Both partnerships will major on the German market first, which is the biggest in Europe but one in which Vodafone has struggled in recent years
Vodafone has announced major open RAN upgrade contracts for European markets with Samsung Electronics and Ericsson.
Enter Samsung
Samsung was recently left out of deals to upgrade and consolidate the VodafoneThree network in the UK, but will be the operator’s primary partner for deploying Open RAN in Germany and other, unspecified European countries over the next five years.
Germany is the first market in which Samsung will deploy its solutions which apparently will become one of the largest Open RAN deployments in Europe, comprising thousands of sites. The first is already live in Hannover, while Wismar is set to become the first city served by Vodafone to be fully equipped with Open RAN in early 2026.
Alberto Ripepi, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone, said, “Open RAN is a key pillar of our mission to build best-in-class networks and Vodafone has already proven the power of this innovative technology through our work with Samsung.
“The next step in our journey is to extend our Open RAN reach to more countries. By bringing in enhanced capabilities powered by AI and automation, we look forward to fostering a more advanced digital society as well as providing greater connectivity to our customers.”
Samsung will provide its vRAN solution, with support for 2G, 4G and 5G, and deliver O-RAN compliant radios including Massive MIMO radios, AI-powered Samsung CognitiV Network Operations Suite (NOS) and system integration services.
Foundation for AI
Samsung describes vRAN serves as “an optimal foundation for AI”, enabling operators to integrate AI capabilities into their networks, through solutions such as Samsung’s CognitiV NOS – an automation solution which is a set of AI applications that have multi-vendor support. They span the mobile core, radio access and transport elements.
Samsung is to offer Vodafone full observability across lifecycle management of its network from planning, deployment and operation to optimisation and its latest radios and software capabilities which support RAN sharing.
The modernisation of Vodafone’s RAN infrastructure and management “will lay the foundation for widespread deployment of 5G Standalone”, according to Ericsson, “enabling Vodafone to offer differentiated connectivity solutions with guaranteed, performance-based characteristics for their consumer and enterprise customers.”
Ericsson’s role
Vodafone’s new five-year deal with Ericsson includes as sole RAN vendor in Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal, and “a major vendor in Germany, Romania, and Egypt”. Vodafone will deploy Ericsson’s Open RAN-compatible Massive MIMO radios and RAN Compute solutions, and its 5G Advanced RAN software across its networks in these markets.
The pan-European deal introduces Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform and a number of AI-powered rApps which will be deployed market-by-market to deliver automated RAN optimisation, energy efficiency, and management of the multi-vendor network.
Germany will be the first market to deploy the platform and rApps for Ericsson and multi-vendor RAN management, with work beginning in Q4 2025. According to Ericsson, “The AI and network evolution partnership will elevate Vodafone’s infrastructure to world-class standards, taking the first steps towards autonomous networks and ensuring their networks are at the forefront of technological advancement and capable of meeting future demands”.
Alberto Ripepi, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone Group, says: “This strategic partnership with Ericsson marks a significant step in our network evolution journey. By modernising our network with latest generation equipment and embracing high-performing new 5G Advanced capabilities, we’re transforming our infrastructure for best customer experience and high network efficiency, utilising automation and AI agents to seamlessly meet network demands in real time.
Groundwork for API opportunity
Ripepi added, “We’re also laying the groundwork to capitalise on the emerging market for network APIs through our joint venture, Aduna. This powerful combination will allow us to expose our network capabilities to developers, spurring a wave of innovation in applications and services, and positioning Vodafone at the forefront of network technology and innovation.”
