life.

Germany is the first market implementing the solutions and will become one of the largest Open RAN deployments in Europe, with Samsung equipping thousands of sites. The first site is already live in Hannover, and Wismar is set to become the first city served by Vodafone to be fully equipped with Open RAN in early 2026. Vodafone will work with Samsung to add thousands of Open RAN sites across Europe over a five-year programme.

Over the years, Samsung has demonstrated its technological leadership by supporting Vodafone in building confidence in Open RAN technology, leading to Vodafone’s decision to initiate a large-scale deployment in Germany, the biggest operation in Vodafone’s portfolio. Following the deployment in Germany, Samsung will work with Vodafone to continue expanding Open RAN in other European markets. Through this expanded collaboration, Vodafone and Samsung are leading Open RAN momentum in the European market, underscoring the companies’ continued efforts to transforming the mobile network landscape and the mutual trust they have cultivated.

For this extensive project, Samsung will provide its versatile vRAN solution with multi-generational support across 2G, 4G and 5G. The company will also deliver O-RAN compliant radios including Massive MIMO radios, AI-powered Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS) and system integration services. Leveraging its software-based architecture, Samsung vRAN delivers enhanced capabilities that improve energy efficiency, optimize performance, while supporting intelligent automation to drive total cost of ownership (TCO) savings.

By harnessing its expertise in interoperability and providing system integration services, Samsung will work with industry-leading partners — Dell Technologies (servers), Intel (processors) and Wind River (cloud platform).

“Open RAN is a key pillar of our mission to build best-in-class networks and Vodafone has already proven the power of this innovative technology through our work with Samsung. The next step in our journey is to extend our Open RAN reach to more countries,” said Alberto Ripepi, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone. “By bringing in enhanced capabilities powered by AI and automation, we look forward to fostering a more advanced digital society as well as providing greater connectivity to our customers.”

“In the midst of a transformational shift in the telco industry, Samsung has been spearheading software-based and autonomous networks including vRAN and Open RAN. Leveraging our unmatched technological expertise and real-world pedigree, we are empowering our customers to have a competitive edge in evolving their networks in the AI era,” said Woojune Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is fully committed to supporting Vodafone’s vision to shape the future of networks by bringing proven, cutting-edge technologies, with a strong start in Germany.”

This collaboration holds significance beyond expanding geographical coverage. Vodafone and Samsung are advancing AI-friendly and autonomous Open RAN by utilizing software-based architecture. vRAN serves as an optimal foundation for AI, enabling operators to seamlessly integrate AI capabilities into their networks, such as AI-powered Samsung CognitiV NOS. This automation solution is a set of diverse AI applications with multi-vendor support. Spanning mobile core, radio access and transport elements, Samsung’s end-to-end network automation solution plays a crucial role in adopting and managing open, software-based networks at scale.

Samsung will offer Vodafone full observability across lifecycle management of its network from planning, deployment and operation to optimization, helping the operator deploy and manage large-scale virtualized Open RAN networks more intelligently and efficiently. AI-powered Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM), one of the key applications of Samsung CognitiV NOS, will be deployed to significantly increase energy efficiency. It analyzes site environments and traffic patterns, then switches off cell sites during low traffic times and turns them back on when traffic increases, ultimately improving energy efficiency while ensuring network performance.

In addition, Samsung is delivering its latest radios and software capabilities that support RAN sharing. Samsung’s comprehensive portfolio of radios not only covers diverse spectrum bands but also supports wide bandwidth and high transmit power required for RAN sharing in European countries. As RAN sharing is essential in facilitating wide-scale Open RAN adoption in certain areas of the region, Samsung’s solution will help operators deliver high-performing shared networks while reducing hardware costs and lowering energy consumption.

“Through years of collaboration with Vodafone and other leading operators across North America, Europe, and Asia, Samsung has built deep technological expertise and extensive deployment experience in open and virtualized RAN,” said Rémy Pascal, Practice Leader, Mobile infrastructure at global analyst firm Omdia. “Vodafone’s decision to select Samsung further validates its market leadership in open vRAN.”

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN and core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators and enterprises that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

The RIC is a software-based component in Open RAN (O-RAN) architecture that uses AI and automation to optimize network performance with intelligent applications. It enables operators to flexibly deploy and manage diverse applications for comprehensive monitoring and analysis as well as energy-saving operations, helping them optimize networks, manage resources efficiency and elevate service quality.

This RIC deployment represents the next phase of TELUS and Samsung’s ongoing collaboration to transform Canada’s telecommunications landscape. Following the companies’ announcement of Canada’s first commercial virtualized and O-RAN network in February 2024, the RIC implementation will enable TELUS to harness AI throughout network operations and management – significantly boosting operational efficiency with potential to reduce costs.

“We are excited to broaden our collaboration with Samsung to transform our network and enhance the customer experience using AI,” said Bernard Bureau, Vice President of Wireless Strategy & Services at TELUS. “This partnership aligns closely with our commitment to responsible sovereign AI development and will enable us to provide more personalized, efficient and sustainable services. Importantly, it also allows us to manage and optimize RAN equipment from multiple vendors through a single, unified platform, maintaining the diversity and flexibility that are core principles of O-RAN.”

“AI is ushering in a new era of possibilities and in order to fully realize its potential across industries, the right foundation is critical. At Samsung, we believe vRAN is the best way forward on the path to AI-RAN, built on an end-to-end software-based architecture that provides the optimal foundation for AI. We are actively supporting our customers’ AI journey today with our proven vRAN and AI-powered solutions including RIC,” said Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “As Canada’s leader in vRAN and Open RAN, TELUS is very well-positioned to lead the way in bringing AI into the networks. Together with TELUS, we are fueling the transition to a more intelligent and autonomous network.”

Samsung’s RIC solution supports both legacy hardware-based and open virtualized networks, allowing TELUS to implement intelligent automation across its entire network infrastructure. This capability allows TELUS to gain immediate benefits while maintaining its accelerated vRAN deployment across Canadian markets.

Samsung’s offerings include the KPI Anomaly Detector (KAD) and RAN Anomaly Insight (RAI) to proactively identify and analyze network issues, Energy Saving Manager (ESM) to perform dynamic traffic prediction and automated orchestration of diverse energy saving features and Load Balancing Manager (LBM) to optimize resource utilization and improve network performance and reliability. Samsung’s O-RAN compliant RIC solution seamlessly supports intelligent applications from Samsung as well as third parties, ensuring TELUS can leverage the best innovations across the industry.

Samsung’s initial delivery of software solutions was completed in July, and will continue throughout 2025. The companies plan to conduct extensive testing across various Canadian markets over the course of this year.

With more than 30 years of innovation in Canada, Samsung continues to be part of the country’s progress toward advancing technology and helping its people stay connected. Samsung has also been actively involved in advancing AI in the region, with the establishment of its AI Centre Toronto (AIC-Toronto) in 2018. The AIC-Toronto is part of the company’s efforts to maximize its expertise and leadership in the global AI landscape, bringing new capabilities to consumers and businesses.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a world-leading communications technology company operating in more than 45 countries and generating over $20 billion in annual revenue with more than 20 million customer connections through our advanced suite of broadband services for consumers, businesses and the public sector. We are committed to leveraging our technology to enable remarkable human outcomes. TELUS is passionate about putting our customers and communities first, leading the way globally in client service excellence and social capitalism. Our TELUS Health business is enhancing 157 million lives across 200 countries and territories through innovative preventive medicine and well-being technologies. Our TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods business utilizes digital technologies and data insights to optimize the connection between producers and consumers. Guided by our enduring ‘give where we live’ philosophy, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $1.8 billion in cash, in-kind contributions, time and programs including 2.4 million days of service since 2000, earning us the distinction of the world’s most giving company.

We’re always building Canada.

For more information, visit telus.com or follow @TELUSNews on X and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.

At the forefront of research into next-generation network architectures, Samsung Electronics embeds AI throughout communications systems while leading technology development and standardization efforts in AI-RAN.

▲ Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President, 6G Research Team at Samsung Electronics

In part three of this interview series, Samsung Newsroom spoke with Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President of 6G Research Team at Samsung Electronics, about the evolution of AI-RAN and how Samsung’s research is preparing for the 6G era. This follows parts one and two of the series exploring Samsung’s efforts in 6G standardization and global industry leadership.

Reimagining 6G for a Dynamic Environment

In today’s mobile communications landscape, sustainability and user experience innovation are more important than ever.

“End users now prioritize reliable connectivity and longer battery life over raw performance metrics such as data rates and latency,” said Zhang. “The focus has shifted beyond technical specifications to overall user experience.”

In line with this shift, Samsung has been conducting 6G research since 2020. The company published its “AI-Native & Sustainable Communication” white paper in February 2025, outlining the key challenges and technology vision for 6G commercialization. The paper highlights four directions — AI-Native, Sustainable Network, Ubiquitous Coverage and Secure and Resilient Network. This represents a comprehensive network strategy that goes beyond improving performance to encompass both sustainability and future readiness.

▲ The four key technological directions in “AI-Native & Sustainable Communication”

“AI is not only a core technology of 5G but is also expected to be the cornerstone of 6G — enhancing overall performance, boosting operational efficiency and cutting costs,” he emphasized. “Deeply embedding AI from the initial design stage to create autonomous and intelligent networks is exactly what we mean by ‘AI-Native.’”

How AI-RAN Transforms Next-Gen Network Architecture

To realize the evolution toward next generation networks and the vision for 6G, network architecture must evolve to the next level. At the center of this transformation is innovation in RAN, the core of mobile communications.

Traditional RAN has relied on dedicated hardware systems for base stations and antennas. However, as data traffic and service demands have surged, this approach has revealed limitations in transmission capacity, latency and energy efficiency — while requiring significant manpower and time for resource management. To address these challenges, virtualized RAN (vRAN) was introduced.

vRAN implements network functions in software, significantly enhancing flexibility and scalability. By leveraging cloud-native technologies, network functions can run seamlessly on general-purpose servers — enabling operators to reduce capital costs and dynamically allocate computing resources in response to traffic fluctuations. vRAN is a key platform for modernization, efficiency and the integration of future technologies without requiring a full infrastructure rebuild. Samsung has already successfully mass deployed its vRAN in the U.S. and worldwide.

▲ Network Evolution towards AI-RAN

AI-RAN ushers in a new era of network evolution, embedding AI to create an intelligent RAN that learns, predicts and optimizes on its own. Not only does AI integration advance 4G and 5G networks that are based on vRAN, but it also serves as the breakthrough and engine for 6G. Real-time optimization sets the platform apart, boosting performance while reducing energy consumption to improve efficiency and stability.

In addition, AI-RAN enables networks to autonomously assess conditions and maintain optimal connectivity. “For instance, the system can predict a user’s movement path or radio environment in advance to determine the best transmission method, while AI-driven processing manages complex signal operations to minimize latency,” Zhang explained. “By analyzing usage patterns, AI-RAN can allocate tailored network resources and deliver more personalized user experiences.”

Proven Potential Through Research

Samsung is advancing network performance and stability through research in AI-based channel estimation, signal processing and system automation. Samsung has verified the feasibility of these technologies through Proof of Concept (PoC). At MWC 2025, the company demonstrated AI-RAN’s ability to improve resource utilization even in noisy, interference-prone environments.

“With AI-based channel estimation, we can accurately predict and estimate dynamic channel characteristics that are corrupted by noise and interference. This higher accuracy leads to more efficient resource utilization and overall network performance gains,” said Zhang. “AI also enhances signal processing. AI-driven enhancements in modem capabilities enable more precise modulation and demodulation, resulting in higher data throughput and lower latency.”

System automation for RAN optimization further analyzes user-specific communication quality and real-time changes in the network environment, dynamically adjusting modulation, coding schemes and resource allocation. This allows the network to predict and mitigate potential failures in advance, easing operational burdens while improving reliability and efficiency.

“These advancements enhance network performance, stability and user satisfaction, driving innovation in next-generation communication systems,” he added.

Global Collaboration Fuels AI-RAN Progress

International collaboration in research and standardization — such as the AI-RAN Alliance — is central to advancing AI-RAN technology and expanding the global ecosystem.

“Global collaboration enables knowledge sharing and joint research, accelerating the industry’s adoption of AI-RAN,” said Zhang. “Samsung is a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance and currently holds leadership positions as vice chair of the board and chair of the AI-on-RAN Working Group.”

▲ Organizational structure and roles of the AI-RAN Alliance

Building on its expertise in communications and AI, Samsung is advancing R&D in areas such as real-time optimization through edge computing and adaptability to dynamic environments.

“Samsung’s involvement accelerates AI‑RAN adoption by bridging technology gaps, promoting open innovation and ensuring that advances in AI‑driven networks are both commercially viable and technically sound — thereby advancing the ecosystem’s maturity and global impact,” he explained.

Through this commitment to collaboration and investment, AI-RAN technology is expected to progress rapidly worldwide and become a core competitive advantage in next-generation communications.

Leading the Way Into the 6G Era

Samsung is strengthening its edge in AI-RAN with a distinctive approach that combines innovation, collaboration and end-to-end solutions in preparation for the 6G era.

Through an integrated design that develops RAN hardware and AI-based software in parallel, the company is enabling optimization across the entire network stack. Samsung has boosted performance with its deep expertise in communications, while partnerships with global telecom operators and standardization bodies are helping accelerate industry adoption of its research.

Continued research in areas such as radio frequency (RF), antennas, ultra-massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)¹ and security is playing a critical role in transforming 6G from vision to market-ready technology. With the establishment of its AI-RAN Lab, Samsung is accelerating prototyping and testing, shortening the R&D cycle and paving the way for faster commercialization.

“Beyond ecosystem development, Samsung is positioning itself as a leader in AI-RAN through a blend of innovation, strategic collaboration and end-to-end solutions,” Zhang emphasized. “Together, these elements cement Samsung’s role at the forefront of AI-RAN.”

AI-RAN is redefining next-generation communications. By integrating AI across networks, Samsung is leading the way — and expectations are growing for the company’s role in shaping the future.

In the final part of this series, Samsung Newsroom will explore the latest trends in the convergence of communications and AI, along with Samsung’s future network strategies in collaboration with global partners.

¹ Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission improves communication performance by utilizing multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver.

In this context, Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Electronics’ Technology Standards Research Team, was elected Chair of the 3GPP Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network (TSG RAN) in March, marking the first time a Korean has taken on the role. As Chair, Dr. Kim is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping next-generation communications standards in this early and formative phase.

Following part one of this interview series, Samsung Newsroom sat down with Dr. Kim for part two to explore the strategic challenges and opportunities he faces in his leadership roles at 3GPP and Samsung Research, as well as his vision for the future of 6G standardization.

▲ Dr. Younsun Kim, Master at Samsung Electronics’ Technology Standards Research Team

Full-Scale Launch of 6G Technical Standardization Efforts in 2025

In 2023, the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) released the 6G Framework, outlining the overarching direction for future communications technologies. By 2026, the organization aims to finalize both the technical requirements and evaluation methods for candidate technologies.

In line with this timeline, 3GPP held a 6G workshop in Korea this past March, officially marking the start of formal standardization efforts. TSG RAN — currently chaired by Dr. Kim — plays a central role in this process, accounting for a major portion of patents associated with global communication standards.

“During the June meeting — the first meeting I chaired since taking on the role — we approved the 6G Study Item,¹ the official starting point of 6G technology research,” said Dr. Kim. “We’ve now entered the phase of closely evaluating the performance enhancement potentials of candidate technologies. Based on these findings, the roadmap and timeline for 6G specifications are expected to be finalized by June of next year.”

▲ 6G standardization roadmap

6G development is currently in the stage of establishing use cases and technical requirements, which lays the groundwork for detailed research on candidate technologies. This research is expected to continue for approximately two years, through mid-2027. After that, the process will formally transition to the standard specification development phase, known as the Work Item,² with the first set of official 6G specifications projected to be completed by mid-2029.

Consensus-Building: The Core of Standardization Leadership

Dr. Kim is an industry veteran who began his work on mobile-communication physical-layer standardization in 1999. Over the past 26 years, he has been involved in standardization activities across multiple generations from 3G to 6G. In 2017, he was appointed Vice Chair of RAN1, one of the working groups within 3GPP TSG RAN, and became Chair of RAN1 in 2021, where he led the development of the initial 5G standards and subsequent discussions to further advance 5G standardization. Since being elected Chair of the 3GPP TSG RAN in March, he now oversees all RAN-related standardization discussions.

