Samsung offers a range of O-RAN compliant 5G radios covering a full set of NTT DOCOMO’s 5G spectrum: 3.4 GHz, 3.7 GHz, 4.5 GHz and 28 GHz
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that the company is providing a variety of 5G radios to support the expansion of NTT DOCOMO’s Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN). Samsung will now provide a range of Open RAN-enabled 5G radios covering all carrier-owned Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum bands.
This builds on the two companies’ 5G agreement previously announced in March 2021, in which NTT DOCOMO selected Samsung as its 5G network solution provider. Samsung is now adding new radios including 3.7 GHz, 4.5 GHz and 28 GHz to its existing 3.4 GHz radio support for NTT DOCOMO.
This expanded Samsung portfolio will allow NTT DOCOMO to leverage its wide spectrum range across Japan to build a versatile 5G network to diversify its services to consumers and businesses. The companies also tested the interoperability of these new radios with basebands from various vendors in NTT DOCOMO’s commercial network environment.
“We’ve partnered with Samsung since the inception of 5G and through our Open RAN expansion, and we’re excited to continue expanding our reach together,” said Masafumi Masuda, Vice President and General Manager of Radio Access Network Development Department at NTT DOCOMO. “Building on our global leadership, we will continue to build momentum around our Open RAN innovation and deliver highly scalable and flexible networks to respond quickly to changing customer demands.
“Japan is home to one of the most densely populated areas in the world with many skyscrapers and complex infrastructure. Samsung’s industry-leading 5G radio portfolio meets the requirements for small-footprint, low-weight solutions while ensuring reliable quality of service,” said Satoshi Iwao, vice president and head of network division at Samsung Electronics Japan. “As NTT DOCOMO continues to accelerate its Open RAN innovation, we look forward to working together to deliver a richer consumer experience and generate new business opportunities.”
With today’s announcement, Samsung is introducing its new 28GHz Radio Unit (RU) for the first time, as a new addition to its industry-leading mmWave solutions portfolio. This RU, which weighs less than 4.5 kg (~10 lbs), features a light and compact form factor with very low power consumption, enabling flexible deployments in various scenarios. Additionally, Samsung’s 3.4 GHz, 3.7 GHz and 4.5 GHz radios are also Open RAN compatible and designed for high performance and reliability.
Samsung has pioneered the successful delivery of end-to-end 5G solutions including chipsets, radios and cores. Through continuous research and development, Samsung is pushing the industry to advance 5G networks with its market-leading product portfolio, from virtualized RAN and Core to private network solutions and automation tools powered by the ‘IA. The company currently provides network solutions to mobile operators that provide connectivity to hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
