vodafone has launched implementation Open RAN inside it great Britain. Under support Samsungoperators replace old technology with vRAN across 2,500 mobile sites in Wales and South West England, this is the largest deployment of Open RAN in the country. The initial signal was in Devon.

technology applied

This telecommunications company has used virtualized RAN (vRAN) software from Samsung and Open RAN radio solutions.

Especially for this installation, the Korean manufacturer provides vRAN software that is compatible with it Multi-RAT (dual radio access technology), via 4G And 5Gand it compatible radio with O-RAN in the low and medium bands, including the radio Massive MIMO.

Samsung has completely integrated it 64T64R Massive MIMO radio in Open RAN, integration is more complex than with single band radio.

In addition, it also supports automation of the vRAN deployment process, making it easier to manage mobile sites from a unified platform.

long-term collaboration

This deployment is the latest milestone in the expansion of inter-collaboration VodafoneSamsung and other partners, since the creation of the first site UK 5G Open RAN in Bath in January 2022. Samsung then supported Open RAN installations on the operator’s Exmouth and Torquay networks in December 2022. This is also a first for the Open RAN ecosystem.

Benefits of vRAN implementation

Using a vRAN solution, the capabilities of Open RAN have been demonstrated on Vodafone UK’s commercial network, outperforming legacy hardware-based RANs in urban locations. Test results exceed expected KPIs, incl downlink and uplink performance 4G and 5G.

“Vodafone has been at the forefront of Open RAN innovation and we are excited to begin mass deployment of Open RAN, working closely with Samsung Networks and our entire ecosystem,” he said. Andrea Dona, Network Director at Vodafone UK. “After a testing and validation phase, we are ready to start a new phase in our Open RAN expansion, and we look forward to unlocking new opportunities that will transform the customer experience.”

“We are now seeing how innovative technologies such as Open RAN and vRAN can further strengthen 5G capabilities, creating new paths and possibilities for network evolution,” he said. Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales and Marketing, Network Business of Samsung Electronics. “Following this historic milestone in Europe, we will continue to work closely with Vodafone to take their Open RAN network to even greater heights.”