▲ The journey from 3G to 6G standardization

“As RAN1 Chair, I mainly approached the decision making process from a technical perspective. Even when discussions were intense, decisions could ultimately be made based on technical merit or evidence,” said Dr. Kim. “But now, overseeing the entire scope of RAN standardization, I find that many issues can no longer be resolved just based on technical aspects alone.”

3GPP is a global partnership project comprising more than 800 member organizations from 43 countries. With such a wide range of stakeholders — each bringing their own needs, strategies, and technical proposals — the Chair plays a crucial role in shaping the technical agenda, mediating conflicting viewpoints, and guiding the overall direction of discussions.

▲ (Left) Dr. Younsun Kim presides over a 3GPP TSG RAN meeting; (Right) Attendees engage in the meeting proceedings.

“One of the Chair’s key responsibilities is to lead discussions on future work scope of RAN working groups and coordinate development timelines. The role also involves setting technical priorities and steering dialogue in the right direction,” Dr. Kim explained. “That said, since 3GPP operates based on consensus, decisions are made only when a shared understanding is reached among participating companies.”

The Need for Balance That Goes Beyond Corporate and National Interests

Building consensus is no easy task. As the focal point of standardization discussions, the Chair must act as both a trusted architect and an impartial mediator, capable of reconciling a wide range of interests. The role demands a global perspective and strong sense of balance that transcend corporate or national affiliations.

“The foremost duty of the Chair is to build a structure that partners can trust and rally behind,” said Dr. Kim. “Driving consensus requires the ability to understand differing regional and business perspectives — and to craft workable compromises. Over the next four years, I’ll focus on deepening engagement with member companies and gaining a fuller understanding of their views.”

As the first Korean to chair the 3GPP TSG RAN, Dr. Kim is a true trailblazer. His leadership not only marks a personal milestone but also reflects Samsung Electronics’ growing influence across the global standardization landscape. Backed by the company’s technological expertise, Dr. Kim is helping carry forward Samsung’s legacy of innovation on the world stage as the industry turns its focus to how the 6G standard will take shape in the years ahead.

In part three of this series, Samsung Newsroom will explore AI-RAN, a next-generation communications technology poised to reshape the industry, and highlight Samsung’s research initiatives aimed at establishing it as a global standard.

¹ A preliminary research phase focused on evaluating the technical feasibility and performance of candidate 6G technologies before formal specification begins.
² A formal development phase in which technologies identified during the Study Item are further refined, specified and incorporated into official standard specifications.

Since 2020, Samsung Electronics has played a pioneering role in advancing next-generation communication technologies through active participation in international standardization efforts. This includes the publication of its 6G white papers and securing of key positions in major organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). At the May 2025 3GPP elections, Samsung secured additional leadership positions, reaffirming its distinct standing at the forefront of the industry.

To shine a light on this progress, Samsung Newsroom is launching an interview series with the leaders of the company’s communications business, which will introduce the current state of next-generation communications technology research and global standardization efforts. In part one of the Communications Leadership Interview series, the Newsroom sat down with Jin-Kyu Han, Vice President of the Tech Standards Research Team at Samsung Research, to discuss the current landscape and future outlook of 6G standardization, as well as Samsung’s strategies and vision.

▲ Jin-Kyu Han, Vice President of the Tech Standards Research Team at Samsung Research

International Standards for Seamless Communication Across Borders

Today, using our own smartphones to access roaming services while traveling abroad is something we often take for granted. This is a convenience that has only become truly seamless through the invisible promise of international standards — born from the collaboration of countless companies and experts around the world.

“Common protocols are essential for products and services from different companies to work together seamlessly,” explained Han. “In the mobile communications industry, where a diverse range of players — including smartphone manufacturers, network equipment vendors, telecom operators and semiconductor companies — are involved, standardization is an indispensable element. It plays a key role in uniting the world into a single market.”

Standardization serves as the backbone that drives the global communications industry toward a unified direction. “At technological inflection points like the transition to 6G, the importance of industry-wide discussions and consensus on standards becomes even greater,” Han emphasized.

Global Collaboration Driving 6G Standardization

How does global standardization actually function? Unlike initiatives driven by a single entity, global telecommunications standardization is built on a clear, step-by-step framework of collaboration. Two key players in this process are the International Telecommunication Union (ITU¹) and the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP²).

“The ITU sets the direction for each new generation of communication technology, and based on that blueprint, the 3GPP works with global companies to define the technical details and carry out the standardization process,” explained Han.

▲ Overview of ITU and 3GPP

Global 6G standardization has now entered its launch phase. Following preliminary discussions on 6G technology directions that began in 2021, ITU-R officially announced the recommended framework for 6G standardization in November 2023. With the goal of finalizing 6G technical specifications by 2030, 3GPP plans to develop and propose a range of candidate technologies.

“3GPP took its first step toward 6G standardization by hosting a workshop in Korea this March,” explained Han. “6G study items were approved during its plenary meeting in June, and starting in the second half of this year, detailed technical discussions will begin within its Working Groups (WGs).”

▲ Key milestones and objectives of the ITU and 3GPP by year

The standardization of 6G is a shared journey in which the world works together toward a common goal. As standardization efforts gain momentum, companies worldwide are moving quickly to position their technologies within this framework, ensuring interoperability while developing solutions that meet market demands.

Samsung’s 6G Leadership: Driving Consensus Amid Fierce Competition

Countries and companies around the world are participating in discussions on next-generation communications standardization, each taking on specific roles. This process demands forward-looking leadership capable of both steering technological development and harmonizing diverse viewpoints—a role where Samsung Electronics has emerged as a central figure, simultaneously advancing innovation while building industry consensus.

Standardization is a continuous process marked by fierce competition among countless global stakeholders that aim to secure a lead in standards by having their own technologies incorporated. In this complex landscape, Samsung has consistently been elected to leadership positions within groups, earning recognition for its neutrality, credibility and coordination capabilities

“Samsung chaired the ITU-R’s 6G Vision Group, helping to establish the initial global vision for 6G and contributing to the design of its early roadmap,” explained Han. “We’re also leading discussions within 3GPP by serving as chairs and vice chairs across various technical groups, steering the direction of standardization.”

Currently, Samsung Electronics holds a total of eight chair and vice-chair positions across 3GPP’s key Technical Specification Groups (TSGs). Han added, “In particular, the Radio Access Network (RAN) and System Architecture (SA) WG2 groups, where Samsung serves as chair, are central to shaping the structure and direction of 6G technologies. These groups are at the core of industry-wide technical discussions and the fact that Samsung chairs them is a testament to our influence.”

Samsung is also laying a solid technological foundation for standardization discussions through its pioneering research activities across various core 6G technologies. Since standardization only holds real value when it is backed by concrete technologies and practical feasibility, Samsung’s technological competitiveness contributes to making these discussions more effective.

“3GPP chairs are responsible for guiding discussions according to the timeline, while mediating and resolving various conflicts that arise during the standardization process,” Han explained. “Holding a significant number of chair positions is a clear sign that the mobile communications industry recognizes our technological capabilities and leadership.”

Key Focus Areas for Next-Generation 6G Research

As technical discussions within 3GPP begin in earnest this year, Samsung is concentrating its research on the core technologies necessary for 6G commercialization. At the heart of these discussions are three key phrases: AI integration, enhanced energy efficiency, and strengthened security.

“6G should deliver user-perceivable improvements, not just faster speeds or higher quality,” noted Han. “By applying AI technologies to network operations, we can automate complex processes while simultaneously reducing operational costs and improving service quality.”

“From the increasingly critical perspective of security and privacy, Samsung is also focusing on building safer communication systems while increasing system flexibility to easily and rapidly incorporate new services,” he added.

As we approach the 6G era — where technologies and services will connect seamlessly across national borders — international cooperation and coordination are more important than ever. In this evolving landscape, Samsung Electronics continues to play a leading role in shaping the global conversation on next-generation connectivity.

In part two of this series, Samsung Newsroom will explore the 6G standardization roadmap, key focus technologies and Samsung’s role as chair of the 3GPP TSG RAN, providing a closer look at the forefront of next-generation communications discussions.

¹ Short for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations specialized agency dedicated to advancing information and communication technologies (ICT) and networks. Its work includes allocating radio frequencies, establishing technical standards, and supporting developing countries, while playing a vital role in fostering international cooperation in the global ICT sector.
² Short for the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, an international collaborative initiative established to develop standards for mobile communication technologies. It primarily develops globally applicable specifications for mobile communication systems, including radio access networks, services and systems, core networks, and mobile devices.

To maximize and bring the power of AI into Radio Access Networks (RAN), Samsung has made significant technological progress leveraging its in-house AI and radio expertise since the beginning of 2024. One of the pivotal milestones achieved was the interoperability between Samsung’s O-RAN compliant virtualized RAN (vRAN) and NVIDIA’s accelerated computing, which took place in Samsung Research’s lab in late last year. Samsung has successfully demonstrated a proof-of-concept to verify how NVIDIA’s accelerated computing can be seamlessly integrated into software-based networks to help enhance AI capabilities.

This achievement further solidifies Samsung’s strides in moving ahead with its unique innovation of combining AI and RAN. With the baseline, Samsung can seamlessly deliver AI-RAN by integrating its vRAN (virtualized Distributed Unit, vDU) with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing into a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) server where Samsung’s vRAN software is installed.

▲ At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, Samsung showcased its real-world vRAN combined with NVIDIA’s accelerated computing.

In addition, the companies will continue to explore the best-of-breed combinations of AI-RAN options leveraging Samsung vRAN with NVIDIA’s Grace CPU and/or GPU based AI platform using Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) technologies. All of these are optimal for each network deployment environment — from rural, sub-urban to dense urban.

At MWC 2025, Samsung presented its leadership in AI-For-RAN innovations, as exemplified through two AI-RAN demonstrations, endorsed by the AI-RAN Alliance and developed in collaboration with various members including NVIDIA. The demonstrations included AI-based physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) estimation and non-uniform modulation, showing a glimpse in innovative ways to infuse AI into mobile networks.

▲ (From left) NVIDIA Senior Vice President for Telecom Ronnie Vasishta and Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President & Head of R&D  June Moon

“While AI is reshaping the telecommunications landscape, Samsung is helping operators to build the right network architecture and environment where AI can thrive, all powered by our proven and AI-powered vRAN,” said June Moon, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This collaboration with NVIDIA signifies our continued efforts to expand GPU and CPU ecosystem, and we look forward to exploring more possibilities in the future.”

“AI-RAN is a critical technology that delivers transformative gains in network utilization, efficiency and performance, while enabling new AI services,” said Ronnie Vasishta, Senior Vice President for Telecom at NVIDIA. “Samsung is a frontrunner in AI-RAN development. Their vRAN expertise and software integrated with the NVIDIA’s AI accelerated computing will accelerate the path to AI-native wireless networks.”

As one of the founding members of the AI-RAN Alliance forged in 2024, Samsung is actively participating in advancing AI-RAN technologies with academic institutions and industry leaders like NVIDIA. As an elected Vice Chair of Board of Directors as well as the Working Group #3 (AI-on-RAN), Samsung is leading industry towards AI-powered next-generation networks.

Samsung’s end-to-end software-based network architecture is the optimal foundation to easily deploy and adopt AI across every layer of the network. As such, Samsung can empower operators with its flexible networks and sharpen their competitive edge to stay at the front of the AI era. This advancement opens doors for utilizing network infrastructure not only for mobile communications but also for processing general workloads, providing a data center-like network architecture that will present new business opportunities.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators and enterprises that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics is set to redefine mobile AI experiences at Mobile World Congress 2025, taking place at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona on March 3-6. Samsung’s Mobile eXperience (MX) and Networks businesses will present their latest AI innovations, including the next evolution of Galaxy AI¹ and its software-centric networks.

Samsung’s vision to deliver a true AI companion through advanced mobile AI innovation will be on full display at MWC, from the Galaxy S25 series to the new Galaxy A series and its first XR headset, Project Moohan. This includes an exclusive look at Galaxy S25 Edge, the slimmest Galaxy S series device ever, which advances Samsung’s legacy of pioneering cutting-edge hardware innovation. Visitors will also be able to explore how AI is shaping the future of health and home life, setting a new standard for intelligent, connected living. These transformative AI advancements are backed by Samsung’s core promise of uncompromising security and privacy at every level for its users.

Experiencing the Full Potential of Galaxy S25

Leading the paradigm shift of mobile AI phones, the new Galaxy S25 series transforms the way people get things done, create and play. Beyond its AI advancements, the Galaxy S25 series also brings its state-of-the-art camera capabilities and performance to the forefront, with hands-on experiences demonstrating the power and speed that form the foundation of every Galaxy device.

In a space highlighting how Galaxy S25 acts as an indispensable AI companion helping to get tasks done more seamlessly, visitors will get to see and experience:

• Seamless experience across apps:² See how tasks like finding a restaurant on Google Maps and sharing details via Messages become effortless with a single voice command with Gemini — now available on Samsung, Google and select third-party apps.
• Circle to Search³ with Google: Search your phone screen in more helpful and contextual ways like recognizing URLs and visiting a website with a single gesture.
• Gemini Live:⁴ Use natural conversation for brainstorming, learning and rehearsing with real-time responses and support for images, files and YouTube videos.
• Now Brief:⁵ Check out the personalized content snapshot based on tailored insights, as well as proactive recommendations through Now Bar⁶.

The experience continues with Galaxy S25’s advanced camera technology and introduces new ways to create, including:

• Drawing Assist⁷: Users can take content creation to the next level with intelligent sketch refinement and enhancement.
• Gallery Search⁸: Natural language-based search makes it easier than ever to find memories in situations.
• Filters: Unique portrait effects and explore new filter options, add a personal touch to photos taken in portrait mode.

The last zone, featuring new ways to play, will give visitors a closer look at:

• Snapdragon^® 8 Elite for Galaxy: The customized chipset in collaboration with Qualcomm pushes its performance to the limit, ensuring high-speed gameplay, enhanced responsiveness and high-quality visuals for even the most demanding titles.

Alongside the Galaxy S25 series, visitors can see Samsung’s ultimate hardware innovation featuring the most ultra-slim design yet on Galaxy S25 Edge.

With its commitment to democratizing mobile AI experiences, Samsung will unveil the new Galaxy A series, — including the Galaxy A56 5G, A36 5G and A26 5G — which integrates Awesome Intelligence, making the latest powerful Galaxy AI technology accessible to even more users. The Galaxy A series also takes the camera experience to a new level with creator-focused tools including the fan-favorite Object Eraser. Expanding Samsung’s AI-driven innovations, the new A series delivers reliable performance and long-term value, supported by six OS upgrades and six years of security updates for an ever-evolving, always-secure experience that lasts.

Elevating Everyday Life With AI

Visitors at MWC 2025 will also have the chance to explore how Samsung is enhancing everyday life at home and bringing new levels of control and insight into users’ health journey with intelligent, connected experiences.

In a zone all about new ways to stay healthy, the types of AI-driven daily health insights at Galaxy S25 users’ fingertips will be on display, including Energy Score, Wellness Tips and Sleep Insights. These features offer detailed and personalized health experiences that provide a holistic view of the user’s health status all tailored to individual health data and interests. With examples showing seamless integration with connected apps like SmartThings and Samsung Food, users can see how Samsung is working to build an end-to-end healthcare experience that simplifies wellness for everyone.

The booth will also bring to life new AI-powered capabilities that allow users to safely and conveniently manage the home through device-to-device connectivity. Protected by Knox Matrix security, Home AI scenarios will showcase smart living with easy device setup and control enabled by the SmartThings platform.

Cutting-Edge Innovation Built on a Strong Galaxy Foundation

Security is at the core of Samsung’s AI advancements, ensuring every experience is built on user control, transparency and robust protection. In a zone for the Galaxy Foundation, helpful information about the Personal Data Engine⁹ — which ensures personalized data generated on device is protected from access by apps other than Galaxy AI and further secured by Knox Vault¹⁰ — will be available.

Samsung will unveil its first Android XR headset, Project Moohan, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-powered extended reality. By integrating multimodal AI with advanced XR capabilities, this ground-breaking device marks a significant step toward more context-aware and personalized experiences that enhance everyday life in incredibly immersive ways.

Visitors can explore these AI innovations first-hand at Samsung’s Galaxy Experience Booth in Fira Gran Via Hall 3.

