Samsung bolsters role in Japan’s 5G expansion with KDDI

Japan’s KDDI selected Samsung as the main vendor for 5G expansion. Samsung’s vRAN will be deployed by KDDI starting next year for 5G expansion. The company will provide 4G and 5G O-RAN-compliant vRAN solutions in Japan.

Samsung today confirmed selection by KDDI as a key 4G and 5G O-RAN compliant vRAN provider for their Open RAN deployment in Japan. The partnership with KDDI will help Samsung strengthen its role in Japan’s 5G expansion.

“Together with KDDI, we are thrilled to take this significant step and strengthen our presence in Japan,” said Junehee Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics.

The South Korean tech giant noted that it’s bringing vRAN 3.0 solution, a full suite of O-RAN compliant radios supporting low- and mid-bands including advanced Massive MIMO radios and third-party radio integration support.

Kazuyuki Yoshimura, Chief Technology Officer of KDDI: “Today’s announcement represents KDDI’s dedication to bringing innovative technologies to Japan. We are proud to deliver a cutting-edge and reliable radio access network.”

Key features of Samsung CognitiV Networks Operations Suite (NOS) will also be offered. The features streamline the onboarding, deployment, and operation processes, enabling KDDI to transform its widespread network efficiently.

Beyond that Samsung and KDDI will expand the reach of Open RAN in the coming years. For now, KDDI’s Open RAN network will feature enhanced capabilities for improved energy efficiency, optimized performance, and intelligent automation.