Samsung Electronics, on Wednesday, announced that it is supplying a variety of 5G radios to support NTT DOCOMO's Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) expansion plans. It's been more than a year since Samsung and NTT Docomo signed a 5G Agreement. Now Samsung is adding new radios – including 3.7 GHz, 4.5 GHz and 28 GHz – to its existing 3.4 GHz radio support to DoCoMo. The radios support NTT DoCoMo's open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) expansion and cover all of the Time Division Duplex (TDD) spectrum bands held by the operator.
As Samsung expands its portfolio, this will benefit NTT DOCOMO to leverage its spectrum portfolio and will be able to develop a versatile 5G network and expand the services it offers to consumers and companies throughout Japan. The companies have also tested the interoperability of these new radios with base-bands from different vendors in the commercial network environment of NTT DOCOMO.
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Commenting on the development, Masafumi Masuda, Vice President and General Manager of the Radio Access Network Development Department at NTT DOCOMO, said: "We have been collaborating with Samsung since the beginning of 5G and through our Open RAN expansion, and we are excited to continue extending our scope of vision together. Solidifying our global leadership, we will continue to build momentum around our Open RAN innovation and to provide highly scalable and flexible networks to respond quickly to the evolving demands of our customers."
Satoshi Iwao, Vice President and Head of Network Division at Samsung Electronics Japan, said: "Japan is home to one of the world's most densely populated areas with numerous skyscrapers and complex infrastructure. Samsung's industry-leading 5G radios portfolio meets the demands of low-footprint, low-weight solutions, while also ensuring reliable service quality. As NTT DOCOMO continues to accelerate its Open RAN innovation, we look forward to working together to deliver a richer experience to consumers and generating new business opportunities."
Samsung Introduces New 28 GHz Radio Unit (RU)
With this announcement, Samsung also introduced its new 28 GHz Radio Unit (RU) as part of its portfolio of millimeter wave solutions. According to Samsung, the new RU, which weighs less than 4.5 kg, or about 10 pounds, features a light and compact form factor with very low power consumption, enabling flexible deployments in various scenarios. Samsung's 3.4 GHz, 3.7 GHz and 4.5 GHz radios are also open RAN-compliant.
