Tech behemoths Verizon and Qualcomm are collaborating on a significant Open RAN deployment that leverages artificial intelligence for network energy efficiency. This partnership, announced in February 2025, combines Qualcomm’s newly branded Dragonwing RIC platform with Samsung‘s AI-powered energy management solution.
The core innovation: Verizon is implementing Qualcomm’s RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) platform alongside Samsung’s AI-powered Energy Saving Manager (AI-ESM) to create a more energy-efficient network infrastructure.
- The integration leverages advanced AI capabilities, including Hybrid Neural Network (HNN) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) technology
- Qualcomm’s RAN Automation Suite DML provides essential data management and RAN AI services
- The solution is part of Qualcomm’s new Dragonwing brand, which focuses on industrial IoT and networking infrastructure solutions
Technical implementation: Samsung’s AI-ESM optimizes network performance by analyzing multiple factors to determine optimal energy usage patterns.
- The system studies site environments and tracks traffic patterns by location and time
- AI algorithms evaluate performance impact and identify optimal threshold values
- Cells and transmission paths can be automatically activated or deactivated based on network traffic
Performance metrics: Initial deployment results show promising energy conservation figures while maintaining network quality.
- Verizon reports average energy savings of 15% across its network
- Maximum energy savings reach 35% per sector during low-traffic periods
- Network performance and user experience remain uncompromised despite the reduced energy consumption
Strategic significance: The deployment represents a major milestone in Verizon’s ongoing network transformation journey.
- The initiative advances Verizon’s network virtualization and disaggregation efforts
- Open RAN implementation supports greater competition and supplier diversity
- The RIC platform enables enhanced network control and operational flexibility
Looking ahead: While early results are encouraging, the true test will be scaling this energy-saving solution across Verizon’s extensive network infrastructure while maintaining the demonstrated efficiency gains.
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