Orange and Samsung have expanded their partnership around Open RAN and virtualised RAN (vRAN) to accelerate deployments across Europe.
After successful pilots that began in 2023, the two companies have agreed to increase the number of vRAN and Open RAN sites in 2026. Live network integrations during those trials improved end-user experience and overall Quality of Service (QoS). The deployments showed performance maturity and operational effectiveness that matched or exceeded traditional RAN solutions.
Consolidating hardware for better Open RAN networks
For the next wave of rollouts, Orange will deploy Samsung’s AI-powered vRAN solution built around Intel Xeon 6 system-on-a-chip (SoC) processors. That solution runs on single commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) servers from Dell and is managed through a Wind River cloud platform.
By compressing high-capacity requirements onto a single server, operators can lower power consumption, reduce footprint, and simplify day-to-day operations.
Laurent Leboucher, CTO of Orange Group, said that from the initial pilot call to the current field phase, Samsung’s virtualised and Open RAN technologies have delivered significant performance gains within Orange’s networks.
“With new deployments planned, we look forward to accelerating the transformation of Orange’s networks to be AI-ready,” he added.
Allocating compute to edge applications
Flexible, open architectures allow operators to dynamically manage network resources and repurpose unused compute capacity to run AI and edge applications. This approach enables providers to process heavy workloads directly on existing infrastructure, improving efficiency and reducing the need for separate systems.
Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive VP and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung, commented that the next chapter of collaboration with Orange shows how Samsung’s software-driven, open solutions form a robust foundation to deliver reliable network performance and services to operators and customers.
“We are committed to advancing virtualised and open platforms as engines of innovation that harness AI to meet the demands of future networks,” he said.
Implementing multi-vendor ecosystems requires careful planning around systems integration and supplier coordination. Operators evaluating infrastructure upgrades should assess COTS hardware combinations to consolidate workloads, reduce physical facility footprints, and ready edge environments for high-demand applications.
See also: Why AI is altering planning for 6G mobile networks
Interested in learning about the IoT from industry experts? Explore IoT Tech Expo, held in Amsterdam, California, and London. This event is part of TechEx and is co-located with other major technology events including AI & Big Data Expo and the Cyber Security Expo.
Telecoms coverage is produced by TechForge Media. Discover other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars within their event programme.