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samsung open ran

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Samsung was actively involved in developing Open RAN (Radio Access Network) solutions. Open RAN is a disaggregated approach to building radio access networks, allowing network operators to use hardware and software components from various vendors that comply with open standards. This approach aims to increase flexibility, interoperability, and innovation while reducing vendor lock-in and overall network costs.

Samsung's involvement in Open RAN involves several technical aspects:

  1. Virtualization and Software-defined Networking (SDN): Open RAN involves virtualizing network functions and implementing software-defined networking principles. Samsung works on creating software-defined baseband units (BBUs) and radio units (RUs) that can be deployed on standard off-the-shelf hardware using virtualization technologies like containers or virtual machines. This approach allows for flexibility in scaling, upgrading, and deploying network functions.
  2. Interoperability and Standards Compliance: Samsung contributes to Open RAN by ensuring its solutions comply with open standards set by organizations like the O-RAN Alliance and Telecom Infra Project (TIP). These standards define the interfaces and protocols between various network elements, enabling interoperability between different vendors' hardware and software components.
  3. Centralized Unit (CU) and Distributed Unit (DU) Architecture: Samsung's Open RAN solutions likely adopt a CU-DU architecture where the CU handles higher-layer functions like radio resource management, while the DU manages lower-layer functions such as modulation/demodulation, channel coding, and more. This separation allows for easier integration of components from different vendors while maintaining efficient network operations.
  4. Radio Units (RUs): Samsung develops radio units that support multiple radio access technologies like 4G LTE, 5G, and potentially future standards. These RUs are designed to be flexible, supporting different frequency bands and deployment scenarios (e.g., urban, suburban, rural) while ensuring high performance and efficiency.
  5. Security and Orchestration: Samsung focuses on implementing robust security measures within its Open RAN solutions to protect the network against potential cyber threats. Additionally, they work on orchestration frameworks to manage and automate the deployment, configuration, and scaling of network functions efficiently.
  6. Testing and Validation: Samsung likely conducts extensive testing and validation of its Open RAN solutions to ensure their performance, interoperability, and compliance with industry standards. This involves interoperability testing with various vendors' equipment and verification of functionalities in real-world scenarios.