Realizing an End-to-End Software Network, Where AI Unleashes Its Full Potential

Along with innovative mobile technologies, Samsung will present how it is advancing next-generation networks with AI at a private booth. As a global leader in virtualized and open networks, Samsung offers end-to-end software-based solutions to operators, empowering them to optimize their foundations to apply AI in every layer of their networks.

Key highlights of the booth include Samsung’s versatile virtualized RAN (vRAN) solution, its latest 5G radios and Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS), an, intelligent network automation solution. Diverse enterprise 5G use cases will be on display as well.

Samsung will also showcase its continued efforts in elevating software-based networks by leveraging its robust partner ecosystem, which spans servers, processors (CPUs, GPUs), cloud platforms, transport and more. Furthermore, visitors at the booth will see how Samsung CognitiV NOS can bring greater benefits to telecom operators across lifecycle management of its network from installation, operation to optimization. As a set of diverse AI-powered applications, this automation solution works as a key enabler to boosting performance, increasing the energy efficiency of the network in a more intelligent manner.

One of the most eye-catching sections of the booth is the private 5G network zone. Samsung recently collaborated with Hyundai to complete the industry’s first end-to-end Reduced Capability (RedCap) trial over a private 5G network. Using Samsung’s advanced private 5G solutions, the companies proved the potential of next-generation industrial private 5G connectivity by improving the battery life and energy efficiency of 5G IoT devices.

This private booth¹¹ will be located in Fira Gran Via Hall 2.

¹ Samsung account login may be required to use certain Galaxy AI features. Samsung does not make any promises, assurances or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the output provided by AI features. Availability of Galaxy AI features may vary depending on the region/country, OS/One UI version, device model, and phone carrier. Galaxy AI features will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties. Galaxy AI service may be limited for minors in certain regions with age restrictions over AI usage.
² Requires internet connection and Google Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language, device model. Works on compatible apps. Features may differ depending on subscription and results may vary. Set up may be required for certain functions or apps. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.
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The achievement of this industry-first RedCap end-to-end testing follows Samsung’s successful deployment of the private 5G network in Hyundai Motor’s major manufacturing facility last October. The companies have been working together to transform Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan Plant ― the world’s single largest automobile plant, which produces an average of 6,000, vehicles per day ― as a part of their smart factory innovation.

With Samsung, Hyundai Motor has launched an advanced private 5G network to connect and efficiently manage numerous devices and manufacturing systems across its plant, ensuring real-time data upload and download. A high-performance network with reliable connectivity is crucial for automotive manufacturers to control and optimize smart factory automation systems, as well as properly operate their manufacturing systems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), which deliver parts to the designated production lines.

▲ The companies have completed end-to-end RedCap test with Samsung’s private 5G solutions and Hyundai Motor’s Diagnostic SCAN (D Scan) equipment for vehicle inspection.

Industry-First End-to-End RedCap Trial on a Samsung-Powered Private 5G Network

As of January, the companies have carried out end-to-end RedCap technology tests at Samsung’s private 5G network testbed, located at its R&D Center. It was aimed to verify RedCap capabilities and integrated performance across the whole network from vehicle inspection terminal to private 5G core, radios and management system. For this trial, Samsung used its RedCap-powered private 5G network solutions including its virtualized 5G Core, baseband units, radios supporting 4.7 GHz band, and an integrated Network Management System.

The trial also focused on integrating Hyundai Motor’s Diagnostic Scan (D Scan) featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon® X35 5G Modem-RF System into Samsung’s private 5G network. This device is developed by Hyundai Motor to be used at its smart factories via wireless communications between vehicles and D Scan to automatically inspect and efficiently determine whether vehicles have been assembled correctly before releasing finished cars. Compared to the old Wi-Fi system, the companies achieved a more seamless, real-time inspection data transmission with high speed and reliable 5G connectivity.

This successful collaboration is another milestone Samsung and Hyundai Motor are marking, as Hyundai Motor plans to continuously expand RedCap private 5G networks to its newest electric vehicle manufacturing facilities to begin their operation in the first half of 2026.

At its smart factories, a range of small devices are in operation ― sensors, cameras, tablet PCs, automatic logistics robots, compact wireless tools and testing equipment ― which make RedCap on a private 5G network a key driver for cost-effective, efficient and intelligent network automation and monitoring.

RedCap is considered a catalyst for the widespread adoption of private 5G networks at manufacturing facilities, construction sites, academic campuses and more. This technology streamlines 5G connectivity for small-size 5G IoT (IoST) devices such as industrial sensors and wearables by lowering complexity and more importantly, increasing battery life while still ensuring the desired data speeds.

“The recent collaboration with Hyundai Motor represents how the two leaders in their respective industries can creatively drive business innovation and unlock new real use cases by merging best-in-class expertise,” said Simon Lee, Vice President and Head of B2B·B2G Business Development, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s RedCap-powered private 5G network solutions will open up more possibilities for enterprises, manufacturers and public institutions, serving as a gateway to driving more efficient 5G networks.”

“Hyundai Motor was the first Korean company to implement P-5G in mass production,” said Jae Min Lee, Vice President and Head of E-FOREST Center of Hyundai Motor and Kia. “We are also the industry’s first to verify P-5G RedCap technology, reinforcing our global leadership in smart manufacturing solutions. We will continue to accelerate its commercialization.”

“The adoption of RedCap technology will empower private 5G networks to be more efficient and cost-effective, by allowing for devices with smaller form factors, longer battery life and reduced power consumption.” said Pablo Tomasi, Principal Analyst, Private Networks at Omdia. “Thanks to RedCap, private 5G networks will support an increasingly large set of use cases.”

Samsung continues to actively deliver private 5G networks across a range of verticals, including smart factories, hospitals, universities and construction sites, on top of military facilities and local government agencies. With a proven record in commercial deployments, Samsung provides a comprehensive, end-to-end solution backed by long-term R&D leadership.

Also at MWC 2025, Samsung will unveil its innovative next-generation private 5G network, which leverages the company’s virtualization leadership. Supporting current compact and light hardware-based solutions, Samsung will introduce software-centric private 5G solutions – including vRAN software and other software applications on commercial servers (COTS).

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools and applications. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators and enterprises that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics today announced that UScellular has enhanced its 5G network capabilities in the Mid-Atlantic region with Samsung’s 5G solutions. The companies have worked together to deploy a new network architecture using Samsung’s 5G mmWave and virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) solution to support UScellular’s growing fixed wireless access and mobile traffic. In November, the operator launched this new service in several markets in the region, already delivering elevated connectivity to its customers.

For the Mid-Atlantic markets, UScellular utilized Samsung’s 5G Compact Macro — a 3GPP-based distributed architecture solution — to enable mmWave connectivity, offering its customers fast, reliable mobile and broadband services. Compact Macro consolidates the baseband, radio and antenna into a single, lightweight form factor for swift and easy installation. Samsung’s mmWave technology allows the operator to access the expansive bandwidth in the 28GHz and 39GHz bands, which support ultra-high speeds and low latency. By leveraging Samsung’s advanced solutions, UScellular could rapidly enhance the 5G performance through multi-gigabit speeds.

“We’re excited to work with Samsung as we continue to enhance our next-generation network,” said Mike Dienhart, Vice President of Engineering and Network Operations, UScellular. “Tapping into the ultra-high bandwidth of the mmWave spectrum allows us to unleash new capabilities and deliver cutting-edge customer experiences. Samsung’s proven expertise in innovative 5G and vRAN makes them an ideal partner.”

Samsung is also offering its notable and widely used vRAN solution with Central Unit functionality to support UScellular’s virtualized network. Samsung’s vRAN provides the operator with additional bandwidth and advanced intelligence capabilities including energy saving features, while enabling the company to quickly scale capacity and efficiently deploy advanced services. This network advancement highlights UScellular’s commitment to leading 5G innovation.

“We’re extremely pleased that UScellular selected Samsung’s industry-leading mmWave and vRAN solutions as key enablers for their 5G network enhancement in this area,” said Wilf Norrlinger, Vice President, US Sales, Networks Business, Samsung Electronics America. “This collaboration showcases how our innovations in areas such as vRAN and mmWave are unlocking new capabilities. It’s exciting to collaborate with forward-thinking providers like UScellular and push the next-generation wireless to new frontiers.”

The companies have a strong working relationship and have been working together on new network configurations to support UScellular’s growing fixed wireless customer base.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, including vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

About UScellular
UScellular is the fourth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to help customers stay connected to the things that matter most. The Chicago-based carrier provides a strong, reliable network supported by the latest technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers’ lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. Through its After School Access Project, the company has donated more than $30 million in hotspots and service to help youth connect to reliable internet. To learn more about UScellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, visit newsroom.uscellular.com.

Samsung Electronics today announced that the company is teaming up with IBM as the mission-critical (MCX) solution provider to the UK’s Home Office, for a User Services deployment as part of the Emergency Services Network (ESN). This selection marks Samsung’s first major mission-critical project in the U.K., reinforcing the company’s continued growth in the region and expanding on its successful multi-generation commercial networks business using virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN technologies.

This milestone underscores Samsung’s commitment to advancing mission-critical networks globally, supporting government agencies to keep communities safe. Designed to prioritize network access for first responders in emergencies, ESN will deliver reliable and seamless connectivity to over 300,000 first responders in the U.K.

Alongside IBM and other industry-leading partners, Samsung will support the core mission-critical communications systems with its best-in-class MCX solution, which is backed by Samsung’s deep expertise honed from successful nationwide public safety network deployments in the U.S. and Korea. Samsung’s MCPTX solution will enable intuitive multimedia sharing in real-time, allowing first responders to assess emergency situations more accurately as well as act with enhanced responsiveness.

“As mission-critical communications are of the utmost importance for the nation’s security and protection of its citizens, Samsung is proud to take part in this program to evolve public safety networks in the U.K.,” said Everth Flores, Vice President and Head of Samsung Networks Europe. “At the heart of this collaboration lies Samsung’s undisputed technological competence, on top of the solid trust that we have garnered with our successful mission-critical solution deployments around the globe. Harnessing the momentum of this milestone, Samsung will continue to contribute to building a more secure, connected society.”

“We are proud to support the Emergency Services Network (ESN) in delivering a secure and resilient communications platform to empower frontline emergency services,” said Rahul Kalia, Managing Partner at IBM UK and Ireland. “Working with our ecosystem partners, we will deliver mission-critical services for first responders to enhance safety in our communities across Great Britain. We look forward to working with the Government to deliver this in a timely and cost-effective manner.”

With its full suite of mission-critical solutions, Samsung has accumulated its expertise in the public safety sector globally by working together with leading operators and government stakeholders on successful MCPTX deployments, starting with building the world’s first 3GPP standard-compliant nationwide public safety network in South Korea. The company also worked with one of the largest national operators in the U.S. to bring America’s first-ever nationwide MCPTX solution. More recently in Canada, Samsung teamed up with Tier 1 operator to deploy the country’s first MCPTX solution in 2022.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics and KT Corporation (KT) today announced that the companies have been selected to deploy a Private 5G network for the ‘Smart Naval Port’ project by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy. This marks the first deployment of its kind at a Korean Naval base. The Navy is carrying forward with this project to improve the battleship and base operation support capabilities and achieve comprehensive base defense.

Samsung and KT have been collaborating on this project since the summer of 2024, with a goal to complete the deployment by December 2025. The companies will build a more intelligent and fully independent network infrastructure to provide seamless coverage and enhanced connectivity for the Republic of Korea Navy 2nd Fleet.

Private 5G solutions are essential to support national defense sectors, which require ultra-fast speeds and hyper-connected communications for the foolproof and effective operation management. These solutions will build a highly reliable network dedicated to the Navy, increasing security and reducing vulnerabilities.

To ensure military workplace safety and efficiency, Samsung and KT will support the Navy’s Private 5G buildout by applying smart, AI-enabled connectivity solutions and powering a variety of next-generation applications. The project will establish a comprehensive Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure that encompasses 13 different systems, ranging from uncrewed vehicle operation to armory management and ammunition depot management. Specific use cases include:

• A digital twin of the smart Naval base will provide a three dimensional and high-definition digital replica of the base. This will enable an integrated management system that can also be used as a foundation for establishing strategy development. Insights gathered from the digital twin can inform decisions that will increase the resilience, efficiency, adaptability and autonomy of the Naval base.
• Intelligent security monitoring will enhance the Naval base defense by introducing real-time video control of operational forces and vehicles, surveillance cameras for ammunition depots and armories, and surveillance drones, incorporated with the existing Video Management System (VMS). This monitoring will deliver a holistic view of the base and all for optimal operational response in case of an emergency event through a real-time auto screen switch.
• A one-stop battleship operation management system will enable intelligent battleship operation support through all-in-one system by integrating multiple critical systems — such as navigation support, logistics management, safety management and monitoring. This comprehensive system will streamline and operationalize administrative work for the Navy personnel.

“KT will contribute to establishing a standardized system for the Republic of Korea Navy through the Smart Naval Port project,” said Jun-Ho Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Public Customer Business Unit at KT Enterprise. “We look forward to laying the foundation for the ‘Smart Naval Port’ which will improve its capability to support battleship and naval base operations.”

Samsung will provide its proven end-to-end private 5G network solution for defense, including its private network 5G SA Compact Core, indoor and outdoor radio solutions and network management software. These solutions support the mid-band (n79, 4.7GHz) spectrum, which is widely adopted for military usage.

With Samsung’s compact solution for the full stack of Private 5G that can run on a single server hardware, the Navy will benefit from quick deployments and less complex operations. Its private 5G radios will deliver improved uplink performance with optimized uplink features, designed to help government agencies upload vast amounts of data across numerous devices simultaneously.

“Samsung’s Private 5G solutions are trusted due to their dependable security, reliability and proven commercial expertise, already serving diverse private and public sectors in countries like South Korea, the U.S. and Japan,” said Simon Lee, Vice President and Head of B2B·B2G Business Development Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “In collaboration with KT, we are excited to deploy Korea’s first Private 5G at a Naval base. This project exemplifies our ongoing commitment to enhance and unlock the potential of 5G to meet every customer’s needs.”

Samsung has been actively delivering private 5G networks in collaboration with a range of sectors from hospitals, universities, construction sites to military and local government agencies.

About KT CORPORATION (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT)
KT Corporation, Korea’s largest telecommunications service provider, reestablished in 1981 under the Telecommunications Business Act, is leading the era of innovations in the world’s most connected country. The company is leading the 4th industrial revolution with high speed wire/wireless network and new ICT technology. KT launched the world’s first nationwide commercial 5G network on April 3, 2019, after successfully showcasing the world’s first trial 5G services at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in February 2018. This is another milestone in KT’s continuous efforts to deliver essential products and services as it aspires to be the number one ICT Company and People’s Company.

Samsung Electronics today announced that the company has been selected by KDDI as a main vendor to provide 4G and 5G O-RAN compliant virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) solutions for their Open RAN deployment in Japan. In line with KDDI’s vision to adopt leading-edge network technology, the companies will expand the reach of Open RAN in the coming years.

Starting from 2025, KDDI will expand its Open RAN deployment leveraging the advantages of a fully disaggregated and software-based architecture powered by Samsung vRAN. KDDI’s Open RAN network will feature enhanced capabilities for improved energy efficiency, optimized performance and intelligent automation.

“KDDI has been focused on identifying and preparing for next-generation networks, and we have been conducting numerous technical verification and feasibility studies on Open RAN with industry-leading companies like Samsung,” said Kazuyuki Yoshimura, Chief Technology Officer of KDDI. “Today’s announcement represents KDDI’s dedication to bringing innovative technologies to Japan. We are proud to deliver a cutting-edge and reliable radio access network.”

“With our unwavering innovative spirit, Samsung continuously takes the initiative to develop and adopt the latest mobile technologies. Together with KDDI, we are thrilled to take this significant step and strengthen our presence in Japan,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to supporting KDDI’s trailblazing journey toward network excellence by providing best-in-class solutions that exceed their quality standards.”

For this expanded collaboration, Samsung is bringing its comprehensive network solutions ranging from its vRAN 3.0 solution, a full suite of O-RAN compliant radios supporting low- and mid-bands including advanced Massive MIMO radios and third-party radio integration support. It also offers key features of the Samsung CognitiV Networks Operations Suite (NOS), an intelligent solution that automates the life cycle management of large-scale vRAN buildouts. The features streamline the onboarding, deployment and operation processes, enabling KDDI to transform its widespread network efficiently.

