Orange and Samsung have expanded their Open RAN network and virtualised RAN (vRAN) partnership to grow European deployments.
Following successful pilots running since 2023, the companies agreed to increase their number of vRAN and Open RAN sites in 2026. Previous live network integration of these solutions improved the operator’s end-user experience and Quality of Service (QoS). The deployments demonstrated performance maturity and operational effectiveness that met or exceeded traditional RAN solutions.
Consolidating hardware for better Open RAN networks
For upcoming rollouts, Orange is integrating Samsung’s AI-powered vRAN solution, which features Intel Xeon 6 system-on-a-chip (SoC) processors. This infrastructure operates on single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) servers from Dell, managed via a Wind River cloud platform.
Compressing high-capacity configuration requirements into a single server lowers power consumption, reduces the physical footprint, and simplifies daily operations.
Laurent Leboucher, CTO of Orange Group, said: “From our first call for the pilot project to our current phase in the field, Samsung’s virtualised RAN and Open RAN have proved significant performance achievements in Orange’s networks.
“With new deployments planned ahead, we look forward to further accelerating the transformation of Orange’s networks to be AI-ready.”
Allocating compute to edge applications
Flexible and open architectures help operators dynamically manage network resources and apply unused computing capacity to run AI and edge applications. This method allows providers to handle heavy workloads directly on existing infrastructure.
Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive VP and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung, commented: “Moving forward to the next chapter of our collaboration with Orange demonstrates how Samsung’s software-driven, open solutions are a proven, robust foundation that offer reliable network performance and services to operators and customers alike.
“We’re committed to advancing virtualised and open platforms as beacons of innovation that can harness AI to meet the high demands of future networks.”
Implementing multi-vendor ecosystems demands planning around system integration and supplier coordination. Telcos assessing infrastructure upgrades should evaluate COTS hardware combinations to consolidate workloads, lower physical facilities footprints, and prepare edge environments for high-demand applications.
See also: Why AI is altering planning for 6G mobile networks
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