The large-scale rollout of Open RAN by Vodafone in Wales and the South-West of England is being assisted by Samsung Electronics
This support is being provided over 2,500 mobile sites. Using Samsung’s virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) software and Open Radio Access Network (RAN) radio technologies, Vodafone began the rollout of its Open RAN network in Devon.
For the purpose of this installation
Samsung is supplying its vRAN software that supports Multi-RAT (multiple radio access technology) — across both 4G and 5G — as well as its O-RAN compatible radios in both the low and mid-bands, including its Massive MIMO radios. The fact that Samsung has successfully completed the integration of its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios into Open RAN demonstrates the company’s capacity to manage the integration process, which is far more difficult for 64T64R Massive MIMO radios than it is for single-band radios.
Since the first 5G Open RAN site in the United Kingdom was established in Bath in January of 2022, this deployment, which represents the largest Open RAN rollout in the United Kingdom, is the next milestone in the expanding partnership between Vodafone, Samsung, and a number of other partners.
Following that, in December of 2022, Samsung provided help for the implementation of Open RAN in the network that Vodafone operates in Exmouth and Torquay. The Open RAN ecosystem notched another first with this accomplishment.
With the help of Samsung’s vRAN solutions, Vodafone, Samsung, and other partners have demonstrated the capabilities of Open RAN on Vodafone UK’s commercial network, achieving performance that is superior to that of legacy hardware-based RAN in metropolitan areas.
The results of the test exceeded the specified key performance indicators (KPIs), including both the downlink and uplink throughput for 4G and 5G networks.
“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 of Vodafone UK. “We are excited to kick-off the mass installation of Open RAN, working together with Samsung Networks and the rest of our ecosystem.”
“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.” “After rounds of testing and validation, we are well prepared to embark on this new phase in our Open RAN expansion.”
“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. “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.”
After reaching this significant landmark in Europe, we intend to continue our collaborative efforts with Vodafone in order to help them reach greater heights with their Open RAN networks.
“The release of vRAN 3.0 comes at a good time,” said Joe Madden, Founder & Chief Analyst, Mobile Experts. “Samsung is extending its vRAN solutions to this major ‘brownfield’ opportunity,” added Madden. “The timing couldn’t be better.”
“This milestone is important because it represents Open RAN replacing legacy solutions at scale in a high-capacity environment, and it also sets up Vodafone UK with the flexibility to monetize their RAN better in the future.”
Additionally, Samsung assisted the automation of the vRAN installations process, which helped to make administration of cell sites easier from a centralised location.
Chipsets, radios, and cores for 5G networks have all been successfully delivered by Samsung, making the company an industry leader in this regard. With its market-leading product portfolio, which includes vRAN 3.0, Open RAN, Core, as well as private network solutions and AI-powered automation tools, Samsung is a driving force in the industry for the advancement of 5G networks.
This is accomplished via continual research and development. At this time, the firm offers network solutions to mobile carriers, who in turn give connection to hundreds of millions of customers all over the world.
[…] “It’s great to be collaborating with Samsung on 5G vRAN solutions to leverage our market-leading products for the data centre and tackle key challenges of the telco edge and RAN environment.” […]