Samsung claims virtualised RAN first, accelerating AI-native, 6G-ready nets

As the world’s mobile operators transition to software-driven, cloud-native architectures, single-server virtualised RAN (vRAN) deployments are becoming essential, and to allow the providers to meet these demands and prepare for future infrastructures, Samsung has completed what it claims is the industry’s first commercial call over vRAN.

The CE giant believes that as operators accelerate their transition to software-driven, flexible architectures while seeking more sustainable infrastructure, the ability to run RAN and AI workloads on fewer, more powerful servers becomes critical. In addition, Samsung sees vRAN as helping to reduce the physical space needed for equipment, improve energy efficiency and make networks more adaptable to changing, evolving needs.

In particular, a single-server deployment can reduce the total cost of ownership for the operator. With single-server vRAN, operators consolidate network elements that historically required multiple servers, allowing for simplified management of complex site configurations.

The vRAN is powered by new Intel Xeon 6 system on chip (SoC) 6700P-B processor series with up to 72 cores, running on a Tier 1 US operator’s live network. The move was completed just months after the first wave of the Intel Xeon 6 SoC becoming commercially available and builds upon Samsung’s previous achievement in 2024, when it completed the industry-first end-to-end call in a lab environment with Intel Xeon 6 SoC.

Samsung said that it has been working to push the boundaries of network virtualisation, offering operators “exceptional” performance and reliability. The new achievement is seen as validating vRAN as an optimal platform for next-generation networks, as well as reinforcing its “leadership in AI-native network technology”, unlocking an AI-driven, 6G future for higher network performance and enhanced efficiency.

In the demo, the cloud-native vRAN with Intel’s latest Xeon SoC ran on a single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server from Hewlett Packard Enterprise with a cloud platform from Wind River. The result, said Samsung, was that on a single server of Samsung’s AI-powered vRAN with enhanced processors, operators can consolidate software-driven network elements such as mobile core, radio access, transport and security, which traditionally required multiple servers.

It added that using this vRAN approach not only reduces network power consumption, capital expenditure (Capex) and operational expenditure (Opex), but also facilitates operators’ adoption of AI-RAN and AI services, accelerating their readiness for 6G through its flexibility and automation capability.

Assessing what the move can mean for the mobile industry, Daryl Schoolar, analyst and director at Recon Analytics, said: “This successful first call is an important milestone for the industry. By demonstrating multiple network functions running on next-generation processing technology, Samsung is showing what future networks look like – more cloud-native, more scalable and significantly more efficient.

“This achievement moves the industry beyond theoretical performance gains and into practical, deployable innovation that operators around the world can leverage to modernise their networks, accelerate automation and better support AI-driven use cases.”

June Moon, executive vice-president and head of R&D for networks business at Samsung Electronics, said: “This breakthrough represents a major leap forward in network virtualisation and efficiency. It confirms the real-world readiness of this latest technology under live network conditions, demonstrating that single-server vRAN deployments can [withstand] the stringent performance and reliability standards required by leading carriers.

“We are not only deploying more sustainable, cost-effective networks, but also laying the foundation to fully utilise AI capabilities more easily and prepare for 6G with our end-to-end software-driven network solutions.”

Cristina Rodriguez, vice-president and general manager of network and edge at Intel, added: “With Intel Xeon 6 SoC, featuring higher core counts and built-in acceleration for AI and vRAN, operators get the compute foundation for AI-native, future-ready networks. This collaborative achievement with Samsung, HPE and Wind River enables greater consolidation of RAN and AI workloads, lowering power and total cost while speeding innovation.”