Verizon has made a significant stride in the telecommunications landscape by integrating Qualcomm‘s new Dragonwing RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) in their network. Teaming up with Samsung, Verizon aims to optimize energy efficiency using Samsung’s AI-powered Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM). This initiative showcases a fusion of advanced AI and Open RAN technologies.
The Dragonwing RIC, part of a broader suite of industry-focused solutions, offers embedded and industrial IoT capabilities. It promises enhanced cellular and networking infrastructure. In this deployment, Qualcomm’s RAN Automation Suite delivers RAN AI Services using HNN (Hybrid Neural Network) and DNN (Deep Neural Network) technology for streamlined RAN management.
Additionally, Samsung’s AI-ESM plays a vital role in Verizon’s strategy. It maximizes network energy efficiency by dynamically analyzing site environments, traffic patterns, and other factors. This allows the system to adjust network operations without harming performance. As a result, Verizon reports an average energy savings gain of 15%, peaking at 35% per sector in low traffic periods.
Verizon’s emphasis on Open RAN highlights its commitment to innovation, competition, and supplier diversification. Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Network Technology, Strategy and Planning at Verizon, stated, “Expanding our industry-leading success with deploying O-RAN compliant radios and distributed units throughout our network, the introduction of the [RIC] will allow for greater flexibility and control over network operations.”
