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. ︎

Through outdoor field testing, the companies demonstrated a peak downlink data rate of up to 3 gigabits per second (Gbps) in the 7 GHz band using X-MIMO. The breakthrough was enabled by ultra-high-density antenna technology that integrates significantly more antenna elements into equipment of comparable size. Considered a foundational component of 6G, ultra-high-density antenna technology achieves four times the antenna density of current 5G systems.

Overcoming 7 GHz Band Challenges

As data demands surge due to advancements in AI, immersive services and fixed wireless access (FWA), 6G is becoming increasingly important in meeting evolving global connectivity needs. The 7 GHz band stands out as a promising candidate for future communications, offering an optimal balance of coverage and capacity between the 5G 3.5 GHz band and millimeter-wave frequencies.

X-MIMO technology in the 7 GHz band is regarded as a core 6G technology because it enhances data throughput by increasing antenna density enabled by shorter wavelengths while achieving coverage comparable to 5G by compensating for the shorter propagation distance of 7 GHz.

Strengthening the 6G Ecosystem Through Collaboration

The verification took place at Samsung Electronics’ Seoul R&D Campus, where researchers measured data rates during the simultaneous transmission of eight data streams from the base station to a single user. To replicate real-world network conditions, Samsung collaborated with KT to establish an outdoor wireless test environment. The testing also utilized Samsung’s 6G base station prototype featuring 256 digital ports and Keysight’s 6G terminal testbed.

“Through our collaboration with KT and Keysight, we have demonstrated the potential for significant improvements in data rates for next-generation communications,” said JinGuk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center, Samsung Research at Samsung Electronics. “We remain committed to pioneering future network technologies that will enable diverse services and enhanced user experiences in the 6G era.”

“The validation of ultra-high-density antenna technology performance in the 7 GHz band marks a critical step toward 6G commercialization. By securing stable, high-capacity operation in high-frequency bands, we have established a foundational technology for enabling ultra-fast, immersive services,” said Jong-Sik Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Future Network Laboratory at KT Corporation. “Moving forward, we will continue to drive network innovation in collaboration with Samsung Electronics.”

“This work with Samsung and KT highlights how Keysight’s industry-leading 6G capabilities are accelerating real-world innovation, unlocking new spectrum for early 6G deployments and bridging the gap between research and commercial readiness to enable next-generation AI-driven wireless communications that deliver greater value to customers,” said Kailash Narayanan, Senior Vice President and President of Communications Solutions Group at Keysight.

In addition to this achievement, Samsung and KT successfully validated user-level AI-based radio access network (AI-RAN) optimization technology in a commercial network in December 2025. Including further collaboration with KT on uplink coverage technologies, Samsung will continue working closely with global partners to make data transmission faster and more reliable for users.

Samsung Electronics and KT Corporation (KT) announced they have successfully validated AI-based radio access network (AI-RAN) optimization technology on KT’s commercial network, confirming that stable, uninterrupted service can be delivered across a range of real-world environments. Following simulation-based verification completed in June, this marks the first successful demonstration of the technology on a live commercial network.

As user-perceived communication quality becomes a key priority for telecom operators, Samsung has been developing AI-RAN optimization technologies to meet this need.

Traditionally, the same network configuration has been applied to all user devices — such as smartphones — connected to a base station. When users move through weak-signal areas or travel at high speeds, the connection between their devices and the base station may weaken or drop.

The AI-RAN optimization technology verified by the two companies automatically applies optimal configurations for each user — rather than for the network as a whole — based on real-time wireless conditions. The system leverages AI to learn from issues tied to a user’s movement paths and usage patterns, identifying recurring trends to predict potential problems. By proactively preventing disruptions, the technology helps users avoid the connectivity issues they experienced in the past.

Samsung Research of Samsung Electronics and the Future Network Laboratory at KT Corporation conducted a field test with approximately 18,000 users in select areas of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, featuring varying environmental conditions. The AI-RAN technology was applied to users who had repeatedly experienced service disruptions, allowing the teams to identify recurring issue patterns and develop user-specific network configurations. The companies then compared the number of disconnections before and after applying these configurations on the commercial network. The results showed a significant drop in connection failures among users who had faced frequent disruptions, as well as a notable decrease in issues for other users in the region.

