Samsung and Vodafone just completed Europe's first call using Samsung's virtualized RAN solution powered by Intel Xeon 6 SoC, marking a critical milestone in the race toward AI-native networks. The successful test validates a new chipset architecture that consolidates 2G, 4G, and 5G workloads on a single high-performance server, paving the way for commercial deployment across Germany and broader Europe throughout 2026. This breakthrough reinforces Samsung's position as Vodafone's strategic Open RAN partner and signals a fundamental shift toward software-driven, cloud-native network infrastructure that fully supports AI automation.
Samsung and Vodafone just made telecom history. The two companies completed Europe's first call using Samsung's virtualized RAN solution running on Intel Xeon 6 SoC, according to Samsung's announcement. It's a milestone that signals a fundamental shift in how carriers will build and operate next-generation networks.
The Intel Xeon 6 system-on-chip represents a breakthrough in network consolidation. The chipset handles intensive workloads and AI applications across 2G, 4G, and 5G networks simultaneously on a single high-performance server. For Vodafone, that means managing fewer systems, less hardware, and significantly reduced energy consumption while matching or exceeding the performance of traditional RAN baseband solutions. The test was conducted with ecosystem partners Dell Technologies providing server infrastructure and Wind River supplying the cloud platform.
The announcement builds on Samsung's selection as Vodafone's key strategic partner for Open RAN deployment at scale across Europe. The companies deployed their first Open RAN test site in Germany last year, and they've been rapidly extending the technology to additional commercial sites ever since.