Samsung is enriching KDDI’s network deployment by leveraging its robust ecosystem that consists of industry-leading partners and their solutions. The deployment will be carried out in close collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (servers), Intel (processors) and Red Hat (cloud platform).

KDDI and Samsung have been collaborating on vRAN and Open RAN since 2021. Over the years, the companies have solidified their global leadership in the emerging Open RAN and vRAN space, achieving milestones such as the world’s first commercial 5G Standalone Open RAN site in the Greater Tokyo area, and launching commercial Open RAN sites in Osaka. Samsung’s extensive expertise — derived from real-world rollout experience at scale — underpins this Open RAN deployment.

Since unveiling its fully virtualized 5G RAN in 2020, Samsung has consistently been recognized as the leading Open RAN and vRAN vendor by global analyst firms like Omdia and Dell’Oro.

“Open RAN and vRAN are at the heart of mobile networks innovation and transformation and Samsung has continuously demonstrated its leadership in this space,” said Rémy Pascal, Principal Analyst Mobile infrastructure at Omdia. “These technologies have been thoroughly tested, and KDDI’s Open vRAN expansion powered by Samsung will not only enable KDDI to continue delivering first-rate services to Japanese customers and meet their evolving needs but also build a more efficient, automated and future-ready network.”

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver boundless connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics and O₂ Telefónica today announced that the companies have launched their first virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN commercial site in Germany. It is the first time that Samsung’s 5G vRAN solution is being used in a commercial network in Germany. The site is now operating in Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria, providing high-performance and reliable 4G and 5G services to customers. In the coming months, the companies will expand the vRAN and Open RAN network to seven additional sites in the region, aiming to further extend the Open RAN footprint.

This milestone builds on the companies’ joint initiative, announced in October 2023, where they agreed to develop a roadmap for several tests of vRAN and Open RAN technologies. Following the extensive trials, O₂ Telefónica and Samsung are now progressing from lab to field with the launch of this first commercial site.

▲ O2 Telefónica and Samsung switched on their first vRAN and Open RAN commercial site in Germany

“We are taking another big step in our Open RAN journey. Together with Samsung, we are utilizing the latest Open RAN technologies in our mobile network. On the way to the network of the future, we are integrating new network solutions to provide our customers with outstanding connectivity. Open RAN is a building block that can help us to automate our network, deploy new updates faster and use network components more flexibly,” said Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer of O₂ Telefónica.

“Samsung is setting new standards for excellence in the telecommunications industry with our innovative vRAN and Open RAN capabilities. Celebrating Telefónica’s 100th anniversary, we are proud to be the key partner for O₂ Telefónica on their trailblazing journey to usher in a new era of connectivity in Germany,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics.

Open RAN and vRAN: Bringing Greater Flexibility and Automation

O₂ Telefónica is building an even more efficient and future-proof network leveraging modern and advanced RAN technologies, open interfaces and automation capabilities. Open RAN enables greater flexibility in the mobile network. Based on open interfaces, operators can combine network components from different providers and integrate them into their network.

Software-centric vRAN helps the adoption of cloud-native architecture, allowing network operators to better automate functions, introduce new technologies and services to their networks quickly and efficiently. This is important for accelerating network buildouts and adopting new 5G applications, including use cases that require low response speeds, such as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) or latency-critical applications for enterprises.

▲ O₂ Telefónica is providing reliable mobile connectivity to its customers, leveraging Samsung’s 4G and 5G vRAN and Open RAN solutions

Samsung’s Advanced and Proven Network Solutions

The companies have successfully switched on this first commercial site just three months after the initial shipment of 4G and 5G solutions, leveraging Samsung’s expertise and pre-validated ecosystem proven from large-scale commercial vRAN and Open RAN deployments across the globe.

For the initial deployments, Samsung’s offering includes its market-leading 4G and 5G vRAN 3.0 solution and O-RAN compliant radios supporting low- and mid-bands (700MHz, 800MHz, 1.8GHz 2.1GHz, 2.6GHz and 3.6GHz), including 64T64R Massive MIMO radios. Samsung’s advanced vRAN 3.0 features enhanced capabilities for improved energy efficiency, optimized performance and intelligent automation.

As the next step, the companies will introduce Samsung’s intelligent network automation solutions to control life cycle management — from deployment and operation to maintenance. This O-RAN compliant automation solution offers the ability to accelerate innovative software-based network rollouts by enabling automated deployment of thousands of network sites simultaneously.

About O₂ Telefónica
O₂ Telefónica is a leading full-service provider of telecommunications services for consumers and business customers. The portfolio of the core brand O₂ and various secondary and partner brands includes not only traditional telephony and Internet connections but also innovative digital services in the area of the Internet of Things and data analysis. In mobile communications, O₂ Telefónica serves more than 45 million mobile lines (incl. M2M – as of December 31, 2023). No other network operator connects more people in this country. The company’s high-performance, award-winning mobile network reaches over 99% of the population. In the fixed network, O₂ Telefónica offers its customers the greatest technological diversity and geographical availability of any provider in Germany. In fiscal year 2023, the company generated revenues of EUR 8.6 billion with around 7,500 employees. The company is majority-owned by the Madrid-based Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., one of the largest telecommunications groups in the world.

QAM is an advanced modulation technology to transmit data or information more efficiently. This directly relates to how many bits of data can be delivered in each transmission. While 256 QAM is widely used in commercial networks, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies recently accomplished the latest 1024 QAM defined in 3GPP Release 17 specifications. This enhanced QAM technology helps operators maximize their use of spectrum resources and allows mobile users to seamlessly enjoy various mobile services such as live video streaming and online multi-player gaming, which require higher download speeds.

▲ The 1024 QAM test, conducted in Samsung’s R&D lab, resulted in over 20% gain in downlink speeds

The test was conducted in Samsung’s R&D lab in Korea leveraging Samsung’s 5G vRAN software and radios — each supporting 2.1GHz (FDD) and 3.5GHz (TDD) bands — and Qualcomm Technologies’ mobile phone form-factor test device equipped with its latest Snapdragon® X75 5G Modem-RF System.

This is a significant milestone as it is the first time the industry has accomplished 1024 QAM for FDD band. By using 20MHz bandwidth, the companies reached 485Mbps, achieving near-theoretical gain. This downlink speed is more than 20% higher than what is possible with the current 256 QAM.

In addition, Samsung plans to complete its ongoing tests of 1024 QAM in traditional RAN as well, and the technology is expected to be commercially available within this year.

“We believe enhancing spectral efficiency is essential in developing next-generation solutions. This achievement underscores Samsung’s ongoing commitment to push forward the frontiers of mobile technology,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President, Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our collaborative efforts with Qualcomm Technologies have once again yielded impressive results, and we look forward to harnessing our combined expertise to drive network innovation.”

“We are honored to have collaborated with Samsung on this industry first achievement,” said Sunil Patil, Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This accomplishment showcases our unwavering commitment to supporting operators in their efforts to enhance 5G throughput and boost spectral efficiency. By leveraging advanced QAM technology, we are empowering operators to maximize spectrum resources and deliver seamless, high-speed mobile services to 5G users.”

Late last year, Samsung and Qualcomm Technologies accomplished the world’s first simultaneous 5G 2x uplink and 4x downlink carrier aggregation for FDD spectrum. The companies are continuing the collaboration to push the boundaries of mobile 5G technology.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides innovative network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics today announced the company has successfully completed the industry’s first end-to-end call in a lab environment with a future Intel® Xeon® processor (codenamed Granite Rapids-D), on a virtualized Open RAN network powered by Samsung’s vRAN 3.0. This achievement between Samsung and Intel is another milestone in the companies’ multi-year collaboration and represents the companies’ mutual dedication to advance virtualized Open RAN for enhanced performance and capacity.

Conducted in Samsung’s R&D lab in Korea, the companies completed the end-to-end data call using Samsung’s versatile and O-RAN-compliant virtualized RAN (vRAN) integrated with Intel’s Granite Rapids-D, Samsung’s Core and test devices. During the test, Samsung achieved significant gains as well as reduced power consumption. The test results will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2024 (Samsung Networks booth, invitation-only).

This technical achievement builds on the two companies’ long-standing collaboration on vRAN, which began in 2017 and has resulted in commercially proven large-scale vRAN deployments with Tier-1 operators. The companies have been collaborating on each generation of Intel’s processors to advance vRAN, including the 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors in 2021 and 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors in 2023. With the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, the companies completed the industry’s first data call on a commercial network within just four months of the processors’ commercial availability.

“As a global vRAN innovator with proven commercial deployments at scale, Samsung is committed to expanding its ecosystem with industry-leading partners like Intel and staying at the forefront of the software-centric transformation,” said Dong Geun Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This first call represents Samsung’s unparalleled ability to deliver the full potential of mobile networks for the future by embracing a virtual and open approach.”

“Completing the first call on Granite Rapids D far ahead of its general availability is a remarkable achievement and is a strong reflection of Samsung’s and Intel’s close collaboration over many years,” said Cristina Rodriguez, vice president and general manager, Wireless Access Networking Division at Intel. “We remain committed to driving our multi-generational Intel® Xeon® processor roadmap to deliver the solutions operators need, and to enable new innovations in areas like energy efficiency, vRAN capacity, and AI.”

In addition to integrating Samsung vRAN software on Granite Rapids-D, Samsung and Intel are collaborating to drive AI innovations in radio networks toward enabling potential future RAN use cases such as power optimization, traffic steering, improved spectral efficiency and anomaly detection to name a few.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics, Juniper Networks^® (NYSE:JNPR) and Wind River^® have collaborated on a virtual cell site router (vCSR) to allow service providers to operate their networks with end-to-end virtualization. This software-based network ensures more flexibility, agility, sustainability and faster time-to-market (TTM) for the introduction of new services.

vCSR is part of a new architecture in which the distributed unit and CSR functions coexist as virtualized network elements on one server. In this joint effort, the companies integrated the Juniper Cloud-Native Router, a fully containerized network element, with the Samsung virtualized DU (vDU) on Wind River Studio Cloud Platform. By running multiple network elements on a single virtualized RAN (vRAN) server, the companies are essentially eliminating the need for physical router hardware typically deployed at a cell site and reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) for network deployments of 5G and beyond.

Compared to traditional networks, this software-based infrastructure offers a more resilient and intelligent mobile network. This development plays a pivotal role in realizing the potential of vRAN by fostering flexibility and interoperability among different components. By consolidating multiple software network elements on the same server, operators can benefit from the following:

• End-to-end automation with Samsung’s CognitiV Network Operations Suite: The solution supports plug-and-play deployment, management visibility, and massive software upgrades, delivering a more streamlined and efficient deployment and operation process.
• Greater agility and flexibility: Built on Software-Defined Networking principles, the virtualized architecture enables the greater scalability and flexibility needed to meet operators’ various network configurations and service demands.
• Ability to support diverse applications: With software-centric architecture, vCSR can support security applications such as firewalls and intelligently steer data flows.
• Reduced CapEx thanks to simplified deployment with less hardware: There is no need to purchase legacy hardware since it can be combined within the existing server with the vDU and other software platforms. It also frees up additional rack space.
• Reduced OpEx with energy savings: By eliminating the physical CSR hardware through server consolidation, approximately 30% of energy use can be saved.

“Leveraging our expertise in real-world vRAN deployments, Samsung, along with Juniper and Wind River, are paving the way for end-to-end virtualized networks across the world,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President, Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “With this revolutionary approach, we are giving operators the confidence to transform their networks and embrace virtual and open approaches.”

“The compelling objective of vRAN is the flexibility and agility it can bring to operators. Our Cloud-Native Router enables operational simplicity and economic flexibility, while delivering excellent performance. Today’s operators must focus obsessively on the user experiences they are delivering while managing costs, and Juniper’s collaboration with Samsung and Wind River is creating a solution that helps them to amortize 5G investments, build a sustainable infrastructure and create more attractive service offerings,” said Raj Yavatkar, SVP and CTO, Juniper Networks.

“As a leader in the 5G landscape that powers the majority of 5G vRAN/O-RAN deployments with global operators, our Wind River Studio is a purpose-built distributed cloud being used in production, at scale, for vRAN and Open RAN,” said Paul Miller, Chief Technology Officer, Wind River. “In collaboration with Samsung and Juniper, Wind River delivers on the promise of Open RAN, creating a path for substantial TCO reduction and new revenue opportunities for mobile operators.”

This innovative vCSR technology will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2024 at the companies’ respective booths: Samsung (Hall 2, 2M20), Juniper Networks (Hall 2, 2D12) and Wind River (Hall 2, 2F25).

Samsung’s vRAN and Open RAN offer a 100% fully virtualized, cloud-native disaggregated vDU and vCU, proven in the large-scale commercial network deployment across the world. Its industry-leading vRAN software — vRAN 3.0 — boasts a range of smart and sustainable features optimized to satisfy the forward-looking operators’ needs to build next-generation networks. With its robust ecosystem, Samsung’s virtualized Open RAN brings advanced capabilities that improve performance and increase energy efficiency.

The Juniper Cloud-Native Router takes full advantage of container economics and operational efficiencies, giving service providers the flexibility they need to deploy 5G. The performant, software-based router delivers Juniper’s proven routing technology within the Kubernetes Container Network Interface (CNI) framework. This allows seamless integration with the Samsung vDU on the Wind River Studio platform.

Based on the open source StarlingX project, Wind River Studio provides a fully cloud-native, Kubernetes- and container-based architecture for the development, deployment, operations, and servicing of distributed edge networks at scale. It delivers a foundation to manage a geographically distributed network and simplifies day 1 and day 2 operations by providing a single-pane-of-glass, zero-touch automated solution. Studio addresses service providers’ complex challenge of deploying and managing cloud-native infrastructure for core-to-edge distributed cloud networks to provide traditional RAN performance in a vRAN/Open RAN deployment.

About Juniper Networks
Juniper Networks believes that connectivity is not the same as experiencing a great connection. Juniper’s AI-Native Networking Platform is built from the ground up across the AIOps layer and our systems to fully harness the power of AI. From real-time fault isolation to proactive anomaly detection and self-driving corrective actions, it provides campus, branch, data center, and WAN operations with next-level predictability, reliability, and security. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Wind River
Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for mission-critical intelligent systems. For more than four decades, the company has been an innovator and pioneer, powering billions of devices and systems that require the highest levels of security, safety, and reliability. Wind River software and expertise are accelerating digital transformation across industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio supported by world-class global professional services and support and a broad partner ecosystem. To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com.

Samsung Electronics, TELUS and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced today a trailblazing collaboration that will see TELUS become the first telecommunications provider in North America to evolve the architecture of roaming, enabling greater reliability and faster speeds for customers traveling abroad.

Traditionally, roaming traffic (voice, data and SMS) is routed through the provider’s home country, resulting in slower speeds for customers. With this revolutionary new approach, TELUS is able to house their network within AWS Regions worldwide, using virtualized roaming gateways. This means that traffic no longer needs to go through Canada, but will be routed directly to the closest AWS Region that houses TELUS’ network, significantly enhancing speed and responsiveness of mobile services. This process, also known as network cloudification, uses Cloud-native Core technology from Samsung on public cloud for mobile data, and ng-voice for voice calls, optimizing performance and ultimately quality.

“This architecture evolution further strengthens TELUS’ commitment to keeping our customers connected to what matters most, ensuring they are able to enjoy the same award-winning experience they have in Canada from anywhere in the world,” said Nazim Benhadid, Chief Technology Officer at TELUS. “Together with AWS, Samsung and ng-voice, we are making roaming more reliable and resilient than ever.”

“We are thrilled to work with TELUS, a company at the forefront of re-inventing the telco customer experience,” said Chivas Nambiar, general manager, telco business unit at AWS. “Alongside our AWS Partners, we are excited about how TELUS is using the cloud to augment their network capabilities to provide consistent and reliable global services for their customers.”

“Samsung’s Cloud-native Core is designed with flexibility and scalability in mind. By ensuring higher stability and reliability, Samsung powers TELUS’ new roaming approach to bring unmatched network performance and customer experiences while traveling,” said Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks at Samsung Canada. “By working with forward-looking operators like TELUS, we are able to turn never before seen possibilities into reality.”

