Samsung Gathers Telecom Leaders in Silicon Valley to Chart AI-Native 6G Networks

Partner Day: software-driven networks in the AI era

According to Samsung, more than 100 attendees took part in the two events, with telecommunications experts from major global operators, manufacturers, government agencies and academia exchanging views on next-generation networks. Samsung said it discussed the evolution of software-driven networks for the AI and 6G eras, as well as ecosystem-wide collaboration across the telecommunications industry.

Partner Day opened with a Samsung keynote on how AI is transforming the architectural foundation that has defined telecommunications networks for more than a century. The company said the convergence of connectivity and AI will be a key driver of new ways of communication. Panel sessions looked at lessons learned from the commercialization of virtualized networks and at how to move beyond connectivity by developing new services and turning them into business opportunities.

Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Strategic Sales, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, said Samsung has "successfully commercialized virtualized networks at scale" with its partners. He added that by adding advanced AI technologies, Samsung will transform communications infrastructure into "a new engine for growth".

Summit sessions: AI-native 6G, satellites and sensing

The summit itself opened with keynotes from industry experts, followed by three panel sessions and technology demonstrations.

• AI-Native 6G Networks: positions AI as the core technology for network performance and operational efficiency, with discussion of the technical challenges and global collaboration needed to make 6G an intelligent network infrastructure.
• Taking 6G to Space With NTN: reviews the status and outlook of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, the technical barriers of space-based communication, and satellite communication standards and roadmaps under discussion in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
• Connecting the Physical and Digital Worlds: covers ways to sense physical spaces and link them to digital services, such as Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) and physical AI.

Jinguk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research, said the event "demonstrates our commitment to closely collaborating with industry partners to advance telecommunications."

Demonstrations of 6G core technologies

The demonstration session showcased 6G core technologies that Samsung said it developed and validated jointly with partner companies. These include AI RAN implementations, eXtreme Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (X-MIMO) systems, Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) technologies and ISAC.

Samsung said it presented field validation results for the performance of AI-enabled RAN across all layers, transmission performance in the 6G candidate frequency band (7 GHz band), the user experience at cell boundaries, and sensing performance that uses base station infrastructure.

Building the 6G partner ecosystem

Samsung said the events come as it expands collaboration on 6G and AI-native communication technology with operators, research institutes and business groups worldwide. This year it initiated collaboration with LG U+ and conducted field validation with Verizon at a major international soccer fan event in Dallas, Texas, for ISAC technology development.

The company is also strengthening research partnerships with NTT DOCOMO, KDDI Research, KT, SK Telecom and SoftBank. Samsung described these efforts as part of work to make 6G technology a reality, and said it will keep deepening collaboration with global partners and advancing research where AI and communications meet. For operators and other network players, the summit signals that Samsung is tying its 6G plans closely to AI and to partner-driven validation of the technology.