Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with Intel, completed the industry's first end-to-end call in a laboratory setting using a future Intel Xeon processor, codenamed Granite Rapids-D, within a virtualized Open RAN network powered by Samsung's vRAN 3.0. The companies are committed to advancing the capabilities of virtualized Open RAN networks to improve performance and increase capacity. The successful test, conducted in Samsung's R&D facilities in Korea, utilized Samsung's vRAN technology, which is compliant with O-RAN standards, integrated with Intel's upcoming processor, alongside Samsung's Core and testing devices, achieving notable performance enhancements and power efficiency.
This latest development builds upon a fruitful multi-year collaboration between the two tech giants that began in 2017, focusing on virtualized RAN (vRAN) technologies. Over the years, this partnership has led to significant advancements in vRAN deployment, including the use of Intel's processors to enhance vRAN performance across various generations, culminating in the commercial deployment of large-scale vRAN networks with leading Tier-1 operators. Notably, the collaboration achieved a milestone with the 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors by completing the industry's first data call on a commercial network shortly after these processors became commercially available. The results of the most recent tests, demonstrating the advancements in vRAN technology and efficiency, are set to be showcased at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2024, indicating the ongoing innovation and leadership of Samsung and Intel in the telecommunications industry.