Virtual roaming gateway trials will begin in Q1 2024, but the possibilities of this collaboration extend far beyond roaming. Leveraging Samsung’s full Cloud-native Core solution on AWS paves the way for further advancements in disaster-recovery and 5G standalone core use cases.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with more than $18 billion in annual revenue and over 18 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better.

Operating in 32 countries around the world, TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands across strategic industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare and others.

TELUS Health is a global healthcare leader, which provides employee and family primary and preventive healthcare and wellbeing solutions. Our TELUS team, along with our 100,000 health professionals, are leveraging the combination of TELUS’ strong digital and data analytics capabilities with our unsurpassed client service to dramatically improve remedial, preventive and mental health outcomes covering more than 69 million lives, and growing, around the world. As the largest provider of digital solutions and digital insights of its kind, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods enables efficient and sustainable production from seed to store, helping improve the safety and quality of food and other goods in a way that is traceable to end consumers.

Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS and our team to contribute $1.6 billion, including 2.2 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow us at @TELUSNews on X and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.

Samsung Electronics today announced that its cloud-native Standalone (SA) Core went live supporting KDDI’s nationwide commercial 5G SA services in Japan. Samsung’s 5G SA Core delivers a range of advantages to the operator’s network, including improved reliability and faster response times, required for applications such as cloud gaming, autonomous vehicles, real-time robotics and immersive video.

This milestone follows KDDI’s selection of Samsung to provide its 5G SA Core for the operator’s commercial network in February 2023. Leading up to this launch, the companies have conducted field tests and trials, successfully validating Samsung’s 5G SA Core performance and integrating Samsung’s 5G Core software in a multi-vendor environment. For this launch, Samsung and KDDI have successfully deployed and operated Samsung’s 5G Core software using KDDI’s smart operation system, supporting failure detection, root cause identification, and recovery method decision.

“As we continue to push the boundaries as an innovation leader in Japan, our 5G Standalone network will make it possible to provide our customers with maximum reliability and unprecedented capabilities,” said Toshikazu Yokai, Chief Network Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Deputy General Manager of Technology Sector at KDDI. “In collaboration with Samsung, we continue to offer the best 5G connectivity experience our customers expect, and now we are thrilled to spread the full benefits of 5G nationwide.”

“5G Standalone presents a pathway for future-readiness and this advanced technology opens doors to unprecedented benefits, delivering next-generation capabilities to enterprises and consumers,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “As we continue to spearhead 5G innovation, we believe Samsung’s ongoing collaboration with KDDI will lead to game-changing opportunities and transformative experiences for end users.”

Samsung’s 5G SA Core supports:

• Multi-level redundancy. Leveraging the cloud-native architecture, Samsung’s 5G SA Core is designed to have no single point of failure with multi-level redundancy. This ensures high resilience and reliable service continuity in every part of the system.
• Multi-vendor interoperability. It can be easily integrated with third-party 5G core network functions and OSS for flexible deployment and automation.
• Seamless upgrades to SA. With one software package that supports NSA and SA, Samsung’s solution can facilitate a smooth migration to 5G SA.
• Session continuity with geo-redundancy. Deployed at various locations, Samsung’s 5G SA Cores provide session continuity support to ensure stability and reliability. Each SA core is dimensioned to pick up loads in case one of the active core becomes unavailable due to traffic bursts or natural disasters.

One of the key benefits of 5G SA Core is that it allows the dynamic allocation of resources to different applications — known as network slicing. Network slicing divides a single physical network infrastructure into multiple virtual slices, and each slice is dedicated to a specific user case or application. A single network can dynamically support multiple 5G use cases and applications at once, accelerating the delivery of new services and meeting the tailored demands of enterprises and consumers.

Recently, KDDI and Samsung signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a 5G Global Network Slicing Alliance, aiming to introduce an array of commercial 5G network slicing services and to assess new business models. The two companies will continue to collaborate on advancing this technology, to help fulfill emerging enterprise and consumer demands.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics today announced that it has been selected by Vodafone Romania to deploy its fully virtualized RAN software (vRAN) and radio solutions for the Open RAN rollout across Romania. This commercial deployment will cover major urban cities in Romania to deliver high-quality, stable commercial network services to Vodafone’s customers.

Samsung will provide its vRAN solutions supporting multi-RAT, automation solutions and Open RAN-compliant triple-band radios as well as 5G Massive MIMO radios. Samsung’s triple-band radio combines 700MHz, 800MHZ and 900MHz frequency bands into one compact radio that provides multi-spectrum coverage for 2G, 4G and 5G, enabling increased network capacity, greater flexibility and a smaller footprint.

Samsung’s software-based vRAN solution supports multiple generations of network technologies in a single platform — including 2G — which is an important spectrum for Internet of Small Things (IoST), machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and voice communications for roaming services in Europe.

“The momentum behind Open RAN technologies, in Vodafone and amongst our partners, is building,” said Alberto Ripepi, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone Group. “As new technologies like generative AI take root and are embedded within businesses, factories, and healthcare practices, they will require intelligence-based powerful networks to support them. Open RAN is designed to do just that.”

“As our collaboration with Vodafone continues to make strides across Europe, this rollout in Romania will mark a significant milestone that underscores our dedication to network innovation,” said Woojune Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our pioneering network solutions will propel Vodafone Romania’s transformation journey, providing a flexible and powerful way to realize the full potential of Open RAN. We look forward to combining our diverse experiences together to reshape the future of connectivity.”

This announcement follows Samsung’s pilot project with Vodafone last year in Romania. The companies completed the first 4G calls over shared commercial Open RAN in Romania’s rural areas. Samsung is collaborating with Vodafone to support its Open RAN initiative in both rural and urban areas of Romania, helping the operator transition to an open network architecture.

Since switching on the U.K.’s first 5G Open RAN site in 2022, Vodafone and Samsung have been validating Open RAN technology in a brownfield, urban environment, reaching KPIs that matched or exceeded legacy kit. Making continuous progress in Europe, back in August 2023, the companies announced their massive Open RAN rollout in the U.K., a key stage in Vodafone’s plan to equip 30% of all its European sites with Open RAN by 2030.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Following TELUS’ selection of Samsung as its 5G network vendor in June 2020, this revolutionary approach to infrastructure deployment embodies the essence of collaboration, bringing together manufacturers and providers to create a modular, state-of-the-art wireless network. It is also one of the first truly virtualized Open RAN deployments within a complex, brownfield network environment.

With an Open RAN, TELUS is able to use components from different manufacturers that best meet its needs, while a virtualized radio access network (vRAN) allows the use of software instead of hardware. This provides TELUS with faster access to the latest technologies as they become available, helping enhance customer experiences and fuel network innovation, while increasing opportunities for equipment vendors.

“This is a very exciting milestone for TELUS and the industry overall, as we now have the most flexible way to offer a diversified set of services to Canadians, unlocking new levels of mobile experiences,” said Nazim Benhadid, Chief Technology Officer at TELUS. “We are proud to be the first Canadian telecommunications company to integrate this cutting-edge technology, together with Samsung and our other partners.”

“Innovation is not a result, but a continuous process that transforms our daily lives,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “TELUS and Samsung have been spearheading a meaningful transformation in mobile communications and we look forward to continuing to unleash the full benefits of software-centric innovation, by advancing our industry-leading vRAN and Open RAN.”

The companies have extensively tested both the vRAN and Open RAN rollout in select Canadian markets with excellent results, validating the telco-grade performance and reliability of multi-vendor Open RAN technology, powered by Samsung’s vRAN solutions. Commercial deployment will begin in the first half of this year and a large-scale network rollout is expected to begin mid-2024.

For this expanded collaboration, Samsung will deliver its versatile vRAN software and proven Open RAN compliant solutions, including its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios, as well as the support for third-party radio integration. Samsung’s solutions include its latest vRAN 3.0 for 4G and 5G, which features enhanced capabilities for improved energy savings, optimized performance and intelligent automation via Samsung’s Service Management and Orchestration (SMO). Samsung’s AI-based SMO will help TELUS accelerate vRAN rollouts at scale by enabling automated deployment of thousands of network sites simultaneously. It will also provide TELUS with a comprehensive set of capabilities for end-to-end automation for multi-party solutions, enabling easier deployment, operation and optimization of their network.

TELUS’ bold approach to embrace a multi-vendor Open RAN brownfield deployment leverages other ecosystem collaborations as well. Cloud infrastructure will be provided by Wind River, tapping the company’s experience in real-time operating systems and cloud-native, distributed edge platforms. Additionally, Hewlett Packard Enterprise will deliver HPE ProLiant DL110 Gen11 servers featuring 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor with Intel vRAN Boost, that are workload optimized for Open RAN while being open and flexible, providing the foundation for a Distributed Unit (DU).

“vRAN and Open RAN remain at the forefront of network transformation, with Samsung continuing to demonstrate leadership in proving virtualized Open RAN’s ability to deliver high performance and efficiency in commercial 5G networks,” said Stefan Pongratz, Vice President and Analyst at the Dell’Oro Group. “Introducing vRAN and Open RAN into the Canadian market with TELUS represents another formidable step in the re-shaping of the RAN for long-term advantage.”

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company with more than $18 billion in annual revenue and over 18 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video and security. Our social purpose is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS’ global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to the people, resources and information that make our lives better.

Operating in 32 countries around the world, TELUS International (TSX and NYSE: TIXT) is a leading digital customer experience innovator that designs, builds and delivers next-generation solutions, including AI and content moderation, for global and disruptive brands across strategic industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, banking, financial services and insurance, healthcare and others.

TELUS Health is a global healthcare leader, which provides employee and family primary and preventive healthcare and wellbeing solutions. Our TELUS team, along with our 100,000 health professionals, are leveraging the combination of TELUS’ strong digital and data analytics capabilities with our unsurpassed client service to dramatically improve remedial, preventive and mental health outcomes covering more than 69 million lives, and growing, around the world. As the largest provider of digital solutions and digital insights of its kind, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods enables efficient and sustainable production from seed to store, helping improve the safety and quality of food and other goods in a way that is traceable to end consumers.

Driven by our determination and vision to connect all citizens for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired TELUS and our team to contribute $1.6 billion, including 2.2 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world. Together, let’s make the future friendly.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow us at @TELUSNews on X and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.

Conducted in Samsung’s R&D lab in Korea, the first call was completed using Samsung’s versatile, O-RAN-compliant, virtualized RAN (vRAN) software, powered by AMD EPYC 8004 Series processors on Supermicro’s Telco/Edge servers, supported by Wind River Studio Container-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform. This demonstration aimed to verify optimized performance, energy efficiency and interoperability among partners’ solutions.

The joint demonstration represents Samsung and Vodafone’s ongoing commitment to reinforce their position in the Open RAN market and expand their ecosystem with industry-leading partners. This broader and growing Open RAN ecosystem helps operators to build and modernize mobile networks with greater flexibility, faster time-to-market (TTM), and unmatched performance.

“Open RAN represents the forthcoming major transformation in advancing mobile networks for the future. Reaching this milestone with top industry partners like Samsung and AMD shows Vodafone’s dedication to delivering on the promise of Open RAN innovation,” said Nadia Benabdallah, Network Strategy and Engineering Director at Vodafone Group. “Vodafone is continually looking to innovate its network by exploring the potential and diversity of the ecosystem.”

“This collective effort marks a key milestone for the mobile network industry to steer Open RAN forward, by embracing multiple providers at every layer of the network stack. The demo illustrates Samsung’s commitment to delivering the full potential of mobile networks by embracing openness,” said June Moon, Executive Vice President & Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is constantly working with other technology frontrunners to offer operators the means to transform their networks and capitalize on the diversity of the Open RAN ecosystem.”

“The telco industry continues to demand new levels of performance and energy efficiency with increasingly complex workloads and stringent efficiency targets,” said Kumaran Siva, corporate vice president, Strategic Market Development, AMD. “AMD EPYC 8004 Series CPUs are optimized for modern edge and vRAN deployment models to enable the telco industry’s current evolution toward truly end-to-end open, virtualized networks. We are extremely proud of our collaboration with Samsung and Vodafone, leveraging our latest data center processors to modernize legacy telco infrastructure and deliver the leadership Open RAN performance, efficiency and scalability needed to build highly innovative mobile networks.”

“As the telecom industry continues to rapidly evolve, Samsung and its ecosystem partners are at the forefront of innovation and transformation,” said Prakash Sangam, Founder & Principal of Tantra Analyst. “This technical achievement between Samsung, Vodafone and AMD validates the enhanced capabilities among all three companies’ solutions and supports new vendors in the evolving Open RAN ecosystem.”

The companies will demonstrate its test result exceeding 1Gbps throughput for multi UE on multi-cell configuration at MWC 2024.

In June 2021, Samsung became a strategic partner for Vodafone to carry out its Open RAN vision to modernize legacy networks and grow a strong Open RAN ecosystem. Since then, the companies have been expanding their collaboration, recently marking a milestone of kicking off the largest Open RAN rollout in the U.K. in August 2023. Samsung announced a new collaboration with AMD as well to advance 5G vRAN and virtualized Open RAN for network transformation.

Samsung’s strong ecosystem illustrates its leadership in offering vRAN and Open RAN solutions that are reliable and sustainable, exceeding telco-grade performance. With the goal of pre-testing and integrating, Samsung has sought to validate its vRAN and Open RAN solutions, to offer network operators an efficient path to market. Samsung has proven its extensive expertise in commercial networks for Tier 1 operators in North America, Europe and Asia.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

▲ From left, Junehee Lee (Samsung Electronics), June Moon (Samsung Electronics), Nadia Benabdallah (Vodafone Group), Yago Tenorio (Vodafone Group), Alberto Ripepi (Vodafone Group), Woojune Kim (Samsung Electronics)

For the series of tests carried out in Samsung’s lab in Dallas, Texas, the companies used Samsung’s market-leading radios compliant with O-RAN specifications. The tests included multiple Samsung radios including CAT-A radios 4T4R supporting 700/850 MHz and AWS/PCS bands, CAT-B 64T64R Massive MIMO C-Band radios and 16T16R C-band and CBRS dual-band radios.

The tests underscore Samsung’s Massive MIMO leadership, specifically with its 64T64R Massive MIMO radio which Verizon has already deployed throughout its large-scale commercial vRAN networks nationwide. Results from the tests illustrate Samsung’s capability to handle advanced Massive MIMO radio integration, which is more complex for 64T64R Massive MIMO radios compared to simple CAT-A radios.

Using Keysight Technologies’ O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) emulator, the companies tested O-RAN mandatory and optional beamforming capabilities in the same Massive MIMO unit and delivered promised performance gains. This level of conformance testing helps ensure that new O-RAN networks will perform as expected while delivering the full capabilities that next-generation 5G solutions enable.

“We’re excited to achieve Open RAN conformance across five key radios in our portfolio compliant with the latest O-RAN and 3GPP standards,” said Jisha Hall, Vice President of Operations, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics America. “This joint work shows how Samsung is empowering forerunning operators like Verizon to deploy virtualized Open RAN, backed by our strong ecosystem and proven expertise in commercial networks for Tier 1 operators in North America, Europe and Asia.”

“O-RAN is a very important component of our network evolution strategy,” said Steven Rice, Vice President of Network Planning, Verizon. “By leveraging O-RAN radios and software-driven infrastructure with industry-leading partners like Samsung and Keysight, we continue to drive the industry towards a more open, interoperable environment which will provide greater flexibility, greater innovation and better performance for our customers.”

“Keysight is excited to have partnered with Samsung and Verizon on successful Open RAN testing and looks forward to continued collaboration to advance next-generation network solutions,” said Peng Cao, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Test Group at Keysight. “Our leadership in O-RAN standards and testing empowers the industry to confidently build, test and deploy cutting-edge, interoperable Open RAN solutions in real-world networks.”

In 2021, Samsung supported the commercial launch of Verizon’s first 5G C-band networks with its vRAN solution. This led to establishing another milestone in 2022, with Samsung successfully building the world’s largest vRAN commercial network. The continued collaboration between Samsung and Verizon reinforces their commitment to O-RAN and leadership in enabling virtualized open networks with greater flexibility, faster time-to-market and unmatched performance.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Samsung Electronics and O₂ Telefónica today announced that the companies will test advanced cloud-native vRAN (“virtualized Radio Access Network”) and Open RAN technologies in Germany. The two technologies enable network operators to set up even more flexible network architectures in which hardware and software are separated from each other and individual components are virtualized. The companies agreed to plan out a roadmap consisting of several tests in both lab and field.

