Liberty has partnered with Samsung Networks Latin America to deploy Samsung’s O-RAN-compliant virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) and Open RAN technologies in Puerto Rico. This collaboration marks the first rollout of 5G vRAN and Open RAN in Puerto Rico and Latin America, enabling Liberty to enhance its mobile network with improved flexibility, agility, and resilience to support the ongoing 5G evolution. With Liberty’s 5G coverage already reaching 97.5% of Puerto Rico’s population, this initiative reinforces its network while enabling faster and more efficient expansion with reduced reliance on hardware.
Samsung’s software-based vRAN allows Liberty to virtualize RAN processing within an elastic cloud environment, offering optimized performance, improved energy efficiency, and streamlined deployment. The software-centric architecture centralizes cell site information in Liberty’s cloud-native data center, simplifying implementation, management, and disaster recovery. This technology provides Liberty with greater operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved resource allocation, enhancing customer satisfaction and network performance.
The companies successfully tested both vRAN and Open RAN technologies, validating the multi-vendor Open RAN system’s reliability and performance. This collaboration positions Liberty as a regional leader in adopting cutting-edge technologies to advance its mobile services, while Samsung builds on its global experience in deploying virtualized networks to create a more flexible and sustainable 5G infrastructure.
• Key Features of the Deployment:
• Introduces Samsung’s O-RAN compliant vRAN and Open RAN in Puerto Rico.
• Virtualizes RAN functions in Liberty’s cloud-native data center for streamlined operations.
• Improves network energy efficiency and enables faster rollout of new technologies.
• Reduces hardware dependency and operational costs.
• Facilitates easier disaster recovery and network management.
• Liberty is the first operator in Puerto Rico and Latin America to launch 5G vRAN and Open RAN.
• Strengthens Liberty’s mobile services and enables future innovations in connectivity.
“The biggest advantage of vRAN and Open RAN is that it allows us to be more agile,” said Víctor Vera, senior director of RAN technology at Liberty. “By having the cell site information processing centralized in Liberty’s cloud-native data center and leveraging the latest software-centric solutions, the implementation, maintenance, and troubleshooting is a lot easier for operators to handle at a single location.”