AI-RAN optimization will be essential as the industry prepares for the 6G era, when data usage is expected to surge and networks must deliver stable service across a wide range of communication environments. Because the improvement in communication quality was noticeable at the user level, this achievement is expected to be recognized as a leading example of AI-RAN technology. Moving forward, the two companies plan to expand validation across additional commercial networks and further advance 6G technology.

“This is a major milestone that shows how AI can improve user experience on real-world commercial networks,” said JinGuk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center, Samsung Research at Samsung Electronics. “Through close collaboration with KT, we will continue shaping and validating the next generation of AI-driven communication technologies.”

“This achievement demonstrates that AI can transform network operations around users,” said Jong-Sik Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Future Network Laboratory at KT Corporation. “Together with Samsung, we will continue developing customized optimization technologies to deliver stable, uninterrupted service and drive core 6G capabilities that create new value for customers.”

Samsung is leading AI-driven 6G innovation through its research on AI-RAN technology, integrating advanced AI capabilities into wireless networks. The company will continue to strengthen collaboration with both domestic and global operators and partners to further enhance user experiences in next-generation communications.

Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom (SKT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop core 6G technologies, with a primary focus on artificial intelligence-based radio access network (AI-RAN) technology.

The companies will develop and test key technologies for the 6G era including AI-based channel estimation, distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission, AI-RAN-based schedulers and core network architectures.

Samsung Research of Samsung Electronics and the Network Technology Office of SK Telecom will lead the collaboration.

AI-based channel estimation predicts and corrects signal transmission in real time, enhancing network performance by enabling faster, more accurate data delivery in environments where radio waves are distorted by obstacles such as buildings or walls.

Unlike traditional architectures where a single base station handles data processing, distributed MIMO technology allows multiple base stations or antennas to work together to transmit and receive data. This approach supports reliable, ultra-high-speed communication across both urban and rural areas.

AI-RAN schedulers and AI-based core networks determine when, where and how to send data, ensuring efficient resource allocation even when many user devices are connected. These technologies are key to improving network quality and driving automation in a future hyperconnected society.

Through this partnership, Samsung Research will develop AI-RAN technologies including AI-based channel estimation models, schedulers and distributed MIMO. SKT will lead data provision and test infrastructure setup based on its nationwide network operations.

The companies are also collaborating as members of the AI-RAN Alliance. They jointly proposed an AI-based channel estimation technology that was officially approved as a work item. This month, they presented their research outcomes at the alliance’s all-member meeting, continuing their joint efforts.

“Through field-focused collaboration with SKT, we will be able to verify the effectiveness of AI-based wireless technologies in real-world settings and secure key AI-RAN technologies at an early stage,” said JinGuk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC), Samsung Research at Samsung Electronics. “We hope that continued collaboration between our companies will help pave the way for the rollout of 6G.”

“The convergence of AI and wireless communications will be crucial to 6G competitiveness,” said Takki Yu, Vice President of SK Telecom Network Technology Office. “Through our collaboration with Samsung Electronics, we plan to secure world-class AI-RAN-based 6G technologies and lead the global 6G ecosystem.”

Since establishing the ACRC in 2019, Samsung has pursued full-scale 6G research and published the 6G White Paper and 6G Spectrum White Paper — presenting its vision and direction for next-generation communications. At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, the company showcased a range of demonstrations in collaboration with the AI-RAN Alliance. Following last year, Samsung again hosted the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit in November to advance AI-RAN research and strengthen industry collaboration.

The two companies will categorize next-generation communications technologies into four candidate areas — 6G, AI for RAN, AI and RAN, and Large Telecom Model (LTM) — and collaborate on select fields to drive future innovation. Leveraging their advanced technological expertise and network deployment capabilities, they plan to identify new use cases, jointly develop core technologies and demonstrate the technologies’ effectiveness.

This year marks a significant push toward 6G standardization, with discussions emerging on new frequency bands such as the 7GHz spectrum. Under the “AI for RAN” concept, AI-RAN technologies are expected to play a pivotal role in optimizing wireless networks.