O₂ Telefónica and Samsung will begin conducting initial tests of 4G and 5G vRAN and Open RAN technologies in a lab located at Munich, Germany. The companies will then carry out field tests in a commercial 5G network in Landsberg am Lech, with the goal to achieve technical and operational readiness. O₂ Telefónica, one of the leading mobile telecommunications providers in Germany, is transforming its network architecture towards one of the most efficient and future-proof networks built on modern RAN technologies, open interfaces and automation features.

“We believe cloud-native and autonomous architecture is a central pillar of network transformation to accelerate the adoption of innovative services, and O₂ Telefónica is working with the best players in the field,” said Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer at O₂ Telefónica in Germany. “We are delighted to team up with Samsung as one of the first telecommunications providers in the European Union to test new networking solutions. We look forward to delivering the best-in-class connectivity to bring a host of new benefits to customers in the future.”

“Samsung is leading the charge in advancing vRAN and Open RAN with its proven expertise in large-scale commercial networks across multiple continents,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This collaboration with O₂ Telefónica in Germany represents Samsung’s ongoing commitment to forging new pathways in vRAN and Open RAN, bringing the next-generation networks one step closer.”

The vRAN solution aims to support O₂ Telefónica’s way to have more computation in an elastic cloud environment, which will have positive impacts on automation, availability, deployment speed and flexible capacity steering. It also supports low latency use cases like VR/AR as well as high availability use cases in the business segment.

Open RAN disaggregation will enable more flexibility and automation in the RAN environment, as it offers open interfaces with more possibilities to develop new use cases for customers and network operation. It also provides the opportunity to integrate multiple components from different suppliers in one network.

For this collaboration, Samsung will provide its market leading 4G and 5G vRAN software and Open RAN-compliant radios supporting low- and mid-bands, including 3.5 GHz Massive MIMO radios. Samsung’s vRAN solution offers greater flexibility and outstanding performance, backed by its proven commercial track record. Leveraging the advantages of fully disaggregated and software-based architecture, Samsung’s vRAN solution also features enhanced capabilities for intelligent automation and energy savings, which help operators build more efficient and sustainable networks.

As multi-vendor integration is essential in building a robust vRAN and Open RAN ecosystem, industry-leading players — Dell Technologies (Dell PowerEdge servers), Intel (Xeon ® Scalable Processor) and Wind River (Cloud Platform) will also join this commercial pilot delivering best-in-class solutions.

Throughout the trial, the companies will also test intelligent network automation solutions to control life cycle management — from deployment and operation to maintenance — with just a simple click. Leveraging Samsung’s Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), which is an Open RAN-compliant solution, mobile operators can accelerate innovative software-based network rollouts by enabling automated deployment of thousands of network sites simultaneously.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

About O₂ Telefónica
O₂ Telefónica is a leading full-service provider of telecommunications services for consumers and business customers. The portfolio of the core brand O₂ and various secondary and partner brands includes not only traditional telephony and Internet connections but also innovative digital services in the area of the Internet of Things and data analysis. In mobile communications, O₂ Telefónica serves more than 44 million mobile lines (incl. M2M — as of December 31, 2022). No other network operator connects more people in this country. The company’s high-performance, award-winning mobile network reaches over 99% of the population. In the fixed network, O₂ Telefónica offers its customers the greatest technological diversity and geographical availability of any provider in Germany. Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG is listed on the TecDAX and MDax. In fiscal year 2022, the company generated revenues of EUR 8.2 billion with around 7,250 employees. The company is majority-owned by the Madrid-based Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., one of the largest telecommunications groups in the world. 

“Samsung has been raising the bar on what’s possible with vRAN and Open RAN, and we are delighted to work with Vodafone and Orange to be part of the first Open RAN sharing initiative in Romania,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “As we continue to expand our footprint across Europe, including the recent large-scale Open RAN deployments in the U.K., we continue to push our innovative boundaries, empowering networks in Europe.”

Following Vodafone UK’s Open RAN deployment and the successful integration tests in Orange’s Open RAN lab in France, Samsung provided its multi-RAT vRAN software as well as Open RAN-compliant radios for this initiative. As part of their pilot project, both operators have already achieved successful 4G calls over their respective Open RAN sharing sites and will soon introduce 2G, which has already been tested successfully in the lab, and then 5G. It will be the first time 2G is fully integrated within a commercial Open RAN sharing environment in Europe.

Earlier this year, Vodafone and Orange announced their intention to trial Open RAN with RAN sharing across Europe. By allowing the sharing of network components, RAN sharing helps reduce hardware costs, energy consumption and the need for duplicate sites. RAN sharing will help advance wide-scale Open RAN adoption in Europe.

This milestone represents the capabilities of Open RAN, to modernize legacy hardware-based mobile networks, bringing more sustainability and intelligence to the RAN, as well as the ability to more quickly and efficiently introduce new services.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

▲ Toshikazu Yokai, KDDI (left) and Junehee Lee, Samsung Electronics (right)

This announcement follows the companies’ ongoing efforts in the advancement of network slicing, a market that is expected to grow at over fifty percent annually from 2023 to 2030.¹ KDDI and Samsung conducted a field trial in January 2023, which successfully completed Service Level Agreements (SLA) assurance network slicing on a live 5G standalone (SA) network in Tokyo, Japan. The companies also demonstrated network slicing with a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) for the first time in the industry back in 2020.

“KDDI has been at the forefront of network slicing innovation, and we are excited to take another significant step forward with Samsung to show how this technology can augment 5G experiences for consumers and businesses,” said Toshikazu Yokai, Chief Network Officer, Managing Executive Officer, Deputy General Manager of Technology Sector at KDDI. “Through the strategic alliance, we not only aim to create new and immersive use cases, but also explore the infinite potential in transforming industries.”

Network slicing enables multiple virtual networks to be created within a single physical network infrastructure, where each slice is dedicated for a specific application or service—serving different purposes. For instance, operators can create a low latency slice for automated vehicles, an IoT slice for smart factories and a high bandwidth slice for live video streaming—all within the same network. This means that a single network can support a broad mix of use cases simultaneously, accelerating the delivery of new services and meeting the tailored demands of various enterprises and consumers.

“Combining Samsung’s strong technical expertise and KDDI’s business acumen, this new alliance will help us facilitate innovation with a shared commitment to keep advancing 5G to the next level,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration with KDDI to fully tap into the numerous opportunities that 5G network slicing offers.”

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

About KDDI

KDDI is telecommunication service provider in Japan, offering 5G and IoT services to a multitude of individual and corporate customers within and outside Japan through its “au”, “UQ mobile” and “povo” brands. In the Mid-Term Management Strategy (FY23.3–FY25.3), KDDI is promoting the Satellite Growth Strategy to strengthen the 5G-driven evolution of its telecommunications business and the expansion of focus areas centered around telecommunications.

Specifically, KDDI is especially focusing on following five areas: DX (digital transformation), Finance, Energy, LX (life transformation) and Regional Co-Creation. In particular, to promote DX, KDDI is assisting corporate customers in bringing telecommunication into everything through IoT to organize an environment in which customers can enjoy using 5G without being aware of its presence, and in providing business platforms that meet industry-specific needs to support customers in creating businesses.

In addition, KDDI places “sustainability management” that aims to achieve the sustainable growth of society and the enhancement of corporate value together with our partners at the core of the Mid-Term Management Strategy.

By harnessing the characteristics of 5G in order to bring about an evolution of the power to connect, KDDI is working toward an era of the creation of new value.

¹ Source: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/network-slicing-market-107303

The two companies have completed several rounds of tests at Samsung’s lab to verify high-capacity and telco-grade performance using FDD bands and TDD Massive MIMO wide-bands, while significantly reducing power consumption. In this joint collaboration, Samsung used its versatile vRAN software integrated with the new AMD EPYC 8004 processors, focused on telco and intelligent edge. During technical verification, the EPYC 8004 processors combined with Samsung’s vRAN solutions delivered optimized cell capacity per server as well as high power efficiency.

“This technical collaboration demonstrates Samsung’s commitment to delivering network flexibility and high performance for service providers by building a larger vRAN and Open RAN ecosystem,” said Henrik Jansson, Vice President and Head of SI Business Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung has been at the forefront of unleashing the full potential of 5G vRAN technology to meet rising demands, and we look forward to collaborating with industry leaders like AMD to provide operators the capabilities to transform their networks.”

“By integrating our AMD EPYC processors with Samsung’s leading vRAN solution, operators will have a powerful tool with the incredible energy efficiency and balanced performance needed for this environment,” said Lynn Comp, Corporate Vice President, Technical Marketing, Server Business at AMD. “It’s great to be collaborating with Samsung in 5G vRAN solutions to leverage our market-leading products for the data center and tackle key challenges of the telco edge and RAN environment.”

Samsung will continue working with AMD to facilitate the acceleration of vRAN and Open RAN for 5G and drive new innovation for next-generation networks.

Samsung’s vRAN Ecosystem

Samsung has made significant strides with its vRAN ecosystem, expanding collaboration with industry-leading providers spanning a range of technologies, including: processors, COTS servers, container platforms (CaaS), xHaul transport and cloud solutions. This strong and growing ecosystem illustrates Samsung’s leadership in offering vRAN and Open RAN solutions that are reliable, sustainable and meet or exceed telco-grade performance. Samsung has proven its extensive expertise in commercial networks for Tier 1 operators in the North America, Europe and Asia.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

For this installation, Samsung is providing its vRAN software supporting Multi-RAT (multiple radio access technology) — across 4G and 5G — and its O-RAN compliant radios in the low- and mid-bands, including its Massive MIMO radios. Samsung has fully integrated its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios into Open RAN, demonstrating its capability to handle integration, which is more complex for 64T64R Massive MIMO radios, in comparison to single-band radios.

This deployment — the largest Open RAN rollout in the U.K. — is the latest milestone in the expanded collaboration between Vodafone, Samsung and several other partners, since the U.K.’s first 5G Open RAN site in Bath in January of 2022. Subsequently Samsung supported the installation of Open RAN in Vodafone’s Exmouth and Torquay network, in December of 2022. This was another first for the Open RAN ecosystem.

Using Samsung’s vRAN solutions, Vodafone, Samsung and other partners have proven the capability of Open RAN in Vodafone UK’s commercial network, exceeding the performance of legacy hardware-based RAN in urban locations. Test results exceeded the targeted KPIs, including 4G and 5G downlink and uplink throughput.

“Vodafone has been at the forefront of Open RAN innovation and we are excited to kick-off the mass installation of Open RAN, working together with Samsung Networks and the rest of our ecosystem,” said Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer, Vodafone UK. “After rounds of testing and validation, we are well prepared to embark on this new phase in our Open RAN expansion, and look forward to opening up a new world of possibilities that will transform customer experiences.”

“Now we are witnessing how innovative technologies like Open RAN and vRAN can further bolster 5G capabilities, creating new paths and possibilities for network evolution,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Following this historic milestone in Europe, we will continue working together with Vodafone to take their Open RAN networks to new heights.”

“The release of vRAN 3.0 comes at a good time, as Samsung is extending its vRAN solutions to this major ‘brownfield’ opportunity,” said Joe Madden, Founder & Chief Analyst, Mobile Experts. “This milestone is important because it represents Open RAN replacing legacy solutions at scale in a high-capacity environment, and it sets up Vodafone UK with the flexibility to monetize their RAN better in the future.”

Samsung also supported the automation of vRAN deployments process, easing the management of cell sites from a unified platform.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and cores. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

As part of this expanded collaboration, Samsung will integrate its vRAN 3.0 software with 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with Intel vRAN Boost to deliver advanced vRAN solutions. Offering increased capacity, Samsung’s enhanced vRAN will be able to support more cells with the same number of servers, which would bring the benefits of power savings and cost efficiency to network operators.

Samsung and Intel have been collaborating on vRAN innovation since 2017, and the companies have already proven the performance of their integrated solutions in Tier One operators’ commercial networks in the U.S., the U.K. and Japan. In these networks, Samsung’s vRAN software integrated with 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Intel’s previous generation processor) has been delivering performance optimization and power saving capabilities to operator networks.

Along with its ecosystem partners, Samsung continues to deliver advanced virtualized network solutions powered by its latest vRAN 3.0 capabilities, such as 200MHz 3-Cell support for 64T64R Massive MIMO radios, power saving features and improved automation. This paves the way for operators to deploy an exceptional and versatile RAN solution. In addition to its enhanced features, Samsung’s vRAN also supports multiple radio access technology (Multi-RAT) – across 2G, 4G and 5G – for greater flexibility in network operation.

“Intel has been a close innovation partner within Samsung’s 5G vRAN ecosystem, helping advance our goal of working with industry-leading innovators to develop and commercialize best-in-class vRAN solutions that meet the highest standards,” said Jeongho Park, Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to expand upon our collaboration with technology leaders like Intel to bring forth the next wave of vRAN enhancements – including reduced power consumption, automation and increased flexibility. This enables customers to benefit from a host of performance- and efficiency-enhancing vRAN capabilities, delivering one of the most powerful RAN solutions in the world.”

The combination of Samsung’s vRAN 3.0 and 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with Intel vRAN Boost will provide operators with a solution that allows them to meet their demanding capacity, coverage, quality and total cost of ownership requirements while underpinning their networks on a modern, fully virtualized architecture.

“The mobile industry is on a transformational journey toward end-to-end network virtualization,” said Cristina Rodriguez, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Access Networking Division at Intel. “Intel and Samsung have a long-standing collaboration with a shared commitment to deliver highly integrated, virtualized RAN solutions. This new agreement will deepen that collaboration, enabling both companies to jointly speed-up operators’ vRAN deployments at scale and to deliver a strong combination of flexibility, performance and power efficiency.”

The companies have successfully completed interoperability tests, accomplishing a first call on Samsung’s vRAN running on the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with Intel vRAN Boost. This enhanced vRAN offering is expected to be commercially available in the second half of 2023.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

The demands on uplink performance are increasing with the rise of live streaming, multi-player gaming and video conferences. Upload speeds determine how fast your device can send data to gaming servers or transmit high-resolution videos to the cloud. As more consumers seek to document and share their experiences with the world in real-time, enhanced uplink experiences provide an opportunity to use the network to improve how they map out their route home, check player stats online and upload videos and selfies to share with friends and followers.

While current smartphones and customer premise equipment (CPEs) can only support 2Tx antennas, this industry-first demonstration validated the enhanced mobile capability of 3Tx antenna support. This approach not only improves upload speeds but also enhances spectrum and data transmission efficiency, as well as overall network performance.

The test was conducted in Samsung’s lab, based in Suwon, Korea. Samsung provided its industry-leading 5G network solutions, including its C-Band Massive MIMO radios, virtualized Distributed Unit (vDU) and core. The MediaTek test device featuring its new M80-based CPE chipset began with one uplink channel apiece at 1,900MHz and 3.7GHz, but added an extra uplink flow using MIMO on 3.7GHz. Both companies achieved a peak throughput rate of 363Mbps, an uplink speed that is near theoretical peak using 3Tx antennas.

“We are excited to have successfully achieved this industry breakthrough with MediaTek, bringing greater efficiency and performance to consumer devices,” said Dongwoo Lee, Head of Technology Solution Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Faster uplink speeds bring new possibilities and have the potential to transform user experiences. This milestone further demonstrates our commitment to improving our customers’ networks using the most advanced technology available.”

“Enhancing uplink performance using groundbreaking tri-antenna and 5G UL infrastructure technologies will ensure next-generation 5G experiences continue to impress users globally,” said HC Hwang, General Manager of Wireless Communication System and Partnership at MediaTek. “Our collaboration with Samsung has proved our combined technical capabilities to overcome previous limits, enhancing network performance and efficiency, opening up new possibilities for service providers and consumers to enjoy faster and more reliable 5G data connectivity.”

“With demands on mobile networks rising, enhancing upload performance is essential to improving consumer and enterprise connectivity, as well as application experiences,” said Will Townsend, VP & Principal Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “Samsung and MediaTek have achieved an important 5G Standalone milestone in a demonstration which underscores a tangible network benefit and does so in a way that can help operators maximize efficiency.”

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

This expanded private 5G network collaboration follows Samsung’s announcement with NAVER Cloud in 2022, when the companies launched a private 5G network at NAVER’s new headquarters to power autonomous mobile robots.

