Samsung is leading the telecommunications industry's shift to software-based networks by leveraging its O-RAN compliant virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) solutions. According to the Dell'Oro RAN report, Samsung has been recognized as the global market share leader in the Open RAN and vRAN markets for 2024. Central to this success is Samsung's commitment to fostering a robust ecosystem including CPU and GPU partners like Intel, AMD, Arm and NVIDIA, giving operators the confidence to transform their networks.

This multi-partner strategy is the key differentiator that makes Samsung unique. While some often focus on proprietary hardware or limited partnerships with only a few companies, Samsung's open approach aligns with the fundamental principles of virtualization and Open RAN architecture—providing operators with greater optionality, control, flexibility and cost-effectiveness in their network deployments.

Embracing Accelerated Evolution—Industry-Firsts with Diverse Intel CPUs

Samsung's approach to partnerships follows a core philosophy: providing operators with the optionality to choose the right solutions based on their specific needs, especially as the industry launches into the era of AI. This strategy offers protection against supply chain disruptions and gives operators genuine choice in vendor selection.

In terms of CPUs, Samsung has spent several years building strong relationships with key partners, interoperating with its versatile, industry-leading vRAN and Open RAN solution.  

Earlier this year, Samsung showcased its latest collaboration with Intel by completing a multi-cell test with Intel® Xeon® 6 SoC (Granite Rapids-D) on Samsung's vRAN (video). This success follows the companies' joint efforts to successfully complete an end-to-end call using Intel® Xeon® 6 SoC in February 2024 (press release, video), achieving the industry-first milestone a year ago.

Their continued innovation is backed by the companies' longstanding partnership since 2017, having achieved significant milestones – from the industry-first data call using Samsung's vRAN and 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor with vRAN Boost in a commercial network to deploying commercial vRAN networks at scale with Tier 1 operators around the globe – in the years since.

Leading the Charge in Expanding the vRAN and Open RAN Ecosystem

More broadly, Samsung is enriching its ecosystem by working with other CPU partners like AMD and Arm. Samsung successfully completed remarkable industry-first achievements ― an end-to-end call with AMD's EPYC™ 8004 processor (Siena) in February 2024 (press release, video) and multi-cell tests using Siena as well as EPYC 9005 processor in February 2025 (video).

The multi-cell tests verified the capability of AMD's latest processors, paving the way for more options and even higher performance and efficiency in future deployments. Samsung is not only testing the viability of other CPU vendors, but is ready to support operators’ commercial deployment today, thanks to its versatile vRAN.

Because they were completed in testing environments designed to simulate actual network conditions, these achievements represent real-world, commercial-grade capabilities. Notably, the result was solely achieved by Samsung’s vRAN software based on AMD CPU, without using a hardware-based accelerator.

These tests, alongside Samsung’s dedication to expanding its CPU partner ecosystem, assure operators of consistent and reliable performance across different CPU architectures, powered by Samsung’s vRAN software.

Samsung is also evaluating options of Arm-based processors including the NVIDIA Grace™ CPU for diverse network deployment scenarios such as lower power consumption and more integration with other functions. In fact, Samsung and NVIDIA have already begun testing the interoperability between Samsung's vRAN and the NVIDIA Grace CPU, with further performance and energy efficiency verifications planned for this year.

This robust ecosystem translates to tangible operator benefits, including flexibility in technology selection, varied options to match specific needs, cost efficiency based on competitive vendor landscape, and future-proofing as networks evolve toward AI integration.

Advancing AI-optimized Networks with vRAN and GPU Collaboration

While AI is rapidly changing the network industry landscape, Samsung's end-to-end software-based network architecture empowers operators to adopt AI capabilities more seamlessly, serving as the optimal foundation for AI to thrive.

Samsung's vRAN features the flexibility required to introduce innovative technologies, which enables easier integration of CPUs and GPUs at every network layer. It can handle various AI workloads in the CPU or the GPU depending on the complexity of each AI use case.

A key advantage of Samsung's software-based network is that operators can adopt AI capabilities without requiring completely new infrastructure investments. They can leverage the CPUs installed on their existing vRAN servers for AI use cases such as inferencing, while easily adding GPU/AI acceleration to their network for more process-intensive operations including cloud-based training.

Having deployed large-scale vRAN network with global operators, Samsung's AI-RAN approach is commercially available from DAY 1.

In 2H 2024, Samsung already completed an AI-RAN proof-of-concept (PoC) with NVIDIA in Samsung Research's lab, verifying seamless integration between NVIDIA's accelerated computing platform and Samsung's O-RAN-compliant vRAN. This demonstrated how effectively AI can enhance network performance and efficiency.

Transforming Networks into AI-optimized Data Centers

The mobile network architecture is evolving just like a hyperscaler’s data center—with commercial off-the-shelf hardware topped with software-based functionalities.

This approach streamlines operations by standardizing infrastructure, accelerating innovation through rapid software updates and optimizing resource utilization through flexible workload allocation. Samsung's software-centric foundation enables operators to incorporate AI capabilities as needs evolve at fast pace.

Samsung is fully committed to expanding its vRAN and Open RAN ecosystem, ensuring operators access to cutting-edge technologies. With 53,000 commercial vRAN sites expected to be deployed globally by the end of 2025, Samsung brings unmatched commercial experience to the market.

By combining leadership in virtualized networks with diverse acceleration in partnerships, Samsung helps operators build networks that are not just AI-compatible but truly AI-native—balancing today's performance needs with the flexibility required for tomorrow's AI-driven telecommunications landscape.