Moreover, AI-RAN orchestration technologies under the “AI and RAN” concept — designed to seamlessly integrate AI workloads with base station workloads and operate them efficiently — hold significant potential for network optimization and enhanced user experiences. The use of Generative AI within communications networks is being considered a viable area of research as well.

“Through this collaboration with SoftBank, we aim to define meaningful use cases for both operators and end users, while securing key technologies for future commercialization,” said JinGuk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC) at Samsung Research. “Building on our advanced expertise in AI-RAN and 6G, Samsung will continue to lead innovation in next-generation communications.”

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Samsung, a global leader in communications technologies. By combining our advanced expertise, we will accelerate the realization of next-generation networks that evolve to become more efficient and highly reliable through AI-RAN,” said Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO, SoftBank Corp. “SoftBank remains committed to taking on the challenge of building the next-generation social infrastructure essential for a future society where AI and humans coexist.”

Samsung Electronics continues to lead research in 6G and AI-powered communications technologies through its ACRC under Samsung Research. In November, the company plans to host the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit, an event aimed at fostering dialogue among industry leaders, academia and government organizations on AI-RAN research.

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.

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.

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.

Following the first 6G white paper “The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All.” in July 2020, this white paper covers the latest trends driving 6G standardization and next-generation mobile communications — including evolving market and technology needs, emerging services, key attributes of 6G and enabling technologies.

Samsung aims to integrate the latest AI technology throughout the telecommunication system and improve network quality for a future-oriented and sustainable user experience.

“We are intensifying our 6G research efforts, focusing on AI-enabled communication technologies and sustainable networks,” said Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President of Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC), Samsung Research. “As the telecommunication industry accelerates 6G standardization this year, Samsung will develop technologies to align with market demands.”

Market and Technology Trends Toward 6G

Mobile data traffic has surged, driven by the proliferation of AI technologies and the rise of streaming services. Now more than ever, there is a pressing need for technological advancements to manage increased data traffic and enhance user experiences in next-generation mobile communications.

Since the introduction of 5G, the telecommunications industry has been particularly focused on optimizing system operations, sustainability and user experiences. Beyond communication performance improvements such as data rates and latency, there is an urgency to reduce operating costs, enhance energy efficiency, expand service coverage and introduce innovative technologies such as AI.

Emerging Services

5G-Advanced will provide further enhanced 5G performance and incorporate AI to support new services and use cases — ultimately becoming the foundation for 6G technology.

In this white paper, some key emerging services such as immersive extended reality (XR), digital twin, massive communication, ubiquitous connectivity and fixed wireless access (FWA) are highlighted.

6G Key Attributes

In the white paper, Samsung highlighted four key attributes crucial to adapting to evolving market demands — AI-native, sustainable network, ubiquitous coverage and secure and resilient network.

6G Timeline

With the release of this white paper, Samsung solidifies its leadership in shaping the direction of 6G research and key technologies.

The telecommunications industry and standardization organizations have been researching 6G since 2020. In 2030, the 6G technology standards are expected to be finalized — following candidate technology development, evaluation and consensus-building processes. With the recent timelines from the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R)¹ and 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP),² momentum for 6G research and development is expected to intensify.

Samsung will continue to lead global standardization efforts and prepare for the 6G era while incorporating lessons learned from 5G commercialization and adapting to new market requirements.

Last November, Samsung held the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit and hosted an in-depth discussion with industry experts on the convergence of telecommunications and AI technologies. The company demonstrated AI-RAN technologies and Proof of Concept (PoC) results, showcasing the possibilities of AI-native technologies and garnering significant interest from major telecommunications operators.

¹ ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies with memberships of 193 Member States and more than 1,000 companies, universities, research institutes and international and regional organizations. The ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is responsible for regulating and standardizing global radio communication.
² 3GPP is dedicated to developing the global unified technical specifications for mobile communications.

Samsung Electronics is accelerating preparations for future communications by integrating AI technology into the entire Radio Access Network (RAN), from radio units (responsible for conversion between analog and digital signals at base stations, antennas, etc.) and digital units (including modems for digital signal modulation and demodulation, schedulers for resource allocation, etc.) to system operation, thereby advancing the convergence of telecommunications and AI technologies.

