Samsung Networks has announced that Canadian network carrier TELUS has partnered with it to build Canada's first 5G network that uses Open RAN (O-RAN) and Virtualized RAN (vRAN) technologies. Samsung Networks is Samsung Electronics' telecommunication and networking arm, and it is among the biggest networking gear providers globally.
Samsung Networks is offering vRAN and Open RAN compliant 5G networking equipment for TELUS' 5G network expansion in Canada
Together, TELUS and Samsung Networks will build Canada's first 5G network based on Open RAN and Virtualized RAN technologies. These technologies will allow TELUS to manage a network that is more flexible and reliable and offers a higher performance compared to networks built on conventional hardware. In June 2020, TELUS chose Samsung Networks as its 5G networking gear provider; the two companies have been working ever since. The two firms are now expanding their collaboration from greenfield (new builds) to brownfield (existing infrastructure) deployments.
With Open RAN, TELUS was able to use networking components from various brands that match its needs. With vRAN, the network carrier is able to use software instead of hardware. The combination of these technologies will allow TELUS to be more flexible and use newer technologies faster.
TELUS CTO Nazim Benhadid said, “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. We are proud to be the first Canadian telecommunications company to integrate this cutting-edge technology, together with Samsung and our other partners.”
Samsung Networks and TELUS have been testing Open RAN and vRAN networks in select markets in Canada, and they have seen excellent results with telco-grade performance and reliability. Commercial rollout of this network will begin in the first half of 2024, and a large-scale deployment will happen in mid-2024. Samsung will offer its vRAN software and Open RAN-compliant solutions that include 64T64R Massive MIMO radios and support for third-party radio integration. Other solutions include Samsung's vRAN 3.0 for 4G and 5G networks for improved energy savings and optimized performance. Samsung’s Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) offers intelligent network automation to accelerate vRAN rollouts widely through the automated deployment of thousands of network sites simultaneously.
Wind River will offer the cloud infrastructure for TELUS by using its experience in real-time operating systems and cloud-native, distributed edge platforms. TELUS will also use HP Enterprise's HPE ProLiant DL110 Gen11 servers with 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor with Intel vRAN Boost, which is optimized for Open RAN. It will provide the foundation for a Distributed Unit (DU).
Junehee Lee, Executive VP of Samsung Networks, said, “Innovation is not a result, but a continuous process that transforms our daily lives. 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.”
