Under the agreement, Samsung will provide its vRAN software supporting 2G, 4G, and 5G, along with O-RAN compliant radios
In sum – what to know:
Major O-RAN expansion – Vodafone’s first large-scale Open RAN deployment spans thousands of sites, starting with Hannover and Wismar..
Multi-vendor AI-enabled vRAN – The system integrates software from Samsung with servers from Dell, processors from Intel, and Wind River’s cloud platform for scalable automation and performance.
AI and energy efficiency – Samsung’s automation tools will help Vodafone reduce power use while improving network visibility, a key factor for O-RAN sustainability and cost control.
Samsung Electronics will supply Vodafone with virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN (O-RAN) equipment for large-scale deployments in Germany and other European markets, marking one of Europe’s biggest Open RAN rollouts to date.
In a release, Samsung noted that the first site is already live in Hannover, with Wismar set to become Vodafone’s first fully O-RAN city in early 2026. The partners plan to extend the rollout to thousands of sites across Europe over the next five years.
Under the agreement, Samsung will provide its vRAN software supporting 2G, 4G, and 5G, along with O-RAN compliant radios, the AI-powered CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS), and system integration services. Dell, Intel, and Wind River will supply hardware and cloud infrastructure components.
Vodafone’s chief network officer, Alberto Ripepi, said: “O-RAN is a key pillar of our mission to build best-in-class networks. The next step in our journey is to extend our O-RAN reach to more countries.”
Woojune Kim, president and head of Samsung’s networks business, added that the company is committed to supporting Vodafone’s network evolution “with proven, cutting-edge technologies, starting with Germany.”
The project aims to enhance network flexibility and energy efficiency while accelerating the use of AI and automation in network management. Samsung’s AI-powered Energy Saving Manager will help reduce consumption by dynamically switching off low-traffic cell sites, according to the Korean vendor.
Samsung will also support RAN sharing, a capability seen as crucial for cost-efficient O-RAN expansion across European markets.
“This deal is significant for several reasons. First is its scale: thousands of sites and a multi-country footprint including Germany, the largest economy in Europe. Second is validation, as it involves Vodafone, one of the largest telcos in the world and one of the leaders of the open vRAN movement. This sends a positive signal to other operators considering open vRAN adoption. For Samsung, this is a vote of confidence. They bring their full suite of solutions: radios, software and services,” Rémy Pascal, practice leader of mobile infrastructure at global analyst firm Omdia, told RCR Wireless News.
Commenting on the outlook for the O-RAN market in Europe in 2025, Pascal said that Omdia expected some limited growth, adding that the impact of this deal and others should be more visible in 2026 and 2027.