In mobile communication networks, RAN, which connects mobile phones to the core network, is a critical component that determines user experience in terms of transmission speed and communication quality. As RAN accounts for the largest share of energy usage among the entire communication network, including core networks and data centers, the need for energy-saving technology is also high.

Samsung is conducting research on AI-RAN technology, which integrates AI technology into RAN. In particular, at the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit held last November, AI-RAN technologies were demonstrated in collaboration with industry partners, showcasing capabilities to improve base station data throughput (i.e., the amount of data successfully transmitted by a base station over a certain period), communication coverage (i.e., the geographical range where communication services provided by a base station are available) and energy efficiency, among others.

One example is to utilize AI technology to improve the performance of channel estimation technology for estimating the state of wireless channels where data is transmitted between base stations and mobile phones. The result showed that the downlink data throughput from the base station to the mobile phone and the uplink data throughput from the mobile phone to the base station were significantly improved compared to 5G RAN.

In addition, it was shown that energy efficiency was enhanced by applying power adaptively according to the strength of transmitted signals.

These industry-first demonstrations shown to telecommunications operators with Proof of Concept (PoC) results applying AI across the entire RAN have identified AI’s potential to significantly enhance communication performance, user experience and energy efficiency in future communication networks.

“We thank our partners for collaboration on these ground-breaking AI wireless innovations,” said Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President at Samsung Research America (SRA) and Head of the 6G Research Team at Samsung Research. “Samsung Electronics will continue to work with our ecosystem partners to lead innovation in making AI-RAN a reality in the coming years.”

Leaders from major global wireless operators were very pleased with the promising results of integrating the latest AI technology into the design of future RAN and appreciated Samsung’s efforts in leading the industry efforts on the AI-Native wireless technology.

Additionally, leaders from Samsung’s global partners, who were also collaborators for these demonstrations, were thrilled to be part of the collective effort in leading the way toward an AI-Native next generation network and shared their vision on how AI can help shape the future of wireless communications.

The successful demos are widely recognized as a promising starting point of industry collaboration to bring AI-Native Wireless to future radio access networks. Samsung plans to build on the innovation momentum and continue to work with partners in the ecosystem through industry associations such as AI-RAN Alliance, where Samsung is a founding member, to enhance user experiences by making the promise of AI in RAN a reality.

Samsung Electronics today hosted the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit under the theme “Future Wireless for the AI Era” in Mountain View, California.

Following the announcement of 5G-Advanced standards by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP¹) in March, the industry anticipates an expanded application of AI technology in telecommunications. In particular, as preparations for 6G communications intensify, interest in next-generation communication technologies utilizing AI continues to grow.

In this environment, Samsung Electronics organized the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit to share the vision and possibilities that come with a communications system that applies AI technology.

The event attracted approximately 80 distinguished participants, including representatives from major telecommunications operators, manufacturers, government agencies and academia from various countries, who engaged in comprehensive discussions about the trajectory of research and technologies for AI-native² communications.

“Since the introduction of 5G, the telecommunications market has increasingly focused on enhancing user experience alongside performance improvements through innovative technologies like AI and energy efficiency advancements,” said Angelo Jeongho Park, Vice President of Samsung Research’s Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Electronics. “Starting with this summit, we will help industry and academic leaders to work together to continue the much-needed research already being carried out on the convergence of AI and wireless communication technologies, making the user experience even better.”

Sharing Developments in AI-Native Communication Technology: The Direction of Next-Gen Communication Research

The summit commenced with a keynote presentation from industry experts titled, “Shaping the Future of Next Generation Mobile Communication,” followed by three main sessions: “AI-Native Communication,” “Sustainability: Energy Saving & Efficiency,” and “Innovations to Drive Future Wireless.” Each session included panel discussions, facilitating dynamic exchanges between participants through Q&A sessions and active debates.

In “AI-Native Communication,” participants carried out an in-depth discussion on the potential benefits of AI-Native being applied to all areas of telecommunications, as well as emerging services and key challenges that require resolution.

“Sustainability: Energy Saving & Efficiency” focused on key technologies and required research for sustainable 6G communication systems that are emerging as major technical trends — including energy savings and efficiency improvements.

Later on, the discussions between panelists at “Innovations to Drive Future Wireless” explored the 6G network architecture innovations needed to provide services and user experiences that are more differentiated than those provided by 5G.

