Samsung and O2 Telefonica launch first virtualized RAN and Open RAN site in Germany

Following extensive trials, Samsung Electronics and O2 Telefonica have launched their first virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN commercial site in Germany. This marks the first time that Samsung's 5G vRAN solution is being used in a commercial network in the country.

The first commercial site is operational in Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria, providing customers with high-performance and reliable 4G and 5G services. Over the next few months, the companies plan to expand the vRAN and Open RAN network to seven additional sites in the region.

Open RAN technology facilitates greater flexibility in mobile networks. It is based on open interfaces, which allow network operators to combine network components from different providers and integrate them into their network.

The software-centric vRAN facilitates the adoption of cloud-native architecture, enabling network operators to better automate functions and introduce new technologies and services to their networks quickly and efficiently. This is particularly important for accelerating network buildouts and adopting new 5G applications, including use cases that require low response speeds, such as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) or latency-critical applications for enterprises, Samsung said in a statement on Thursday.

Commenting on this milestone, Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer of O2 Telefonica, said, "We are taking another big step in our Open RAN journey. Together with Samsung, we are utilizing the latest Open RAN technologies in our mobile network. On the way to the network of the future, we are integrating new network solutions to provide our customers with outstanding connectivity. Open RAN is a building block that can help us to automate our network, deploy new updates faster and use network components more flexibly."

Samsung and O2 Telefonica have switched on this first commercial site just three months after the initial shipment of 4G and 5G solutions.

For the initial deployments, Samsung is providing its 4G and 5G vRAN 3.0 solution and O-RAN compliant radios supporting low- and mid-bands (700MHz, 800MHz, 1.8GHz 2.1GHz, 2.6GHz and 3.6GHz), including 64T64R Massive MIMO radios. The companies plan to introduce Samsung's intelligent network automation solutions to control life cycle management.

Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, "Samsung is setting new standards for excellence in the telecommunications industry with our innovative vRAN and Open RAN capabilities. Celebrating Telefonica's 100th anniversary, we are proud to be the key partner for O2 Telefonica on their trailblazing journey to usher in a new era of connectivity in Germany."