Samsung Networks recently hosted “Partner Day” at its headquarters in Korea, bringing together virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN ecosystem partners ­to share visions on how to stimulate the current vRAN and Open RAN market and accelerate the shift toward next-generation connectivity with a software-centric approach.

The network industry has been facing some headwinds as networks become more complex and the market remains stagnant due to lack of new revenue streams. Samsung invited leaders from various industries including processor, server and cloud platform and held candid discussions on the current state and challenges of the industry.

The event also sparked engaging conversations based on expertise and experience from each field on what new opportunities a software-based network can address in today's challenging market environment and how industry players can go further beyond their success of vRAN and Open RAN.

Representing a wide cross-section of interests and expertise, this event featured multiple speakers and panelists that addressed the current state, challenges, opportunities and requirements in creating new business growth and building tighter bonds.

Leaders from various industries including processors, servers and cloud platforms reiterated the need for more flexible, disaggregated, cloud-native and intelligent infrastructure for extreme automation to efficiently manage operational challenges and help operators build future-proof networks.

Dell, HPE, Intel, Red Hat and Wind River facilitated conversations on AI readiness, importance of automation solutions, vendor diversity and close-knit networks of ecosystem partners to introduce new AI use cases. Supermicro and QCT shared their insights on AI-RAN evolution and how vRAN can be an optimal platform for network AI in panel discussions. Companies also highlighted the importance of a multi-vendor vRAN ecosystem for seamless integration and evolution of vRAN and Open RAN.

A special guest, Bespin, shared its thoughts and real-world experiences on data centers in the AI era. The company emphasized huge market opportunities available for telcos by leveraging their edge data centers, and how vital it is for telco’s infrastructures to be ready for any AI apps and services that might come up in the future.

This Samsung Networks Partner Day, which fully dedicated itself to vRAN, Open RAN, AI-powered network virtualization and automation, is scheduled to become an annual event. Through collective efforts like these, Samsung and key partners will continue to remain dedicated to advancing software-based network innovation and how to weave AI into the network and what goals to hold beyond vRAN. 

During the opening keynote speech, Samsung introduced its future vision―Network as a Data Center ―built on an end-to-end software-based architecture. Simply put, it’s about extending our successful vRAN model and experience across the entire network.

Samsung believes an end-to-end software-based network is the optimal environment to maximize intelligent and AI-powered connectivity. With a data center-like architecture that has uniform software running on a COTS server, a software-based network makes it dramatically easier for operators to bring intelligent automation, reduce OPEX and create new revenue streams, ultimately positioning themselves for long-term competitiveness.

This end-to-end network virtualization strategy also allows operators to have a multi-purpose platform to accommodate various workloads including AI apps and services, which is expected to grow exponentially. Without requiring additional servers or separate GPU platforms, this enables operators to easily put AI CPUs and GPUs at any layer of the network across central, edge, and cell sites, bringing AI capabilities to wherever they are needed.

Also, this multi-purpose and distributed edge platform with over millions of locations globally makes operators efficiently leverage “location data” that serves as the greatest advantage and catalyst for the next big leap in the AI era.

Each operator has a different approach for leveraging computing platforms in their network, depending on which AI model and applications they desire. For example, operators who are already managing vRAN servers equipped with the latest CPU processors can efficiently leverage their capabilities to explore a wide range of AI use cases— with even greater possibilities ahead as CPUs continue to evolve.

Some operators might be inclined to leverage GPUs for handling RAN workloads (Layer 1), or AI workloads at the cell edge for use cases that require specific technical requirements. In either case, a flexible network is essential – and that's exactly what Samsung's end-to-end software-based network architecture delivers. Samsung provides operators with an optimal multi-purpose platform to easily add what they need in the future.

Currently, discussions revolving around AI have been frequent in the network industry, particularly ones focusing on the application of AI to RAN. For example, the AI-RAN Alliance defines AI-RAN in three categories: AI-for-RAN, AI-and-RAN, and AI-on-RAN.

As a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance, Samsung is actively participating in these discussions of how to integrate AI capabilities into the RAN. With our extensive research and work in the AI field, we found that diverse AI apps and use cases lie on the border of multiple concepts of AI-for-RAN and AI-on-RAN, making them difficult to be distinguished without overlaps. More importantly, we need to look at AI from a broader picture for the “entire network” beyond RAN.

In this context, I think Samsung’s current focus and strategy on network and AI is better explained as the concepts Network for AI and AI for Network.

We think that Network for AI can refer to “improving networks to better serve AI,” which is what an end-to-end software-based network represents. AI for Network is about utilizing AI to improve network performance and efficiency, exemplified through Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (CognitiV NOS). This solution provides a diverse library of AI-powered applications designed for end-to-end network automation, including planning, installation, operation, and optimization phases.

Samsung’s strategy encompasses AI integration with the entire network from core to edge, empowering operators to build more intelligent, efficient networks to maximize and derive tangible value. By integrating Network and AI, we can help operators transform their networks into data-driven and truly AI-ready next-generation networks.

The proven vRAN ecosystem with industry-leading partners helps us maintain an open ecosystem, ensuring that our AI solutions are also robust, future-proof and aligned with evolving industry standards. Based on this strategic partnership, Samsung has a strong history of proven vRAN and Open RAN commercial deployments with Tier 1 operators globally, reinforcing our leadership and technical expertise.

By the end of 2025, we will have over 53,000 O-RAN compliant vRAN sites deployed around the world. Our customers who have already deployed these solutions throughout their networks are much ahead with AI because they can leverage their current software-based vRAN and Open RAN to begin adopting AI technologies today.

In addition, Samsung is actively driving the industry toward the AI-powered networks of the future with our long-term partners. We’re helping to shape industry standards while ensuring these technologies are well-positioned to meet real-world operator needs.

The evolution from purpose-built hardware to intelligent, software-defined networks represents more than a technical upgrade – it's a strategic and smarter transformation that positions mobile networks as next-generation platforms for innovation. We are proud to pair our end-to-end software-based network with advanced AI capabilities to enable operators to create more intelligent, autonomous, efficient and profitable networks.

Samsung's Network AI vision lays the foundation for tomorrow's connectivity as we still deliver immediate value to operators today.