The technical demonstration session that closed out the day introduced AI radio access network (RAN) technology that has been jointly developed by Samsung Electronics and its partners. The cutting-edge technology that applies AI to RAN enhances base station quality by optimizing key performance factors such as spectral efficiency and energy efficiency.

The event facilitated the valuable exchange of information between key players while also addressing the path forward for the industry, which will see the convergence of AI and wireless communication technologies.

Improving User Experiences With AI-Native Next-Gen Communication Technology

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics continues its efforts to expand the global influence of next-generation communication technologies utilizing AI.

In February this year, the company served as a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance, currently holding board membership and vice chairing the AI on RAN working group. In July, Samsung secured the chairpersonship of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 6G standardization group in the radio communication sector, demonstrating its commitment to 6G research and ecosystem development. The company has also been reappointed as vice chair of the board of directors at Next G Alliance (NGA), strengthening its leadership in AI-native communications technology even further.

Additionally, the company actively solidified its collaborative efforts in August, when it signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese mobile carrier NTT DOCOMO for joint research on the application of AI in next-generation communications.

¹ 3GPP is dedicated to developing the global unified technical specifications for mobile communications.
² AI-native technologies are fundamentally designed and built around AI from inception, rather than having AI added at a later stage.

Officially launched at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2024 today, the AI-RAN Alliance is an organization aimed at revitalizing the convergence of AI and wireless communication and leading technology innovation through cooperation with related companies. A total of eleven organizations — including Samsung, Arm, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, NVIDIA, SoftBank and Northeastern University — are participating as founding members. This new alliance will collaborate on the development of innovative new technologies, as well as the application of these technologies to commercial products in preparation for the upcoming 6G era.

“Emerging services in the 6G era will revolutionize the way people interact with technology, and AI will be an integral part of this trend,” said Charlie Zhang, Senior Vice President at Samsung Research America. “The AI-RAN Alliance will foster collaboration, drive innovation and usher in a new era of transformation around AI and 6G networks. We believe this coalition will create new value for end users and operators through AI-based use cases and innovations.”

The AI-RAN Alliance aims to combine AI and wireless communication technologies for application in various fields, create an ecosystem, and ultimately expand opportunities for new businesses. To this end, it has established three working groups that carry out technical research: AI for RAN, AI and RAN, and AI on RAN. AI for RAN will focus on technology utilizing AI/ML² to improve spectrum, cost and energy efficiency of RAN. AI and RAN will focus on AI and radio network convergence technology for both efficient resource management and maximizing infrastructure utilization. AI on RAN will focus on discovering new AI applications and services in wireless networks. The results of these activities — such as technical reports and white papers — are expected to greatly contribute to the standardization and commercialization of 6G in the future. This includes the discovery of new services, technical requirements and specifications.

Samsung is planning to use this alliance activity to lead technological convergence and service innovation that combines AI with wireless communication technology. The company is also committed to leading the 6G ecosystem with its industry-leading position in AI and wireless communication solutions, such as semiconductors, AI hardware and software technologies, wireless communication systems and terminals.

Samsung Research initially spearheaded the development of 6G technologies by establishing the Advanced Communications Research Center (ACRC) in May 2019. Since that time, Samsung Research has established itself as an early leader of 6G research through the publication of the 6G white paper and the 6G spectrum white paper in July 2020 and May 2022, respectively. In May 2022, Samsung hosted the inaugural Samsung 6G Forum, demonstrating its leadership in next-generation communication research and development.

Samsung Research has been continuously evolving its 6G technology strategies to adapt to the changing telecom industry landscape. In particular, as related to the AI-RAN Alliance, Samsung Research envisions AI-Native to be a key attribute of future 6G networks. Samsung Research believes with AI being a natural part of the 6G system functionality, the future network will have significantly improved capacity and coverage, and become fully automated and highly energy-efficient. Going forward, Samsung Research will continue to lead innovations with the goal of the successful launch and commercialization of next-generation communication systems in the future.

For more information about the AI-RAN Alliance, please visit https://ai-ran.org/.

¹ AI-RAN stands for Artificial Intelligence-Radio Access Network.
² AI/ML stands for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.