Samsung has announced the completion of Open RAN (O-RAN) conformance and interoperability testing for commercial-grade LTE and 5G NR radios in collaboration with Verizon.
Conducted in Samsung’s lab in Dallas, Texas, the series of tests utilized Samsung’s radios compliant with O-RAN specifications. These included CAT-A radios 4T4R supporting 700/850 MHz and AWS/PCS bands, CAT-B 64T64R Massive MIMO C-Band radios, and 16T16R C-band and CBRS dual-band radios.

The tests highlighted Samsung’s leadership in Massive MIMO technology, particularly with its 64T64R Massive MIMO radio, which Verizon has already deployed nationwide in its large-scale commercial vRAN networks. Results from the tests demonstrated Samsung’s ability to handle advanced Massive MIMO radio integration effectively, especially with the more complex 64T64R Massive MIMO radios.

Utilizing Keysight Technologies’ O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) emulator, the companies tested O-RAN mandatory and optional beamforming capabilities within the same Massive MIMO unit, delivering promised performance gains. This level of conformance testing ensures that new O-RAN networks will perform as expected, enabling the full capabilities of next-generation 5G solutions.

Jisha Hall, Vice President of Operations, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics America, expressed excitement about achieving Open RAN conformance across key radios in their portfolio, emphasizing Samsung’s commitment to empowering leading operators like Verizon with virtualized Open RAN solutions.

Steven Rice, Vice President of Network Planning at Verizon, highlighted the importance of O-RAN in their network evolution strategy, emphasizing the benefits of industry-leading partnerships in driving towards a more open, interoperable environment for enhanced flexibility and innovation.

Peng Cao, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Test Group at Keysight, underscored Keysight’s commitment to advancing next-generation network solutions through successful Open RAN testing and continued collaboration with Samsung and Verizon.

Samsung’s support for Verizon’s 5G C-band networks in 2021 and the subsequent establishment of the world’s largest vRAN commercial network in 2022 exemplify the ongoing collaboration between the two companies. This partnership reinforces their dedication to O-RAN and leadership in enabling virtualized open networks with greater flexibility, faster time-to-market, and unmatched performance.