Wireless communication is an essential part of environments supporting highly mobile workers and machinery. Samsung and NAVER Cloud’s collaboration underlines 5G networks’ ability to significantly improve worksite operations and will include a variety of next-generation applications to enhance Hoban Construction’s workflow. New construction industry-specific 5G applications that will be utilized at the company’s worksite include:

• Drone-based high-resolution monitoring will provide live inspection videos, reducing the need for on-site visits and enabling issues to be detected earlier.
• IoT concrete strength sensors will support real-time monitoring of concrete temperature and strength, providing real-time, accurate information during the curing phase.
• Construction site management solutions will help keep track of construction progress and optimize project outcomes. They will allow workers both on- and off-site to track progress, view floor plans and share updates through visual dashboards.
• Smart safety jackets are equipped with gas detection sensors, 140-degree full HD cameras and safety buttons, creating a safer working environment by enabling potential safety risks to be detected earlier.
• Real-time CCTV video monitoring will help reduce on-site hazards and errors with 4K video streaming capabilities. With wireless transmission support, CCTV cameras can be easily installed throughout worksites.

These 5G applications will streamline communications for human-to-human, machine-to-machine and human-to-machine interactions, helping Hoban Construction improve on-site collaboration and allocate resources more effectively.

“We are excited to partner with Samsung and NAVER Cloud to deploy Korea’s first 5G private network in the construction sector,” said Kap Moon, Vice President of Management Division, Hoban Construction. “We look forward to using this advanced technology to enhance safety at our worksites, improve construction workflow and provide workers with real-time data to allocate resources and deliver better outcomes for our projects.”

“This collaboration with Samsung and Hoban Construction represents an exciting milestone in our efforts to bring 5G to various industries in Korea,” said Sang-young Han, Executive Director at NAVER Cloud Strategy and Planning. “As Korea’s first private 5G common carrier, we are confident that the benefits of private 5G networks will be transformative for the entire construction sector, and we look forward to showcasing these benefits to the wider industry.”

NAVER Cloud has a license for private 5G dedicated spectrum in Korea, making the private spectrum available to enterprises. NAVER Cloud is also leading the project, managing partnerships with the IT companies providing various solutions.

For this project, Samsung provided its outdoor radios, baseband units and advanced core solution — 5G Standalone Compact Core. These solutions support the mid-band (4.7GHz) spectrum dedicated to private 5G networks in Korea. Samsung’s 5G SA Compact Core is a “one box” solution that can run on a single server hardware, ideal for quick deployments and less complex operation.

“We are delighted to build on our collaboration with NAVER Cloud to bring new 5G innovations to Hoban Construction,” said Yong Chang, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our advanced network technology will help construction companies in expanding what’s possible, by bringing forth new tools and applications that will optimize their operations and improve safety on-site.”

Private 5G networks have the potential to transform and improve business operations in many industries by enabling new use cases for automation, productivity and safety.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung continues to drive the industry to advance 5G networks with a market-leading product portfolio ranging from RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

This builds upon the two companies’ initial network collaboration, including Vodafone UK’s successful launch of the first 5G Open RAN site in Bath, U.K. in January 2022, using Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) solution. Vodafone and Samsung are proving stable performance and capacity in Vodafone UK’s commercial network, exceeding targeted performance level and power savings in its strategic Open RAN sites (also known as its ‘Golden Cluster’), located in Exmouth and Torquay, England.

“As we grow and scale our network, we are excited to jointly drive collaborative Open RAN innovation and continue our groundbreaking work together with Samsung,” said Santiago Tenorio, Director of Network Architecture for Vodafone. “We look forward to continue bringing fundamental improvements to our wide-scale next-generation network, to further accelerate our open network approach for 5G expansion across Europe.”

New Europe 5G Initiatives

Building on their collaborative advancements, the two companies continue to grow their Open RAN footprint in Europe. New developments and projects include:

• In the U.K.: The companies implemented Samsung’s O-RAN compliant Massive MIMO radios in Vodafone UK’s commercial network, efficiently expanding 5G coverage in the U.K. With this, Samsung’s 64T64R Massive MIMO radios are now successfully integrated with 5G vRAN, carrying commercial data traffic. Recently, the companies also completed a data call using Samsung’s vRAN and NEC’s Massive MIMO radio, demonstrating multi-vendor interoperability for Vodafone’s commercial network. This illustrates how Open RAN technology can enable multi-vendor integration of vRAN, not only with single-band radios but also with more complex Massive MIMO radios.
• In Germany: Vodafone will carry out comprehensive pilot projects for Open RAN using Samsung’s 2G/4G vRAN and O-RAN compliant radio solutions. In these commercial pilots announced in October 2022, Vodafone will use Samsung’s mature solutions — proven in large-scale commercial networks — to demonstrate outstanding performance, stability and reliability.
• In Spain: Samsung joined Vodafone’s testbed in Ciudad Real, which was created to benchmark mature RAN providers and compare performance across both traditional and Open RAN. Samsung will deploy its Massive MIMO radios and 4G/5G vRAN in CREATE (Ciudad Real España Advanced Testing Environment) to evaluate and verify their performance in Spain’s urban environment.

“Samsung’s virtualized Open RAN solutions are successfully running in Vodafone’s commercial network in the U.K., delivering performance on par with traditional mobile radio networks and providing Vodafone with an agile network on which to deploy new services and features,” said Thomas Riedel, Head of Samsung Networks Europe. “Vodafone has been a pioneer in the Open RAN space and they continue to break new grounds. We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Vodafone by extending our capabilities across Europe, and taking vRAN innovation to the next level.”

Continuing to claim deployment milestones, the two companies remain as strong partners in leading 5G Open vRAN innovation. Vodafone and Samsung are collaborating with other Open RAN leaders, to drive acceleration of Open RAN with wider diversity and multi-vendor, open architecture.

The SCO now supports automation of vRAN deployments on both private and public clouds, enabling network services to be provisioned across multiple cloud environments, and this multi-cloud capability offers a highly flexible scaling option for operators, tailored to various deployment scenarios.

Samsung delivered SCO for virtualized RAN to Tier One operators in Asia, Europe and North America, leveraging the solution to bring greater efficiencies to their network deployment and operation.

“Automation adds incredible value for operators who are rapidly shifting to software-centric networks. With our enhanced Samsung Cloud Orchestrator, operators have a necessary platform to deploy and manage their vRAN with maximum efficiency and greater flexibility,” said June Moon, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This is part of Samsung’s goal to leverage our wide-scale commercial vRAN deployment experience to develop and introduce intuitive tools that take vRAN to the next level.”

For virtualized and Open RAN network operators, SCO enables them to simplify manually intensive tasks from the very start of network creation. It is an integrated automation platform that supports end-to-end process coordination through a centralized portal, where users can view and control the status of their network in one unified platform.

The key process-improving capabilities delivered by SCO include the following:

• Onboarding: Operators can leverage this solution to prepare packages to be installed at each site and automatically perform deployment tasks on a scheduled basis. This allows operators to easily implement their own CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) environment. It verifies package version and file formats and automatically checks for missing components in the package.
• Deployment: Operators can distribute numerous vRAN software packages and containers needed to launch large groups of cell sites with one click from a centralized location — reducing the overall deployment time. It also helps simplify the configuration process of each cell site through centralized management of tasks.
• Operation: SCO can provide automatic vRAN software upgrades, healing and scaling, to ensure the resilience of each network, enabling operators to maintain optimal network conditions by performing these tasks remotely on a massive scale.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

A leader in the vRAN market, Samsung has been contributing to the earliest massive commercial adoption of 5G virtualized networks across the world. The company has been the only major vendor that has conducted large-scale commercial vRAN deployments with Tier One operators on multiple continents — in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

“While Samsung’s 5G vRAN has successfully proven its performance by delivering results on par with traditional hardware-based equipment in commercial networks, we are moving fast into the next phase of vRAN software development — Samsung’s vRAN 3.0,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President, Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “The software-centric nature of the solution allows us to add these enhanced capabilities — performance optimization and energy efficiency — much faster than traditional RAN hardware. Samsung’s newest features will add tremendous value to operators rapidly shifting to virtualized networks.”

Samsung’s next-level vRAN capabilities include the following:

Performance Optimization

• 200MHz 3 Cell Support
  With a software upgrade, Samsung’s vRAN will be equipped with the ability to provide 3 Cell configuration with 200MHz of bandwidth support using its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios. This is more than triple the radio bandwidth support when compared to its previous generation software, capable of supporting an operator’s entire mid-band 5G spectrum holdings.
• Modem Algorithm Optimization
  Samsung is incorporating a modem algorithm optimization approach to its development roadmap. Unlike a hardware-centric approach, modem algorithm optimization enables operators to receive software tailored to their needs, with only the required features and configurations, allowing for an optimized and efficient use of COTS servers.

Power Savings

• CPU Core Sleep Mode
  Available on Samsung’s vRAN software, this feature reduces power consumption by automatically putting the CPU in “sleep mode” — or turning off unused CPU Cores — during periods of low data traffic. When capacity demand increases again, CPU Cores exit sleep mode.
• Adaptive Core Allocation
  This feature of Samsung’s vRAN software assigns a number of CPU Cores at cell setup proportional to the number of active cells. Unassigned or unused CPU Cores are set to idle mode to reduce power consumption and are activated when capacity demand increases.
• Energy Saving Feature Orchestrator (ESFO)
  ESFO is an orchestration tool that manages multiple energy saving features in one platform, optimizing efficiency with no service interruption. ESFO automatically analyzes hourly traffic patterns and optimizes the operating conditions of each Energy Saving feature, per sector and time zone. The tool constantly updates the multi-level Energy Saving operations of multiple power saving features — such as cell on/off and Tx path on/off — to reflect traffic pattern changes and prior results.

With these enhanced capabilities, Samsung’s vRAN can support smarter management and operation of wide-scale commercial virtualized networks, as more operators seek to meet the next-generation network demands of their customers. Samsung plans to launch its new vRAN capabilities to global operators, beginning its rollout in North America in the first half of 2023.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

The evolution of mobile network technology has changed our lives gradually and dramatically. Such progress has seeped into our everyday lives and changed the way we communicate, spend our free time, and how we work.

Until the year 2010, communication was mostly voice and text-based. Over the past 13 years, we’ve seen consistent technology advancements from 4G to 5G and beyond, and we’re now able to enjoy ultra-high-definition, large-capacity multimedia content, anytime, anywhere.

Mobile network technology has redefined the cultural landscape of connections at all levels — between people to people, business to business and industry to industry.

Software Is at the Heart of Mobile Network Evolution, Moving Toward Virtualization

At Samsung, we have been focused on identifying the key technology that will drive mobile network transformation and we think the answer is software.

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen once said, “software is eating the world.” Just like this famous phrase, global industries are being ‘eaten’ by software and this dynamic transition is called ‘virtualization’ in the network infrastructure world. Whereas hardware is the foundation for traditional networks, virtualization is all about shifting to software.

Virtualization lets you transform many hardware functions and features into software, allowing various services to run on a single hardware platform. Simply put, it works similar to downloading and regularly updating a range of apps on your smartphone.

vRAN Will Eat up the Network Infrastructure World

Samsung has been spearheading the shift toward network virtualization and openness. We introduced the first fully virtualized Radio Access Network also known as vRAN. Although vRAN currently accounts for just 3 percent¹ of the global RAN market, it is a pioneering technology that the industry is watching closely.

Samsung has been a forerunner in the innovative path to vRAN, proving our outstanding performance and wide-scale commercialization capabilities in the real-world, leading expansion in major 5G markets, including Asia, Europe and North America.

We supported the largest-scale commercial vRAN for the first time in the world with Verizon in 2020, and since then, have been providing stable and reliable 5G services to millions of customers. We also began our collaboration with DISH Wireless and Vodafone Group, actively expanding our vRAN footprint to new markets, including the U.K., Germany and beyond.

With the innovations that we are bringing to virtualization, we are creating the blueprint for next-generation networks. We are not only committed to advancing our technology, but more importantly, onboarding and growing the best software talents, which we believe is a central pillar to our achievements.

Samsung Networks Chipset: Packaging the Essence of Our Innovation and Technological Capabilities

The power of chipsets not only radiates through hardware-based networks, but also in software-centric virtualized architectures. While most functions and features are being turned into software, there are still integral parts of the network that remain as hardware. Therefore, the ability to pack advanced features into a tiny chipset is one of our invaluable asset.

Our competitive advantage stems from our unique combination of expertise in innovative software solutions and our comprehensive portfolio of hardware combined with our 5G network chipsets.

Samsung is the only major network vendor that has the capability to design, develop and manufacture 4G and 5G network chipsets in-house.

With the rising market demand for higher energy efficiency, as well as support for complex spectrum bands and reduced hardware footprint, there has been a stronger emphasis on chipset technologies.

Compared to previous generations, our latest 5G chipset reduces base station energy consumption by about 40 percent and antenna size by nearly half compared to previous products, and also includes support for multiple spectrum bands.

With a strong foundation built on over 40 years of experience in network technologies, we have managed to stay ahead of evolving market demands, introducing a compact and lightweight radio with high performance and energy efficiency.

Building a Better Tomorrow With Energy Savings Technology

The true value of innovation is not just about advancing technology, but it’s also about pursuing a better tomorrow. Ranging from software to AI and chipsets, sustainability has always been at the core of our product development strategy. Bringing our sustainability vision to life, we are introducing our newest energy saving features for vRAN at MWC this year.

As legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “a good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

As we continue along our exciting journey, Samsung will always think a step ahead, anticipating future needs of our customers. And, as a pioneer in the mobile network industry, Samsung will continue to drive this paradigm shift by jumpstarting the next wave of unforeseen innovation.

¹ Source: Dell’Oro (3Q, 2022)

“Samsung is a key player in the DISH Wireless Open RAN ecosystem, created in collaboration with additional Open RAN leaders like Dell, VMware, AWS and others,” said Marc Rouanne, EVP and Chief Network Officer, DISH Wireless. “Samsung’s 5G vRAN solutions and our shared innovation process allow DISH Wireless to continue the DISH 5G multi-vendor, open and interoperable cloud-native network buildout, as we progress to covering 70 percent of the U.S. population.”

▲ Deployment and testing of the Samsung-supported sites for the DISH 5G network is underway.

Since the announcement of their multi-year agreement in May 2022, DISH Wireless and Samsung advanced their collaboration — progressing from field tests to successfully activating the first live Samsung sites within the DISH Wireless 5G network. For this rollout, Samsung provided its comprehensive portfolio of 5G solutions, including its virtualized distributed unit (vDU), virtualized central unit (vCU) and Open RAN-compliant 5G radios, which support the DISH spectrum bands. Samsung also built new dual-band and tri-band Open RAN-compliant radios specific for this deployment.

“DISH Wireless is an innovator in mobile technologies and we are thrilled to reach new heights of connectivity together, validating the immense potential that virtualization and openness can bring to the industry,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business, Samsung Electronics. “This milestone advances the wide-scale deployment of Samsung’s vRAN in the U.S. and we look forward to continuing our work with DISH Wireless to accelerate 5G expansion and lead the delivery of next-generation connectivity across the country.”

DISH Wireless and Samsung will continue to innovate within the DISH Open RAN architecture to provide their customers with reliable fast service and set the stage for DISH Wireless to offer enterprises a broad range of new services and enhanced capabilities.

About DISH Wireless

DISH Wireless, a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation, is changing the way the world communicates with America’s First Smart Network. In 2020, the company became a nationwide U.S. wireless carrier through the acquisition of Boost Mobile. DISH continues to innovate in wireless, building the nation’s first virtualized, O-RAN 5G broadband network, and is inclusive of the Boost Infinite, Boost Mobile and Gen Mobile wireless brands. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is a Fortune 200 company.

¹ 24,000 delivered as of 12/31/2022

Samsung’s 5G Core solution supports both 4G and 5G networks, offering seamless migration from 4G to 5G. The company’s 5G Core is also designed with critical features to ensure the stability and reliability of the network such as an overload control feature to counteract sudden traffic spikes as well as geo-redundancy support. For geographic redundant deployment, Samsung and KDDI are operating multiple cores in various locations, with each core dimensioned to pick up loads in case one of the active cores becomes unavailable due to traffic bursts or natural disasters.

“We strive to provide the best mobile experiences to our customers through network innovation and our advanced 5G SA network will offer immense capabilities,” said Toshikazu Yokai, Managing Executive Officer, General Manager of Mobile Network Technical Development Division at KDDI. “With Samsung’s 5G SA Core, we will offer unprecedented speed, instantaneous connectivity and high reliability which could bring numerous new experience value for consumers and enterprises. We look forward to continue advancing 5G networks to stay ahead of our customers’ needs.”

