5G
Samsung Announces the Next Phase of Its 5G vRAN
2/27/2023
Samsung delivers its vRAN 3.0, demonstrating the power of software-driven RAN with new features and capabilities to enable a smarter, more efficient network
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced the company is bringing next-level capabilities to its virtualized RAN (vRAN) to improve performance and increase power savings. The advanced vRAN software will boast a range of new “smart” features—optimized to address the needs of forward-looking operators. These include advanced capabilities that will help pave the path towards the next phase of network virtualization, including features that increase bandwidth support of Massive MIMO radios, analyze hourly traffic patterns to optimize network operating conditions, and automate networks with ‘sleep mode’ to save energy consumption.
A leader in the vRAN market, Samsung has been contributing to the earliest massive commercial adoption of 5G virtualized networks across the world. The company has been the only major vendor that has conducted large-scale commercial vRAN deployments with Tier One operators on multiple continents—in the Americas, Europe and Asia.
“While Samsung’s 5G vRAN has successfully proven its performance by delivering results on par with traditional hardware-based equipment in commercial networks, we are moving fast into the next phase of vRAN software development—Samsung’s vRAN 3.0,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President, Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “The software-centric nature of the solution allows us to add these enhanced capabilities—performance optimization and energy efficiency—much faster than traditional RAN hardware. Samsung’s newest features will add tremendous value to operators rapidly shifting to virtualized networks.”
Samsung’s next-level vRAN capabilities include the following:
Performance Optimization
- 200MHz 3 Cell Support
With a software upgrade, Samsung’s vRAN will be equipped with the ability to provide 3 Cell configuration with 200MHz of bandwidth support using its 64T64R Massive MIMO radios. This is more than triple the radio bandwidth support when compared to its previous generation software, capable of supporting an operator’s entire mid-band 5G spectrum holdings. - Modem Algorithm Optimization
Samsung is incorporating a modem algorithm optimization approach to its development roadmap. Unlike a hardware-centric approach, modem algorithm optimization enables operators to receive software tailored to their needs, with only the required features and configurations, allowing for an optimized and efficient use of COTS servers.
Power Savings
- CPU Core Sleep Mode
Available on Samsung’s vRAN software, this feature reduces power consumption by automatically putting the CPU in “sleep mode”—or turning off unused CPU Cores—during periods of low data traffic. When capacity demand increases again, CPU Cores exit sleep mode.