Conducted in Samsung’s R&D lab in Korea, the companies completed the end-to-end data call using Samsung’s versatile and O-RAN-compliant virtualized RAN (vRAN) integrated with Intel’s Granite Rapids-D, Samsung’s Core and test devices. During the test, Samsung achieved significant gains as well as reduced power consumption. The test results will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2024 (Samsung Networks booth, invitation-only).
This technical achievement builds on the two companies’ long-standing collaboration on vRAN, which began in 2017 and has resulted in commercially proven large-scale vRAN deployments with Tier-1 operators. The companies have been collaborating on each generation of Intel’s processors to advance vRAN, including the 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors in 2021 and 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors in 2023. With the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, the companies completed the industry’s first data call on a commercial network within just four months of the processors’ commercial availability.
"As a global vRAN innovator with proven commercial deployments at scale, Samsung is committed to expanding its ecosystem with industry-leading partners like Intel and staying at the forefront of the software-centric transformation,” said Dong Geun Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy Group, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “This first call represents Samsung’s unparalleled ability to deliver the full potential of mobile networks for the future by embracing a virtual and open approach.”