TELUS and Samsung forge Canada’s first virtualized Open RAN Network

TELUS and Samsung Electronics have marked a significant milestone in the telecommunications industry by announcing their collaboration to establish Canada’s first commercial virtualized and open radio access network (RAN). This pioneering venture promises to revolutionize the Canadian telecommunications landscape by introducing an intelligent, next-generation network characterized by enhanced performance, superior flexibility, unmatched energy efficiency, and advanced automation capabilities.

In June 2020, TELUS announced its selection of Samsung as its 5G network vendor, a decision that laid the groundwork for this innovative approach to network infrastructure deployment. Unlike traditional networks, the virtualized Open RAN architecture allows TELUS to integrate components from various manufacturers, offering unprecedented flexibility and enabling rapid access to the latest technological advancements. This modular and software-centric approach not only enhances customer experiences but also fosters network innovation and opens new opportunities for equipment vendors.

Nazim Benhadid, Chief Technology Officer at TELUS, emphasized the significance of this milestone, stating, “This is a very exciting milestone for TELUS and the industry overall, as we now have the most flexible way to offer a diversified set of services to Canadians, unlocking new levels of mobile experiences.” Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the ongoing transformation in mobile communications driven by software-centric innovation.

The collaboration has already seen successful testing of both vRAN and Open RAN technologies in select Canadian markets, demonstrating telco-grade performance and reliability. With commercial deployment slated to begin in the first half of this year and a large-scale network rollout expected by mid-2024, this partnership is poised to redefine the Canadian telecommunications landscape.

Supporting the rollout, Samsung will provide its advanced vRAN software and Open RAN compliant solutions, including 64T64R Massive MIMO radios and support for third-party radio integration. The introduction of Samsung’s vRAN 3.0 showcases enhanced capabilities for energy savings, performance optimization, and intelligent automation, promising to accelerate the deployment and streamline network operations.

Moreover, the project leverages cloud infrastructure from Wind River and Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s HPE ProLiant DL110 Gen11 servers, ensuring a robust foundation for this distributed network architecture. Stefan Pongratz, Vice President and Analyst at Dell’Oro Group, lauded the initiative as a significant step in transforming the RAN for long-term advantage, highlighting Samsung’s leadership in virtualized Open RAN technology.

TELUS’s decision to pursue a multi-vendor Open RAN deployment underscores its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, promising to usher in a new era of mobile connectivity for Canadians. As the project unfolds, it stands as a testament to the potential of collaborative efforts in driving forward the future of telecommunications.