Samsung, TPG Telecom to Trial Australia’s First 5G vRAN on 26GHz

Samsung on Wednesday announced that the company will conduct Australia’s first 5G virtualized RAN (vRAN) trial on 26GHz, using integrated mmWave solution, for mobile and fixed wireless services with TPG Telecom.

In the trial, which is the first of its kind in the nation, Samsung will place its vRAN solution in TPG Telecom’s brand new Innovation Lab in Glebe, NSW. Additionally, Samsung’s latest 5G mmWave product - Compact Macro - will be deployed in the wider Glebe area.

The announcement follows the launch of Samsung’s Networks Business in Australia in April 2021, and since then, the company has been exploring the delivery of Samsung’s leading 5G mmWave technologies to the nation.

TPG Telecom, a leading mobile network operator in Australia, operates a number of leading mobile and internet brands in Australia including Vodafone. Recently, TPG Telecom announced its investment of AU$108 million to acquire spectrum in all available license areas in the 26GHz band – tripling its total spectrum holdings. With abundant mmWave spectrum, TPG Telecom will be able to offer high speed data services and immersive use cases for its mobile and home users. TPG Telecom’s extensive fiber assets combined with a network of small cells will enable the deployment of vRAN architecture.

For the trial, Samsung will provide its Compact Macro and vRAN solution. Samsung’s latest 5G Compact Macro brings together a baseband, radio and antenna in a single form-factor. This compact and lightweight solution can be easily installed on the sides of buildings, as well as on utility poles, for the swift build-out of 5G networks. Samsung’s commercial vRAN solution is built on the company’s independently developed stack, and runs on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) servers.