Since 2020, the Canadian telecommunications landscape has undergone a quiet revolution. Samsung, a global leader in technology, joined forces with TELUS, one of Canada's premier network technology operators, to usher in a new era of connectivity. This collaboration has bolstered Canada's digital infrastructure and positioned the country at the forefront of 5G and next-generation technology adoption.
The partnership between Samsung and TELUS gained momentum in 2020 when Samsung was chosen as a 5G provider for TELUS. This decision marked the beginning of a series of innovative projects that would enhance Canada's mobile network infrastructure. Furthermore, it brought advanced AI-based network analytics and automation tools to TELUS's operations, enabling proactive issue detection, improved service quality, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Earlier this year, Samsung was selected as the primary vendor to deploy 4G and 5G virtualized RAN (vRAN) and Open RAN solutions in TELUS’ network to boost capabilities, improve speeds, reduce latency, and enhance connectivity for millions of Canadians. Building upon the success of the initial collaboration, see a full list of how both companies are changing the telco world in Canada.
Enhancing public safety: Mission-Critical Push-to-X (MCPTX)
Building on their initial success, Samsung and TELUS collaborated to equip Canada's first responders with advanced Mission Critical Technology. The introduction of Mission Critical Push-to-X (MCPTX) solutions significantly improved emergency communications.
This technology enables first responders to communicate more effectively during critical situations, enhancing their ability to coordinate and respond to emergencies. By leveraging Samsung's expertise in mission-critical communications, TELUS provided Canadian public safety agencies with reliable, secure, and advanced communication tools, contributing to improved public safety across the nation.
Pioneering vRAN and Open RAN in Canada
TELUS also partnered with Samsung to build Canada's first 5G vRAN and Open RAN network. The implementation of vRAN and Open RAN technologies offers several advantages:
- Increased flexibility and scalability in network management
- Reduced costs through the use of commercial off-the-shelf hardware
- Enhanced innovation potential by opening the network to a broader range of vendors
- Improved network performance and efficiency
Samsung's Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) solution – CognitiV Networks Operations Suite (NOS) – is crucial in this deployment, providing TELUS with advanced tools for managing and optimizing its new network architecture.
The successful collaboration between Samsung and TELUS has sparked increased interest in vRAN and Open RAN technologies among Canadian operators. Industry observers have noted TELUS' positive experiences with these new network architectures, particularly regarding their ease of implementation and performance parity with traditional networks.
“We’re proud to pave the path for ORAN in Canada, enabling a future-ready network that supports the economy, pushes the boundaries of innovation and improves lives through stronger connectivity,” said Bernard Bureau, Vice-president of Wireless Strategy and Services at TELUS. “TELUS has seen tremendous results, with performance at par or better than our traditional RAN sites, even in our most complex brownfield environments.”
In an effort to fully embrace virtualization, Samsung’s cloud-native Core powers TELUS’ new roaming approach to bring unmatched network performance and customer experiences while traveling. Through a process, known as network cloudification, Samsung’s cloud-native Core technology hosted on a public cloud for TELUS mobile data, and ng-voice for voice calls, allows for optimizing performance and ultimately quality for TELUS customers traveling abroad.
Showcasing 5G prowess
Samsung and TELUS demonstrated real-world impact at major auto racing events in Canada, attended by hundreds of thousands of fans in 2023 and 2024. During a high-profile event this year, the TELUS network, supported by Samsung showcased the innovative use of the 5G-enabled technology called network slicing, where a specific portion of the network was allocated to ensure smooth financial transactions. Speeds were significantly faster than the general network traffic, enabling secure, reliable, and fast payment processing even during the most congested times.
Looking ahead: the future of Canadian telecommunications
Samsung and TELUS has driven significant innovation in Canada's telecommunications sector. The companies’ collaboration has consistently advanced mobile communications capabilities, from the initial 5G network deployment to the introduction of mission-critical technologies and the pioneering of vRAN and Open RAN networks.
As Canada continues to develop its digital infrastructure, the ongoing partnership between Samsung and TELUS is poised to play a crucial role in shaping the nation's telecommunications landscape. With their combined expertise and commitment to innovation, we can anticipate further developments that will benefit Canadian consumers, businesses, and public safety organizations in the coming years.