Samsung Electronics has significantly expanded its influence in the Canadian telecom sector, announcing a new collaboration with Videotron, a prominent mobile operator. This partnership involves modernizing Videotron's network with a cloud-native 5G Non-Standalone and 4G LTE Core Gateway solution. The deal marks a substantial evolution from Samsung’s initial Radio Access Network (RAN) engagement with Videotron, which began in 2019, positioning Samsung as a comprehensive infrastructure supplier in a highly competitive market.
This latest agreement extends beyond a typical equipment supply contract; it represents Samsung’s strategic effort to establish itself as a formidable alternative to long-standing telecom infrastructure providers like Ericsson and Nokia. For Videotron, serving over 4.3 million mobile customers as Canada's fourth-largest carrier, the decision underscores confidence in Samsung's capacity to deliver critical core network technology, not merely radio components.
Mohamed Drif, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer at Videotron, noted that Samsung’s successful delivery of their RAN infrastructure instilled trust in the company’s ability to support the core network. He highlighted that Samsung’s approach utilizes open, industry-standard platforms, providing the operational flexibility crucial for enhancing customer services in Quebec and expanding Videotron's digital-first brand, Fizz, nationwide.
The technical architecture of the deployment reflects Samsung's strategy of leveraging industry-standard components. It will operate on Dell PowerEdge servers, powered by AMD EPYC 9005 Server CPUs, with Red Hat OpenShift managing Kubernetes orchestration. This open framework is designed to offer Videotron greater operational flexibility, helping to mitigate vendor lock-in while maintaining the automation and scalability inherent in cloud-native infrastructure.
Such advancements are increasingly vital as telecom operators face pressure to simplify operations while preparing networks for the demands of AI workloads and edge computing applications. Samsung’s core solution aims to deliver automation-ready operations that streamline lifecycle management—a crucial capability for managing infrastructure supporting millions of subscribers across Canada.
Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks at Samsung Electronics, emphasized that expanding the relationship from RAN to Core validates Samsung's virtualized, end-to-end network technology capabilities. This Videotron contract is part of a broader Canadian initiative for Samsung, which also includes assisting SaskTel in launching cloud-native 4G and 5G core networks and collaborating with TELUS and AWS on pioneering North America's first roaming gateway. These projects provide Samsung with valuable reference customers and operational expertise in a demanding, developed market.
Globally, spending on 5G core network infrastructure is accelerating as operators move beyond initial RAN deployments to modernize the very brain of their networks. Industry analysts predict significant growth in the cloud-native core market through 2028, driven by operators seeking flexibility to launch new services without extensive hardware upgrades. Samsung has been building its core network credentials since 2015, with large-scale commercial deployments now active in Canada, South Korea, Japan, and India, serving hundreds of millions of users.
Despite facing entrenched competition from Ericsson and Nokia, and other strong players like Huawei and ZTE in permitted markets, Samsung leverages its position as a trusted Asian vendor devoid of similar geopolitical complications. The company’s broader technology ecosystem, encompassing semiconductors, enterprise IT, and consumer devices, further strengthens its offering. Samsung is also promoting an “AI-native core” roadmap, integrating AI-driven automation and intelligent analytics to future-proof networks for 6G and advanced edge computing.
For Videotron, the immediate advantages include enhanced operational flexibility and reduced complexity, supporting its aggressive expansion of the Fizz brand. The deployment also exemplifies how open architecture and disaggregation are transforming telecom infrastructure, allowing operators to optimize each layer independently. The success of this deployment in Canada will be crucial for Samsung's ambitions to secure larger contracts in the U.S. and European markets as 5G core modernization progresses globally. Execution will be key to Samsung's ability to challenge the established duopoly and reshape the competitive dynamics of 5G infrastructure worldwide.
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