DISH will be early benefactor and partnership will help Vodafone’s recently announced O-RAN efforts
VMware has certified Samsung’s 5G Core network functions as part of its ready for Telco Cloud 5G program. The move makes it easier for telcos using the VMware platform to deploy Samsung’s 5G components.
The validation supports Samsung’s ongoing attempts to boost its 5G core market share. In February US telco DISH announced it was building out its Wireless 5G network using Samsung’s O-RAN compliant virtualized RAN solutions integrated with VMware’s Telco Cloud Platform.
Samsung initially shipped 24,000 5G radios and supported “go-live” on its first Samsung-virtualised RAN-supported sites. Dish is rolling out a multivendor, open and interoperable cloud-native 5G network that will reach 70% of the US population.
Last month, Vodafone announced it would be using Samsung’s virtualized and open RAN equipment to deploy 2,500 disaggregated cell sites across the United Kingdom by 2027. In 2021, Vodafone announced it would be deploying VMware’s full Telco Cloud Platform in its European market operations.
As part of the new certification the two vendors have been involved in continuous testing, certification and validation efforts. The various network functions from Samsung feature dynamic routing, network virtualization, and automation capabilities. The network functions require technical specifications for implementation.
VMware Ready for Telco Cloud certification has been granted to Samsung’s Core network functions, including access and mobility management function (AMF), session management function (SMF), user plane function (UPF), network repository function (NRF) and network slice selection function (NSSF).
Long partnership
VMware initially rolled out its Telco Cloud Platform in early 2021 and has since updated that specific platform as well as expanded its reach into other 5G markets like private 5G and mobile edge compute.
Rival 5G core vendors Ericsson and Nokia have already received VMware certification. For Samsung, it is important to work closely with VMware given the latter’s market presence on virtual core networks.
It also helps the Korean vendor consolidate a market leading position in the small-but-emerging Open RAN market segment. According to Dell’Oro, the top four Open RAN suppliers by revenue for the 1H23 period were Samsung, NEC, Fujitsu, and Rakuten Symphony.
O-RAN commercial adoption
VMware has been beavering away to stimulate the Open RAN market and recently announced it was actively recruiting for its RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) ecosystem advisory board. Given the RIC is the platform that allows application developers to configure, and control RAN elements and user sessions – and analysts Omdia tout VMware as a leader in the space – the vendor wants the new body to: “serve as a trusted forum to collect input from our key customers and partners to continue building a dynamic and innovative ecosystem for the RIC.”
Members of VMware’s RIC Partner Program can use the vendor’s SDKs and tools to simplify the development of their near-real-time (xApps) and non-real-time (rApps) applications. The new advisory board will capture what capabilities telcos want to bring to the network for their subscribers.