Samsung Electronics and SoftBank Corp. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly research and develop next-generation telecommunication technologies, focusing on AI-driven radio access networks (AI-RAN), 6G, and large telecom model (LTM) architectures.
Advancing AI-Integrated Network Architectures
The collaboration aims to embed artificial intelligence directly into radio access networks, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and performance. By integrating AI workloads with RAN operations, the partnership seeks to enable networks that can self-optimize and adapt in real time.
Key Areas of Research
- 6G Technologies: Exploring new frequency bands and conducting field trials to validate next-generation wireless standards.
- AI for RAN Optimization: Applying AI at the physical layer to improve network performance and responsiveness.
- Orchestration: Developing methods to harmonize AI workloads with RAN operations for seamless network management.
- Large Telecom Models (LTM): Creating AI-driven systems to automate decision-making and optimize telecom infrastructure.
Complementary Strengths
Samsung brings expertise in advanced communication hardware and software, while SoftBank contributes its experience in large-scale network operations and AI applications. Together, the companies plan to conduct trials and demonstrations to validate the outcomes of their joint research.
Strategic Impact
Samsung Executive Vice President JinGuk Jeong highlighted that the partnership would help define meaningful use cases for future commercialization. SoftBank CTO Hideyuki Tsukuda noted that the collaboration will accelerate the realization of intelligent, AI-optimized networks that are more efficient, reliable, and capable of meeting the demands of the 6G era.
Looking Ahead
This partnership represents a major step toward the future of telecom infrastructure, where AI plays a central role in managing and optimizing networks. As trials progress, Samsung and SoftBank aim to set benchmarks for next-generation intelligent communication systems worldwide.
