SDN is a network architecture approach that enables the network to be centrally and intelligently controlled using software solutions. This centralized approach will offer greater automation and programmability in the entire network from access to the core, increasing operational efficiency. With architectural shift from a hardware-based deployment to software-centric network design, SDN is highly secure, scalable and adaptable, especially helpful in advancing private networks.

Samsung’s SDN portfolio covers all layers of the SDN architecture including controllers, orchestrators, switches and routers. Key benefits of Samsung’s SDN include:

• “SDN In-a-Box”: Samsung’s SDN solution can serve multiple purposes in a single box, including data center SDN, enterprise SDN and mobile access (xHaul) SDN.
• User-Friendly: This SDN delivers a user-friendly, award-winning 3D-based UX design.¹ With high accessibility and usability, this solution provides a simplified view of an end-to-end network, enabling more unified and consistent management.
• Openness: The company’s cloud-native, open source-based SDN solutions can integrate seamlessly with third-party switches and routers. Samsung’s SDN is based on the Open Network Operating System (ONOS), supporting various types of open interfaces to enable multi-vendor interoperability.
• End-to-End Network Slicing: SDN technology can automate network slicing end-to-end, which will help fulfill service-level agreement (SLA) requirements, even at the transport level. Combined with its RAN and Core, Samsung’s SDN solution will enable mobile operators to offer optimal networks for various business models through company’s end-to-end network slicing capability.

“Networks are becoming more agile with SDN technology in the 5G era. Samsung is proud to take part in this network evolution by offering a full lineup of SDN solutions and bringing more operational flexibility to 5G network management,” said Sohyong Chong, Senior Vice President and Head of Software R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s SDN will help operators and enterprises rapidly introduce new 5G applications, services and infrastructures, driving faster time to market.”

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.

¹ International Design Excellence Award in 2018; Pin Up Design Awards in 2017; Good Design Awards in 2017

Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile broadband networking solutions, announced that it has successfully demonstrated the capabilities of Telco Software-Defined Networking(SDN) in a proof of concept test deployment with South Korean operator SK Telecom.

The proof of concept demonstration was composed of Samsung technology, including a test-scale LTE network provided by Samsung, a virtualized EPC along with the addition of several SDN switches and an SDN controller to manage traffic flow. The test network simulated multiple transport routes within the network, and allowed for traffic to be dynamically anchored to optimal routes for an application or user. Even in simulated node overloads and failures, the SDN system showcased the ability to re-route traffic to maximize operating efficiency and prevent degradation in the quality of user experience.

Critically, the system also enabled separation of user and control planes, allowing more appropriate and direct routes for each. This will play a very important role in enabling dense IoT (Internet of Things) traffic, where rapid growth in device and sensor communications has the potential to overburden unprepared telecommunications networks. Multiple types of traffic were also simulated, including web and video data, in order to demonstrate the system’s routing and data-plane separation capabilities.

“The results of this demonstration show exciting promise for the capabilities that SDN can bring to the mobile network, and we are looking forward to the next phase of this project slated for early next year.” Said Seongyong Park, Vice President and Head of Next Generation R&D, Network Business at Samsung Electronics. “With the help of partners such as SK Telecom, Samsung is delivering on its commitment to next-generation mobile technologies; together with our leadership in other areas, such as 5G radio and NFV, it shows the innovation potential that Samsung bring to the mobile industry.”

“Efficient transport of data traffic through the mobile network is a key area of interest as we strive to meet growing demand for mobile data and differentiated network services,” said Jin-hyo Park, Senior Vice President & Head of Network Technology Center at SK Telecom. “This feasibility demonstration represents an important first step, and SK Telecom remains committed to taking a leadership position in the development of future generation mobile telecommunication technologies.”

Software-Defined Networking, in parallel with Network Functions Virtualization, has been identified by Samsung and SK Telecom as key technologies for the enablement of 5G networks, and is expected to contribute significantly to improvements in network capacity, latency, flexibility and total cost of ownership. This demonstration closely follows on the heels of commercial deployments of Samsung’s AdaptiV Core platform for SK Telecom, including its AdaptiV vEPC and AdaptiV vIMS solutions in August and September, respectively.

“SDN is one of the key technologies for next generation network innovation and cloudification. Through the development of an SDN-enabled Evolved Packet Core solution, we plan to provide differentiated data service experiences to end users,” said Jin-hyo Park, Senior Vice President & Head of Network Technology Center at SK Telecom.

The goal of the PoC, which will undergo testing in October 2015, is to determine the feasibility of separating and independently managing user and control plane traffic in a realistic LTE core network environment. The solution, built on a platform of open-source software, will be tested for its ability to provide traffic management capabilities and determine optimized transportation paths based on types of subscribers and services, while minimizing undesired traffic load on core network infrastructure.

By leveraging this solution, operators will witness greatly improved efficiency in their transport network infrastructure, through reduction in unnecessary traffic, bottleneck prevention and maintenance of Quality of Service throughout the network. Not only will this positively impact the subscribers’ perception of network responsiveness, but it will also significantly reduce the total cost of operation for service providers as traffic demand continues to grow.

“Software-based technologies such as Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and SDN are key enablers for innovative services and efficient network operations,” said Dong-Soo Park, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D for Network Business at Samsung Electronics. He added that, “Samsung continues to look at how the latest industry technologies can benefit network operators and enable the next generation of innovative user services and applications”.

With Samsung’s 5G Vision <5G Vision White Paper>, mobile networks expect data throughputs to increase exponentially, while latency and operational costs decrease. In order to meet these expectations, Samsung is determined to identify key technologies that bring networks closer to its goals. The flexibility and powerful traffic management of SDN are an important step towards Samsung’s 5G network capabilities.

In February, 2015, Samsung announced that it had been selected by SK Telecom to provide its AdaptiV Core <Samsung’s Virtualized Core Solution Chosen to Support SK Telecom’s Nationwide IoT Network> platform to support the world’s first dedicated IoT network based on NFV. Samsung will leverage this experience to apply many of the same principles of virtualized, software-based infrastructure to the SDN proof of concept implementation in October, 2015.

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM, KSE: 017670), established in 1984, is Korea’s largest telecommunications company with more than 28 million mobile subscribers, accounting for around 50% of the market. The company reached KRW 17.164 trillion in revenue in 2014. As the world’s first company to commercialize CDMA, CDMA 2000 1x, CDMA EV-DO and HSDPA networks, SK Telecom launched the nation’s first LTE service in July 2011. SK Telecom also became the world’s first mobile carrier to commercialize 150Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2013 and 225Mbps LTE-Advanced in June 2014 through Carrier Aggregation(CA). In line with its efforts to swiftly move towards the next-generation mobile network system, or 5G, it successfully commercialized 300Mbps tri-band LTE-A CA. As of the end of March 2015, the company has over 17.4 million LTE and LTE-Advanced subscribers. Based on its strength in network operations business, SK Telecom is seeking new growth engines through three innovative platforms namely Lifestyle Enhancement Platform, Advanced Media Platform and IoT Service Platform. For more information, please visit www.sktelecom.com or email to press@sktelecom.com.