Videotron last week announced it has selected Samsung to upgrade its network infrastructure with Samsung’s 5G non-standalone (NSA) and 4G LTE core gateway solution.
This core network collaboration builds on the companies’ radio access network (RAN) partnership that began in 2019.
Under the expanded partnership, Samsung will deliver a comprehensive, turnkey solution leveraging its cloud-native 5G and 4G core on Dell PowerEdge servers with AMD EPYC 9005 Server CPUs and Red Hat OpenShift, a hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes.
According to a Videotron press release, key highlights of the collaboration include: resilience and reliability enhancements to support consistent, high-quality customer experiences; automation-ready operations to streamline lifecycle management and reduce complexity; and flexible scalability and operations to support Videotron’s evolution and growth.
“Samsung’s success delivering our RAN infrastructure gave us confidence in their ability to support our Core network,” said Mohamed Drif, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Videotron, in the press release. “Their solution leverages open, industry-standard platforms that provide the operational flexibility we need as we elevate service for our customers in Quebec and expand our digital-first mobile and home internet brand, Fizz, across Canada. The cloud-native approach aligns perfectly with our network evolution strategy.”
In December, Videotron’s Fizz began rolling out 5G service in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
“The expansion of our relationship with Videotron from RAN to Core is a testament to Samsung’s best-in-class virtualized end-to-end network technology,” Stephen Wiktorski, vice president and head of networks at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement. “This deployment will empower Videotron to further optimize its network performance and reduce operational complexity, while continuing to ensure seamless connectivity for customers across Canada. With this step in our partnership, we are proud to continue supporting Videotron in realizing its vision of scalable, future-ready networks.”
This expanded partnership with Videotron extends Samsung’s presence in the Canadian telecommunications market. It follows a recent 4G/5G core launch by SaskTel as well as Samsung’s collaboration with Telus to create North America’s first virtual roaming gateway.
