Red Hat announced collaboration with Samsung to deliver 5G network solutions built on Red Hat OpenShift, the industry's most comprehensive enterprise Kubernetes platform, and will help service providers make 5G a reality across use cases, including 5G core, edge computing, IoT, machine learning and more.

It is important for telecommunications service providers to adopt a consistent horizontal cloud-native platform hardened for their environments. This telco cloud enables them to use the same infrastructure for multiple use cases and reduce management and operational expenses. According to a Red Hat-sponsored report from ACG Research, open horizontal platforms can lower total cost ownership (TCO) up to 30% when compared to siloed vertically integrated deployments of virtualized radio access networks (vRANs). By taking this horizontal approach, customers have access to more choice and better service.

This collaboration will utilize Red Hat's proven hybrid cloud portfolio including Red Hat OpenShift, Red Hat OpenStack Platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and Red Hat OpenShift Container Storage. In addition, this collaboration will also utilize Samsung's 5G vRAN, vCore, MEC and management and analytics to help service providers extend 5G-based use cases, such as edge computing that can positively impact the customer experience.

The next wave of virtualization in 5G RANs

With this solution, service providers will be able to capitalize on the benefits of edge economics and vRAN. The Red Hat-sponsored ACG report found that using a common horizontal infrastructure in both 5G core and edge computing can enable operators to extend TCO benefits they gain in horizontal designs in the core throughout their infrastructure. Additionally, deploying horizontal clouds to vRAN sites enables operators to support new applications and services based on location awareness, reduced latency and scalability achievable in the distributed cloud. 

Samsung's 5G solutions meet Red Hat OpenShift

Containerized network functions (CNFs) and virtualized network functions (VNFs) provide a path to transformation for modern telcos, leading to greater service flexibility and a faster delivery mechanism for new offerings. As such, Samsung received Red Hat's vendor validated VNF Certification and plans to have full CNF Certification. This is the highest standard for mission-critical network functions on Red Hat OpenShift and verifies that CNF vendors with critical workloads today can effectively prepare their applications for a cloud-native future running in production on Red Hat OpenShift. Customers can more quickly achieve the full capabilities of 5G and edge computing with certified solutions. 

"We are pleased to collaborate with Red Hat to help service providers stay competitive in this increasingly demanding global 5G market, especially on the cloud-native front. Through this partnership, Samsung 5G solutions will provide a highly efficient and reliable network experience for our customers by integration with Red Hat's cloud-native solution." -- Wonil Roh, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics 

"As service providers build 5G networks, they are forming the foundation for the next wave of cross-industry innovation. From helping businesses in their edge computing solutions to ensuring enterprises can successfully deploy their artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, we expect these services to be built on a proven, cloud-native infrastructure. We're very excited to work with Samsung to bring this Kubernetes-driven solution to help service providers and their customers focus on complex and competitive use cases across the enterprise to every industry."  -- Chris Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Red Hat