“KDDI has been at the forefront of opening up the next frontier of 5G services and we are proud to see our long-term collaboration deepen with new opportunities as we drive continuous innovation and realize technology vision together,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with KDDI to reshape the 5G services landscape in Japan and achieving new 5G milestones.”

The standalone architecture will enable KDDI to create an independent 5G network, enabling lower latency capabilities that are essential to high-performance use cases such as smart factories, automated vehicles, cloud-based online gaming and multi-camera live streaming at sporting events.

Samsung’s 5G Core will also enable KDDI to optimize network slicing — a feature that requires a full 5G SA Core. Network slicing divides a single physical network infrastructure into multiple virtual slices, where each slice is dedicated for a specific user case or application. With this feature, a single network can dynamically support multiple 5G use cases and applications at once, accelerating the delivery of new services and meeting the tailored demands of enterprises and consumers. For instance, operators can create a low latency slice for automated vehicles, an IoT slice for smart factories and a high bandwidth slice for live video streaming — all within the same network.

With the deployment of 5G SA Core, Samsung is providing a wide portfolio of its 5G solutions to KDDI — ranging from RAN to Core. In their collaboration, Samsung has been providing its 5G network solutions which support the operator’s low-, mid- and mmWave spectrum bands — including Massive MIMO radios.

For more than a decade, the two companies have been working together, hitting major 5G networks milestones including KDDI’s selection of Samsung as a 5G network solutions provider and 5G network rollout on 700MHz. Recently, KDDI and Samsung announced the industry’s first demonstration of Service Level Agreements (SLA) assurance network slicing using a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) on a live 5G SA network and the initiation of the commercial deployment of Open virtualized RAN (vRAN) sites in Osaka, which is also the world’s first commercial MU-MIMO implementation with O-RAN compliant multivendor interoperability.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

Network slicing enables multiple virtual networks to be created within a single physical network infrastructure, where each slice is dedicated for a specific application or service — serving different purposes. For instance, operators can create a low latency slice for automated vehicles, an IoT slice for smart factories and a high bandwidth slice for live video streaming — all within the same network. This means that a single network can support a broad mix of use cases simultaneously, accelerating the delivery of new services and meeting the tailored demands of various enterprises and consumers.

“Network slicing will help us activate a wide range of services that require high performance and low latency, benefitting both consumers and businesses,” said Toshikazu Yokai, Managing Executive Officer, General Manager of Mobile Network Technical Development Division at KDDI. “Working with Samsung, we continue to deliver the most innovative technologies to enhance customer experiences.”

Through this field trial conducted in Q4 of 2022, KDDI and Samsung proved their capabilities of SLA assurance to generate multiple network slices that meet SLA requirements, guaranteeing specific performance parameters — such as low latency and high throughput — for each application. Samsung also proved the technical feasibility of multiple user equipment (UE)-based network slices with quality assurance using the RIC, which performs advanced control of RAN as defined by the O-RAN Alliance.

“Network slicing will open up countless opportunities, by allowing KDDI to offer tailor-made, high-performance connectivity, along with new capabilities and services, to its customers,” Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This demonstration is another meaningful step forward in our efforts to advance technological innovation and enrich network services. We’re excited to have accomplished this together with KDDI and look forward to continued collaboration.”

For more than a decade, the two companies have been working together, hitting major 5G networks milestones that include: KDDI’s selection of Samsung as a 5G network solutions provider, end-to-end 5G network slicing demonstration in the lab, 5G network rollout on 700MHz and the deployment of 5G vRAN on KDDI’s commercial network.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

This builds upon the two companies’ 5G agreement previously-announced in March 2021, in which NTT DOCOMO selected Samsung as its 5G network solutions provider. Samsung now adds new radios — including 3.7GHz, 4.5GHz and 28GHz — to its existing 3.4GHz radio support for NTT DOCOMO.

This expanded portfolio from Samsung will enable NTT DOCOMO to leverage its broad range of spectrum across Japan to build a versatile 5G network for diversifying their services offered to consumers and businesses. The companies have also been testing the interoperability of these new radios with basebands from various vendors in NTT DOCOMO’s commercial network environment.

“We have been collaborating with Samsung since the beginning of 5G and through our Open RAN expansion, and we are excited to continue extending our scope of vision together,” said Masafumi Masuda, Vice President and General Manager of the Radio Access Network Development Department at NTT DOCOMO. “Solidifying our global leadership, we will continue to build momentum around our Open RAN innovation and to provide highly scalable and flexible networks to respond quickly to the evolving demands of our customers.”

“Japan is home to one of the world’s most densely populated areas with numerous skyscrapers and complex infrastructure. Samsung’s industry-leading 5G radios portfolio meets the demands of low-footprint, low-weight solutions, while also ensuring reliable service quality,” said Satoshi Iwao, Vice President and Head of Network Division at Samsung Electronics Japan. “As NTT DOCOMO continues to accelerate its Open RAN innovation, we look forward to working together to deliver a richer experience to consumers and generating new business opportunities.”

With today’s announcement, Samsung introduces its new 28GHz Radio Unit (RU) for the first time — as a new addition to its portfolio of leading mmWave solutions. This RU, which weighs less than 4.5kg (~10lbs), features a light and compact form factor with very low power consumption, enabling flexible deployments in various scenarios. Additionally, Samsung’s 3.4GHz, 3.7GHz and 4.5GHz radios are also Open RAN-compliant and designed to deliver high performance and reliability.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s leading mobile operator with over 85 million subscriptions, is one of the world’s foremost contributors to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Beyond core communications services, DOCOMO is challenging new frontiers in collaboration with a growing number of entities (“+d” partners), creating exciting and convenient value-added services that change the way people live and work. Under a medium-term plan toward 2020 and beyond, DOCOMO is pioneering a leading-edge 5G network to facilitate innovative services that will amaze and inspire customers beyond their expectations. https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/.

Additionally, across a distance of 10km, the company also achieved record-setting average downlink speeds of 1.75Gbps and uplink speeds of 61.5Mbps. To achieve average downlink speeds of 1.75Gbps at such extended range, the trial by Samsung and nbn utilized eight component carriers (8CC), which is an aggregation of 800MHz of mmWave spectrum. The potential to support large amounts of bandwidth is a key advantage of the mmWave spectrum and Samsung’s beamforming technology enables the aggregation of such large amounts of bandwidth at long distance. At its peak, the company also reached a top downlink speed of 2.7Gbps over a 10km distance from the radio.

“The results of these trials with Samsung are a significant milestone and demonstrate how we are pushing the boundaries of innovation in support of the digital capabilities in Australia,” said Ray Owen, Chief Technology Officer at NBN Co. “As we roll out the next evolution of our network to extend its reach for the benefit of homes and businesses across the country, we are excited to demonstrate the potential for 5G mmWave. nbn will be among the first in the world to deploy 5G mmWave technology at this scale, and achievements like Samsung’s 10km milestone will pave the way for further developments in the ecosystem.”

As part of a AUD $750 million investment in the nbn Fixed Wireless network (made up of AUD $480 million from the Australian Government and supported by an additional AUD $270 million from nbn), nbn will use software enhancements and advances in 5G technology, and in particular 5G mmWave technology, to extend the reach of the existing fixed wireless footprint by up to 50 percent and introduce two new wholesale high-speed tiers.

“This new 5G record proves the massive potential of mmWave technology, and its ability to deliver enhanced connectivity and capacity for addressing the last mile challenges in rural areas,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to work with nbn to push the boundaries of 5G technology even further in Australia and tap the power of mmWave for customer benefit.”

As demonstrated in the trials, 5G mmWave spectrum is not only viable for the deployment of high-capacity 5G networks in dense urban areas, but also for wider FWA coverage. Extending the effective range of 5G data signals on mmWave will help address the connectivity gap, providing access to rural and remote areas where fiber cannot reach.

For the trial, Samsung used its 28GHz Compact Macro and third-party 5G mmWave customer premise equipment (CPE). Samsung’s Compact Macro is the industry’s first integrated radio for mmWave spectrum, bringing together a baseband, radio and antenna into a single form factor. This compact and lightweight solution can support all frequencies within the mmWave spectrum, simplifying deployment, and is currently deployed in commercial 5G networks across the globe, including Japan, Korea and the U.S.

Since launching the world’s first 5G mmWave FWA services in 2018 in the U.S., Samsung has been leading the industry, offering an end-to-end portfolio of 5G mmWave solutions — including in-house chipsets and radios — and advancing the 5G mmWave momentum globally.

The nbn^® network is Australia’s digital backbone that helps deliver reliable and resilient broadband across a continent spanning more than seven million square kilometers. nbn is committed to responding to the digital connectivity needs of people across Australia, working with industry, governments, regulators and community partners to lift the digital capability of Australia.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

This commercial service expansion by NTT East follows the companies’ ongoing collaboration since the announcement of NTT East’s selection of Samsung as its private 5G network solutions vendor in March 2022. The companies have completed several demonstrations and tests to optimize Samsung’s private 5G network solutions for NTT East customers, leading up to this successful commercialization.

“We are excited to expand our collaboration with NTT East in the buildout of robust and reliable private 5G networks in Japan,” said Satoshi Iwao, Vice President and Head of Network Division at Samsung Electronics Japan. “Samsung’s end-to-end 5G network solutions deliver on the capabilities required to meet the unique requirements of each enterprise. We look forward to continue working together with NTT East to bring enhanced connectivity to power next-generation solutions that help businesses build a smarter future.”

Samsung’s private 5G network solutions provided to NTT East include its indoor and outdoor radios, baseband units and the companies’ advanced core solution — cloud-native 5G Macro Core. These solutions support the mid-band (4.7GHz) spectrum dedicated to private 5G networks (Local 5G) in Japan. With Samsung’s cloud-native 5G Macro Core, operators can build and run applications on cloud-based environments for improved agility and scalability, being able to accelerate time to market in order to respond to customer demands more quickly.

Real-world use cases powered by Samsung’s 5G solutions will span across industries including agriculture, automotive, construction, education, healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications and transportation. 5G-powered use cases will include: Autonomous Guided Vehicle (AGV) to enhance work efficiency at manufacturing facilities, self-driving tractors to support smart agriculture, multi-angle live streaming to enhance eSports experiences and AI-based visual inspection systems using wearable cameras at construction sites.

Samsung also brought together various industry-leaders for collaboration on this project — including Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) — to foster an interoperable approach. HPE provided its 5G core subscriber data management cloud-native network functions.

“We are excited to collaborate with Samsung and NTT East for Japan’s Local 5G project,” said Tom Craig, Vice President and General Manager of HPE Communications and Technology Group (CTG). “Local 5G is a strategic area of focus for HPE, and we have an extensive 5G and private communications portfolio of software and infrastructure solutions. Our solutions are built to optimize collaboration between service providers, system integrators and enterprises, providing flexible deployment models and simplified operations.”

Beyond Japan, Samsung has taken a key role in the deployment of private 5G networks in other markets across the globe, including Korea and the U.S. In Korea, Samsung supported the launch of the first private 5G network deployment at Naver’s new headquarters and was also recently selected by various government agencies (in energy, water resource management and safety fields) and private institutions (in medical services and education fields) for their private 5G network expansion. In the U.S., Samsung delivered 5G FWA solutions to expand rural broadband coverage and bridge the digital divide and also provided CBRS solutions to enhance connectivity on campuses and other enterprises.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

Samsung 5G RAN products to be provided include radios for CBRS and 600MHz, baseband units, and a newly developed 5G CBRS Strand Small Cell that can be deployed on Comcast’s aerial cable lines (i.e. strand). Using the new compact and lightweight small cell product, cable operators like Comcast can more easily and cost-effectively provide 5G cellular connectivity by leveraging their existing DOCSIS infrastructure without having to build or acquire additional cell sites.

“Our capital-light approach to providing enhanced 5G connectivity in service areas where we have a high concentration of traffic and cable infrastructure is smart for our business and even better for customers who will benefit from broader coverage and industry-leading speeds and prices,” said Tom Nagel, SVP of Wireless Strategy at Comcast. “Partnering with Samsung and leveraging their leadership in 5G network innovation will help us seamlessly deliver more next-generation applications and services to our consumer and business mobile customers.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Comcast on their journey to deliver the most enhanced 5G experiences available to their customers,” said Mark Louison, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks Business, Samsung Electronics America. “With this partnership, Samsung continues to build on its wireless technology leadership in commercial 5G rollouts. We look forward to helping Comcast advance its goals in delivering best-in-class 5G mobile services for their Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business customers.”

As the demand for reliable Internet access inside and outside of the home and office rapidly increases, Comcast’s mid-band (CBRS) and low-band (600MHz) spectrum enable the company to supplement its existing Xfinity WiFi network and cellular network partnership with additional 5G coverage in certain high-traffic areas within its service areas. Comcast and Samsung are conducting field trials of their new 5G network solution and are currently expanding these trials to include Comcast employee testing.

Xfinity Mobile and Comcast Business Mobile services are built for the way people use mobile today, with the Internet at the core of the experience. Calls and texts are free, and customers can experience the freedom of paying by the gig at $15 for 1GB, $30 for 3GB, or $60 for 10GB, or by going unlimited at $45 for one line or $30/line for two to four lines — some of the most competitive pricing on the market. Customers can switch between payment options at any time for any line on their account. For complete pricing and availability details, please visit Xfinity Mobile or Comcast Business Mobile.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios, and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on connectivity, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

“Private 5G networks will enable progressive changes across all industry verticals. Applications like digital twins, autonomous vehicles, AI and AR are only a glimpse of the plethora of use cases Samsung’s 5G can bring to life,” said Yong Chang, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung understands the unique needs of enterprises and is capable of delivering optimized network experiences. We are excited to help drive the private 5G ecosystem in Korea.”

Samsung will provide its advanced private 5G network solutions to an array of entities in the public and private sectors — including energy, safety, water resource management, medical services and medical education.

In the public sector, Samsung will collaborate with three major government agencies to help them ensure workplace safety and efficiency by applying smart, AI-enabled connectivity solutions:

• Korea Electric Power Corporation, the largest electric utility in Korea, plans to deploy smart grid technologies and build digital twins to enhance safety and efficiency in the workplace. A digital twin technology is a virtual replica of an electrical substation, and will help with remote monitoring and inspection around the entire premises. This not only saves time and resources spent on actual site inspections but also enables real-time monitoring on the safe working environment of the employees. 5G-powered wearable cameras and autonomous robots will also boost control and monitoring capabilities at various sites.

• Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, a government agency that manages and supports industrial complexes, will deploy a 5G-driven digital safety platform at various work sites. Samsung will help them build a robust, AI-based smart monitoring system for detection of fire hazards and any other security risks or emergencies in real-time.

• Korea Water Resources Corporation, a government agency for comprehensive water resource management, will build digital twins — virtual models of real-world river basins — to precisely visualize water flow and predict water-related hazards such as flood damages. Also, the digital twins of water purification plants will provide accurate AI-based simulations of the water purification process, improving accuracy in water management and predictive capabilities.

In the private sector, Samsung will also work with two of the largest and most technologically advanced hospitals in Korea, to implement enhanced medical services and immersive use cases, transforming the healthcare industry:

• Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital will introduce smart medical services, such as a 3D rendering of computed tomography (CT), rapid reconstruction of medical images and real-time, long-distance surgical collaboration using virtual interaction.

• Samsung Medical Center will leverage 5G to enhance its medical education program. Some examples will include remote training using AR glasses, virtual simulation of live surgical conditions and live-streaming of 360-degree recordings of surgical operation.

For private 5G network expansion in Korea, Samsung will deliver its advanced private 5G network solutions, including Compact Macro, Compact Core and radios supporting 4.7GHz and 28GHz bands. This new project follows Samsung’s recent deployment of Korea’s first private 5G network at Naver’s new headquarters.

Samsung’s private 5G radios are capable of delivering improved uplink performance with optimized uplink feature, which can increase the ratio of network uploads to up to 40 percent. This latest feature is designed to help enterprises upload vast amounts of data across numerous devices simultaneously, which is required in many private networks.

Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipsets, radios and core. Through ongoing research and development, Samsung drives the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio from fully virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools. The company is currently providing network solutions to mobile operators that deliver connectivity to hundreds of millions of users around the world.