Orange and Samsung Aim to Grow European Open RAN Networks

Why It Matters

The rollout accelerates Europe’s shift to AI‑ready, cost‑efficient Open RAN, boosting competition and enabling new edge services.

Key Takeaways

• Orange to increase Open RAN/vRAN sites across Europe 2026
• Samsung AI‑vRAN on Intel Xeon 6 SoC, Dell COTS
• Consolidated hardware cuts power use and data‑center footprint
• Open architecture enables AI and edge workloads on existing infrastructure
• Multi‑vendor integration demands coordinated planning and supplier management

Pulse Analysis

Open RAN has become a strategic priority for European operators seeking vendor diversity and cost savings. Orange’s decision to scale its Open RAN and virtualised RAN (vRAN) deployments with Samsung reflects a maturing ecosystem that moved beyond pilot phases in 2023. The expanded rollout, slated for 2026, will add dozens of sites, delivering the same quality of service as traditional base stations while offering greater flexibility. Analysts view this collaboration as a benchmark for other carriers aiming to reduce reliance on legacy hardware and accelerate network digitisation.

Samsung’s AI‑powered vRAN solution is built around Intel’s Xeon 6 system‑on‑a‑chip processors and runs on off‑the‑shelf Dell servers, all orchestrated through Wind River’s cloud platform. By consolidating compute, storage and networking functions into a single COTS chassis, operators can lower power consumption, shrink rack space and simplify maintenance. The architecture also exposes unused processing cycles, which can be repurposed for on‑site AI inference or edge applications such as video analytics and low‑latency gaming. This hardware‑software synergy demonstrates that performance parity with conventional RAN is achievable without bespoke equipment.

For the European telecom market, the partnership signals a shift toward open, software‑defined networks that can readily host third‑party services. As 5G matures and 6G research intensifies, the ability to allocate compute to AI‑driven use cases will become a competitive differentiator. Operators that adopt consolidated Open RAN stacks stand to benefit from faster rollout cycles, reduced CapEx, and new revenue streams from edge‑centric offerings. However, success hinges on meticulous multi‑vendor integration and supply‑chain coordination, underscoring the need for robust ecosystem governance.