Samsung provides extensive open RAN support for Vodafone’s 5G network in the UK

With assistance from Samsung Networks, Vodafone is launching the first phase of its extensive open RAN deployment across Wales and the South-West of England. As per the available information, the Radio Access Network, or RAN, will be deployed in almost 2,500 areas in the UK region. Initially, it originated with the open RAN setup in Devon. It is based on Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) software and open RAN radio solutions.

Samsung offers vRAN software that supports O-RAN-compliant low- and mid-band radios as well as Multi-RAT (Multiple Radio Access Technology) spanning 4G and 5G. Its enormous MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) radios are also included in this. According to reports, a multi-year phased delivery will give Vodafone enough time to remove all High-Risk Vendor (HRV) technology throughout the RAN (Huawei and ZTE) within government timeframes.

It is going to be the biggest open RAN distribution in the UK, in partnership with Samsung Networks. It also marks a significant breakthrough in the collaboration between Samsung and Vodafone. Back in December 2022, the South Korean tech company Samsung assisted with the installation of the first Open RAN site in Torquay and Exmouth by Vodafone. The results were marvelous due to Samsung’s vRAN solutions. They were beyond the targeted KPIs comprising of 4G and 5G downlink and uplink speeds.

In addition to this, Samsung is extending its support to automate the vRAN deployment process. This will be very beneficial for managing cell sites on a single platform. “After rounds of verification and testing, we are fully prepared to begin the next stage in our Open RAN expansion,” said Andrea Dona, Chief Network Officer of Vodafone UK. “We look eagerly at bringing up an entirely fresh set of possibilities that will revolutionize customer experiences.”