Samsung Networks has revealed plans to delve into discussions about 5G-Advanced (5G-A) and more at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in the coming year. Alok Shah, Samsung’s VP of Network Strategy, shared insights during a recent conversation in lower Manhattan, emphasizing that 5G-Advanced, expected to be finalized as part of 3GPP Release 18 around March 2024, will prominently feature additional artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms. Shah anticipates opportunities for power and energy conservation within the standard, along with the emergence of higher-order multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna arrays that are often more compact than their current counterparts.
One intriguing aspect Shah highlighted is the potential for 5G-Advanced to drive another equipment deployment cycle. If realized, this could present an opportunity for operators to integrate virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) and Open RAN into their networks, especially during baseband unit (BBU) replacements. While the outcome of such a cycle remains uncertain, Samsung’s team celebrated the cloud-native virtualized 5G achievements they secured in 2023, focusing on rollout and adoption.
Among the notable accomplishments, Samsung played a crucial role in supporting Dish’s greenfield 5G deployment, contributing to Dish’s announcement that it covers 70% of the U.S. population with 5G. Despite Dish facing financial challenges in 2023, Samsung has established a substantial presence with “many thousands” of vRAN sites with Dish and “well north of 10,000” with Verizon. Shah highlighted the vendor’s progress with Vodafone in the U.K. and KDDI in Japan.
Samsung’s vRAN journey, initiated by Verizon three years ago, has evolved to the vRAN 3.0 software, recognized with the cloud-native 5G innovation award from Silverlinings this year. Shah hinted at further enhancements to the code to be unveiled at MWC. Looking ahead, Shah expressed hopes that in the coming year, early adopters of vRAN will witness operational expenditure (OPEX) improvements, reflecting the cost-saving potential of virtualized RAN and AI in network infrastructure. As carriers aspire to reduce OPEX without significant financial investment, the telecom landscape in 2024 holds intriguing possibilities.
