Samsung is supporting Vodafone’s large-scale deployment of Open RAN across 2,500 mobile sites in Wales and the South-West of England.
Specifically, Samsung is providing its vRAN software and Open RAN radio solutions for this deployment, which is described as the largest Open RAN rollout in the UK.
- The vRAN software supports Multi-RAT (multiple radio access technology) across 4G and 5G.
- The radio solutions include Massive MIMO radios in the low- and mid-bands.
- Samsung has fully integrated its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios into Open RAN, demonstrating its capability to handle integration.
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, Vodafone UK. “After rounds of testing and validation, 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.”
“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. “Following this historic milestone in Europe, we will continue working together with Vodafone to take their Open RAN networks to new heights.”