Samsung Electronics is collaborating with Vodafone to roll out Open RAN technology across 2,500 mobile sites in Wales and the South-West of England.
The deployment starts in Devon and uses Samsung's virtualized RAN (vRAN) software and Open RAN radio solutions.
In this project, Samsung is supplying its vRAN software that supports multiple radio access technologies (Multi-RAT) for both 4G and 5G.
Additionally, Samsung is providing O-RAN compliant radios for the low- and mid-bands, including its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios. These Massive MIMO radios have been fully integrated into the Open RAN setup, showcasing Samsung's ability to handle the complexity of integrating advanced radio technology.
This deployment represents the largest Open RAN rollout in the U.K. and builds upon the ongoing collaboration between Vodafone, Samsung, and other partners. The collaboration began with the first 5G Open RAN site in Bath in January 2022. Samsung later assisted in the installation of Open RAN in Vodafone's Exmouth and Torquay networks in December 2022.
Using Samsung's vRAN solutions, Vodafone and its partners have demonstrated the effectiveness of Open RAN in Vodafone UK's commercial network, surpassing the performance of traditional hardware-based RAN in urban areas. Test results exceeded targeted performance indicators, including both 4G and 5G data throughput.
Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone UK, expressed enthusiasm for the mass installation of Open RAN and the collaborative effort with Samsung Networks and other ecosystem partners. Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics, highlighted the role of innovative technologies like Open RAN and vRAN in enhancing 5G capabilities and network evolution.
Samsung's vRAN 3.0 release aligns well with the expansion of vRAN solutions to this significant "brownfield" opportunity. This marks a pivotal moment where Open RAN replaces legacy solutions at scale in a high-capacity environment, allowing Vodafone UK to monetize its RAN more effectively in the future.
Samsung's support extends to automating the vRAN deployment process, simplifying cell site management through a unified platform. Samsung's extensive contributions to the 5G landscape encompass chipsets, radios, and cores, with ongoing research and development that advances 5G networks.
