In my conversations with telecom leaders around the world, one fundamental question consistently comes up: “How do we make sure today’s infrastructure investment is viable for the future?”

It is a valid concern. In a rapidly shifting market, no operator wants to invest capital into infrastructure that is at risk of becoming obsolete. In addition, rebuilding from scratch with every technological generation introduces significant challenges. What the industry truly needs is not a disruptive overhaul, but a sustainable evolution that intelligently unlocks the full potential of their existing network assets.

This is exactly why software-driven networks are no longer optional — they are essential for future-proofing your infrastructure. This is where Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) comes in. It isn't just for 4G or 5G technology. It's an architectural foundation that is flexible enough to adapt to 6G, AI and anything else the future brings.

The Race is Already On

We anticipate that 6G will support a rich variety of immersive devices — smart glasses, intelligent robots and drones — and realize key technologies like Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC). On top of that, the rise of AI agents and the surge in Agent-to-Agent (A2A) communications will drive network traffic to unprecedented levels. Addressing these growing complexities will require careful consideration of how networks are designed and operated.

The core of this next evolution will be autonomy — an AI-powered network capable of intelligent decision-making and continuous optimization without manual intervention. That kind of intelligence requires AI to be embedded into every layer of the network, including the RAN, from the ground up, not bolted on later. Operators running hardware-locked systems will face a steep climb when that transition arrives: rebuilding infrastructure and retraining operations teams all at once.

The competitive exposure is just as real. Operators who are already embracing the benefits of AI in their software-driven network are gaining operational advantages right now — lower OPEX through automated network lifecycle management, better spectral efficiency and intelligent energy savings. Those gains compound. Waiting for another investment cycle doesn't just mean lagging on 6G technology; it means having to catch up to competitors who started earlier.

vRAN: A Platform Built for What Comes Next

Samsung's vRAN disaggregates network functions from dedicated hardware and runs them on general-purpose servers, giving operators the flexibility to select best-in-class solutions and update capabilities without forklift upgrades.

What makes vRAN essential in the 6G conversation is the flexibility, adaptability and AI capabilities it already supports:

⦁ Flexible by design: 6G's AI-native operations will demand significant compute acceleration. Samsung's vRAN already supports seamless CPU and GPU integration, while also enabling the flexible allocation of these resources to meet evolving demands. Operators building on this architecture today are putting in place the compute platform that AI-driven network functions and next-gen services like physical AI will eventually run on. Adding capacity or accelerating specific workloads becomes an incremental decision, not a full re-architecture.

⦁ AI RAN functions, available now: AI in the RAN is a reality today. Samsung's vRAN fuels the seamless execution of a wide range of AI-powered features under Samsung CognitiV NOS (Network Operations Suite), including real-time network analysis, automated deployment and upgrades, troubleshooting and performance optimization. Operators who deploy these capabilities now don't just improve their 5G networks; they build the operational expertise and data pipelines that AI-native 6G will depend on.

Real Tests, Real Numbers

Samsung views 6G as something to pursue now — not an abstract, futuristic concept. The company’s active testbeds in South Korea and the U.S. are generating concrete performance data. Using its 256TRx Massive MIMO radio with vRAN and 100MHz of spectrum in the 7GHz band, Samsung already achieved downlink throughput of 3.05Gbps via 8-layer MIMO transmission for a single user. Ultimately, Samsung's solution is capable of supporting data rates of up to 30Gbps through 48-layer MU-MIMO transmission.

Among Samsung’s ongoing 6G efforts is ISAC, which is emerging as a core technology for future networks. Leveraging Samsung’s next-gen, software-driven edge AI solution, Network in a Server (NIS), we successfully conducted ISAC trials in Q4 2025 and Q2 2026 that demonstrated how the network can function as an effective sensing infrastructure — mapping environments and detecting objects even in challenging, non-line-of-sight conditions. Networks of the future can extend beyond connectivity, providing sensing capabilities that enhance safety, security and operational efficiency across industries, like smart manufacturing and transportation.

Shaping the Standards, Not Just Meeting Them

Samsung holds six chair and vice-chair positions across 3GPP's Technical Specification Groups and Working Groups — the most within the industry— and serves as the Chair of the ITU-R's Coordination Group. Through this involvement, Samsung plays an important role in defining 6G standards and ensures its technology roadmap is moving in deliberate alignment with industry standards. Samsung's membership in the AI-RAN Alliance further reflects its commitment to shaping how AI gets built into radio access networks (RAN) at a foundational level.

Building 6G Together: The Importance of Partnership and Industry Dialogue

Real-world collaboration is equally important. Samsung is a founding member of the Verizon 6G Innovation Forum — a multi-stakeholder group comprised of many industry leaders, focused on moving 6G development from discussion into field trials and practical use case validation.

Samsung is also involved in the Qualcomm 6G coalition, further reinforcing the company’s commitment to advancing next-generation global connectivity. Alongside other industry leaders, we’re contributing to a milestone-driven roadmap aimed at accelerating the commercialization of 6G.

Beyond participating in industry-wide initiatives, Samsung also fosters dialogue through its own global forums and events. Samsung's AI Forum serves as a platform for leading researchers and industry experts to exchange insights on the latest advances in AI, helping identify innovations that could drive emerging technologies, including 6G. The company also annually hosts its Partner Day and the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit, bringing together operators, manufacturers, government agencies and academics to discuss the future and evolution of wireless communications.

The stakeholders who invest in this kind of collaborative early development will have an outsized influence on what the 6G era actually delivers, and how quickly it gets there.

Setting the Stage for the 6G Era

The journey toward 6G is not only about technological readiness — it’s also about strategic foresight and preparation. Operators who enter the 6G era with AI-native network operations already running, compute infrastructure already in place and teams already fluent in virtualized architectures will be the ones setting the pace.

By embracing Samsung's vRAN today, operators can future-proof their networks, ensuring a smoother and more cost-effective transition to 6G. This proactive approach not only mitigates risks but also positions them as leaders in the next generation of evolution, ready to capitalize on emerging opportunities and deliver unparalleled value to their customers.

Who’s ready to start building for the future?