Samsung and Intel have demonstrated single-server vRAN viability for commercial networks—a pivotal step in reducing hardware sprawl for operators.
The challenge for telecoms leaders lies in balancing network performance with the need to reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). As operators migrate from proprietary hardware to software-defined architectures, the focus has narrowed on consolidation: doing more work with fewer, more power-efficient servers.
Samsung has recently provided a practical proof point for this consolidation strategy. The company successfully completed a commercial call on a Tier 1 US operator’s live network utilising its virtualised RAN (vRAN) solution paired with Intel’s Xeon 6700P-B processor series.
This trial – conducted on a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) with a Wind River cloud platform – shows that high-density computing can now handle complex network functions that previously required disparate hardware.
The economics of consolidation
The value proposition here is both economic and operational. Traditional network deployments often suffer from sprawl, where distinct network elements – such as the mobile core, radio access, transport, and security – reside on separate physical units. This architecture increases power consumption and complicates site management.
Through this recent vRAN deployment, Samsung demonstrated the ability to consolidate these software-driven network elements onto a single server. By leveraging the high core count (up to 72 cores) of the Intel Xeon 6 processors, operators can run RAN and AI workloads simultaneously on the same machine.
This approach offers a direct path to reducing capital expenditure (CAPEX) by lowering the hardware purchasing volume, and operational expenditure (OPEX) through reduced power consumption and simplified site maintenance. As operators face increasing pressure to adopt sustainable infrastructure, the capacity to condense workloads becomes a key success metric.
Validating single-server vRAN readiness in live environments
While lab tests often show promise, performance in a live commercial environment is the necessary test of network reliability. This achievement builds upon Samsung’s earlier work in 2024, where it completed an end-to-end call in a controlled lab setting. Moving this to a Tier 1 operator’s live network validates the technology’s stability under real-world conditions.
June Moon, Executive VP, Head of R&D, 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 meet the stringent performance and reliability standards required by leading carriers.”
Moon further noted that the deployment lays the groundwork for utilising AI capabilities more easily, preparing networks for future 6G standards through software-driven solutions.
The integration of AI into network operations (AI-RAN) requires heavy processing power. The Samsung deployment leveraged the Intel Xeon 6 SoC, which features Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions (Intel AMX) and Intel vRAN Boost. These features are designed to deliver improvements in AI processing and memory bandwidth compared to previous silicon generations.
This highlights a progression toward “AI-native” networks. Rather than bolting AI accelerators onto existing legacy hardware, the new architecture embeds acceleration within the primary processor. Cristina Rodriguez, VP and GM, Network & Edge at Intel, pointed to the collaborative nature of this efficiency gain.
“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,” Rodriguez said .
Moving beyond hypothetical gains
Industry observers view this vRAN development as a necessary evolution from concept to deployable reality. Daryl Schoolar, Analyst and Director at Recon Analytics, noted that the industry is moving past paper-based performance discussions .
“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,” Schoolar said.
“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.”
This development proves that Open RAN and vRAN technologies are maturing. The ability to run multi-domain workloads on a single COTS server suggests that the barrier to entry for flexible, software-defined networks is lowering.
However, implementation remains a complex task. While the hardware and software stack – comprising Samsung, Intel, HPE, and Wind River – has been validated in this instance, mass deployment requires rigorous integration testing.
Operators must assess their current data lineage and cross-team capabilities to manage these consolidated environments effectively. The migration to a single-server architecture, while efficient, concentrates risk; therefore, resilience strategies must evolve alongside hardware consolidation.
Samsung’s portfolio – which spans chipsets, radios, and cores – aims to support this transition toward 6G and AI-powered automation. Yet, for the buyer, the focus remains on the immediate ROI delivered by reduced energy bills and a smaller physical footprint in the data centre or cell site.
As the industry looks toward 6G, the convergence of RAN and AI on a single platform will likely become the standard architecture. This recent single-server vRAN milestone serves as evidence that the hardware ecosystem is ready to support that convergence today.
See also: How AI-RAN delivers operational ROI for telcos
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