Ongo Alliance Member Spotlight: Samsung Networks

What verticals do you see as having the most potential for your business with OnGo?

Using OnGo certified products is a faster way to deploy networks that can meet operators' needs for supporting mobility, fixed, and private network services. Compared to cable and fiber-based solutions, service providers can quickly deploy and offer cost-effective wireless internet service by augmenting their existing cellular sites with either new radios or software upgrades to existing radios. With CBRS, homes and businesses will be more interconnected than ever before.

Samsung sees several demands where CBRS can meet for a variety of vertical markets:

Demand 1: Privacy and security demands

Demand 2: Maintain connectivity between applications while moving

Demand 3: Provide carrier-grade robustness and scalability for mission critical applications

Samsung is ready to partner with service providers in all verticals to meet these needs. Ranging from providing ultra-secure government connectivity to meeting privacy compliance requirements for healthcare, Samsung Networks' CBRS solutions leverage the inherent security of the LTE and 5G technologies that are not available in Wi-Fi connectivity. The CBRS-powered solutions also ensure that users migrating from the network in a building, warehouse, or across a campus can seamlessly transition their application, video and or voice conversations to the macro network without missing a word.

What use cases do you see as having the most potential for your business with OnGo (private LTE, neutral host, etc.)?

Samsung Networks sees a CBRS-driven private network as a consolidated platform solution that improves reliability compared to legacy technologies deployed in various situations. These higher-speed networks also have the resiliency to deliver dependable connectivity for mission-critical voice and video communications in any environment, be it in airports, hospitals, warehouses, smart factories, or oil and gas production facilities. Another prime benefit of private networks is their ability to host real-time applications that demand low-latency communications on a single system, allowing enterprises and service providers to create new opportunities and sources of revenue. With LTE and 5G technologies ability to support and enforce QoS, CBRS networks ensure that real-time applications get the data they need when they need it. Industrial manufacturing solutions also need the flexibility to adapt quickly to market-demand changes. CBRS-powered infrastructure also positions manufacturers with significant advantages over their competitors that still rely on wired connectivity. Private wireless networks built using CBRS provide a flexible infrastructure platform that delivers low-latency connectivity with high reliability to ensure the privacy, scalability, and reliability for enterprise infrastructure networks.

The increased capacity of the higher frequency signals coupled with the extended coverage range of the CBRS spectrum makes OnGo the right solution to provide secure, high-speed, high-capacity infrastructure for mission-critical push-to-talk communications for first responders everywhere.

Another high-value use case is fixed broadband services that MNOs are providing with CBRS services. Samsung firmly believes that CBRS spectrum and products provide an excellent balance between speed and propagation. Samsung Networks CBRS solutions are engineered to help service providers efficiently deploy and provide broadband services in rural and underserved markets.

Samsung also sees MNOs and neutral hosts readying sports venues with CBRS solutions in preparation for the return of sports fans and concertgoers who use their devices to display their passion on their social media sites while attending games and events.

Tell us about an OnGo deployment (completed or planned) that your organization is participating in.

Samsung Networks is discussing with 20+ enterprises and service providers on trials and commercial deployments. We expect more CBRS networks with Samsung's CBRS solutions to be launched later this year. More information about a current CBRS deployment underway can be found here.

Samsung's CBRS solutions offer higher capacity, higher reliability, and simplified installation of only a few small cells compared to deploying clusters of Wi-Fi access points. The Samsung CBRS solution provides better indoor coverage with a high level of service that benefits all users. The use of CBRS small-cell infrastructure allows enterprises to control their network coverage, allowing them to ensure the service quality using a cost-effective solution.

What OnGo products or services does your organization offer?

Samsung offers end-to-end CBRS solutions from user devices to network infrastructure along with deployment and managed services. The solutions that have been certified or are in progress are as follows:

Samsung’s OnGo-certified CBRS Radio is a small-sized 4G/5G NR compliant radio solution designed to leverage the CBRS spectrum band to offer hot spot and venue coverage to operate in split-mode to support simultaneous 4G and 5G NR operations.

Another solution, Samsung’s CBRS Massive MIMO radio, is in the process of OnGo certification. The solution is a radio with an integrated 64T64R antenna arrays that leverages advanced 3D beamforming technology for 4G and 5G deployments in the CBRS spectrum. The solution can also operate in split-mode to support simultaneous 4G and 5G NR operations.

These products not only offer faster services, but they provide a better end-to-end solution that eliminates the existing challenges that occur when transitioning between Wi-Fi and macro networks. Samsung's OnGo-certified CBRS products offer the right solution to operators for any deployment need, including rural and metro.

In addition to networks solutions, Samsung offers OnGo-certified devices including the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G, Note 10, Note 10+, S10e,  S10, S10 5G, XCover Pro, and 5G Station (Indoor CPE).

Also Samsung provides deployment and managed services through its subsidiary, TeleWorld Solutions, to support service providers and enterprises in CBRS deployments.

Now that the PAL auction is complete, how do you expect to see the licensees used?

The tremendous energy around the PAL auction proves that network operators and businesses are ready to obtain their prioritized access to the CBRS spectrum. Samsung Networks expects:

1. Service providers to augment capacity in their metro areas

2. Service providers extend coverage to rural areas with fixed wireless access

3. Service providers to engage enterprises with private, high-bandwidth, low-latency, reliable network infrastructure

4. Non-traditional network operators will seek partnerships with system integrators or service providers for their license deployments

5. Larger enterprises that have acquired the PAL license will seek partnership with managed service providers or neutral host providers to create private network infrastructure for their operations

What changes do you expect to see in the market for OnGo?

Not only do we expect to see increased demand for CBRS products in 2021 from normal channels like MNOs, but we envision that solution deployments will come from an increasing number of providers outside of traditional mobile network operators. As we turn the page to 2021, we expect that LTE deployments will continue to rise followed by the introduction of 5G in the CBRS bands. With end-to-end 5G networks, network operators will provide and manage dedicated systems using network slicing. This new capability reserves resources that support baseline capacity and latency demands for specific applications, enabling MNOs to establish and guarantee service level agreements with businesses. This new approach creates new business models that will further increase the uptake of OnGo services.