Samsung's Double Win in Korea's Hyper AI Network: What KT and SK Telecom Deals Mean for Open RAN Operators
- September 24, 2026
- 8 mins
- Technology
- 5g sa ai ran kt open ran samsung sk telecom south korea telecom
Samsung’s Double Win in Korea’s Hyper AI Network: What KT and SK Telecom Deals Mean for Open RAN Operators
On September 24, 2026, Samsung Electronics announced it had signed contracts with KT and SK Telecom for their AI RAN projects under the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT’s “Hyper AI Network” initiative. Samsung will serve as the sole global vendor for KT and the main vendor for SK Telecom—the only partner selected for both projects. The deployments, starting in October 2026, will see 5G Standalone (SA) private networks rolled out across industrial environments ranging from shipyards to petrochemical facilities to validate AI RAN capabilities and generate real-world insights.
For a telecom industry that has spent years debating whether AI-RAN is hype or substance, this is a significant data point. But what does it actually mean for operators, vendors, and the Open RAN ecosystem? Below, we answer the questions a skeptical executive should be asking.
Q: Is this just another government-funded pilot, or is there real commercial weight here?
A: It’s more than a pilot, but less than a full commercial rollout. The Hyper AI Network initiative is a Korean government program, which means it carries policy weight and national strategic intent. But the involvement of KT and SK Telecom—two of the world’s most advanced operators—signals that the technology is being taken seriously at the highest levels. Samsung is not just a participant; it is the sole global vendor for KT and the main vendor for SK Telecom. That’s a strong vote of confidence.
What makes this different from earlier AI-RAN trials is the focus on industrial environments. Shipyards and petrochemical facilities are not lab settings. They are harsh, complex, and demand ultra-reliable, low-latency connectivity. If AI RAN can deliver there, it can deliver in more forgiving commercial settings. The projects are set to begin in October 2026, so we won’t have long to wait for early results.
Q: What exactly is Samsung deploying? Is this true Open RAN?
A: Samsung is deploying 5G Standalone private networks with AI RAN capabilities. The company’s portfolio spans purpose-built RAN, vRAN, Open RAN, AI RAN, and cloud-native AI core, so the exact mix will likely vary by site. But the emphasis on AI RAN—and Samsung’s leadership in the AI-RAN Alliance—suggests that this is not just traditional RAN with a marketing label. Samsung chairs the ITU-R Coordination Group and holds multiple chair and vice-chair positions across 3GPP, and it serves as Vice Chair of the AI-RAN Alliance Board while leading the Alliance’s Agentic AI Task Group. That’s deep involvement in the standards and architecture that will define AI-native networks.
For Open RAN purists, the question is whether these deployments use open interfaces and multi-vendor components. Samsung’s messaging emphasizes software-driven, AI-native innovation, and its vRAN and Open RAN products are part of the mix. But the company is also a major provider of purpose-built RAN. The reality is that most early AI-RAN deployments will be hybrid—leveraging open interfaces where it makes sense, but not necessarily fully disaggregated. The Hyper AI Network projects will likely follow that pattern.
Q: Why is Korea moving so aggressively on AI RAN?
A: Korea has a long history of pushing the envelope on mobile infrastructure. It was first with 5G commercialization, and it has consistently invested in next-generation technologies. The Hyper AI Network initiative is part of a broader national strategy to lead in AI and 6G. The Ministry of Science and ICT is funding these projects to ensure that Korean operators and vendors develop real-world expertise that can be exported globally.
There’s also a competitive dynamic. SK Telecom and KT are rivals, and both want to claim leadership in AI-native networks. SK Telecom has already been running its own AI-RAN test network, and KT has been investing in AI-driven network operations. The government initiative gives both operators a shared platform to validate technology while still competing on execution. For Samsung, winning both contracts is a coup—it reinforces its position as Korea’s flagship network vendor and gives it a showcase for global customers.
Q: What does this mean for the broader AI-RAN market?
A: It’s another signal that AI-RAN is moving from concept to deployment. Dell’Oro Group has forecast that AI RAN will account for one-third of the RAN market by 2029, with cumulative revenue of $35 billion from 2026 to 2030. Those are big numbers, and they’re driving investment across the ecosystem. Nokia has launched a commercial AI-RAN platform and expanded field trials to eight operators. Ericsson has landed a sole global role in SK Telecom’s AI-RAN pilot and launched an AI-in-RAN subscription. NVIDIA is pushing GPU acceleration for AI-RAN, and its AI Aerial platform delivered 3x spectral efficiency in SoftBank field trials.
Samsung’s double win in Korea adds to this momentum. It shows that AI-RAN is not just a European or North American phenomenon—it’s global. And it shows that operators are willing to commit to real deployments, not just lab trials. The industrial focus is particularly important because it demonstrates that AI-RAN can solve problems that matter to enterprises: reliability, low latency, and the ability to support AI workloads at the edge.
Q: How does this affect Open RAN specifically?
A: Open RAN and AI-RAN are converging, but they are not the same thing. Open RAN is about disaggregation and open interfaces; AI-RAN is about embedding AI into the RAN to improve performance, efficiency, and automation. The two can reinforce each other—open interfaces make it easier to plug in AI-powered components from different vendors—but they can also diverge. Some AI-RAN deployments, like Nokia’s commercial platform, are software-first and can run on Open RAN or purpose-built infrastructure.
Samsung’s Korea projects are likely to be a mix. The company is a founding member of the AI-RAN Alliance and has been active in Open RAN. But its strength is in end-to-end solutions, including chipsets, radios, and cores. For Open RAN operators, the key takeaway is that AI-RAN is becoming a real workload, and it will need to be integrated into multi-vendor networks. That means operators need to think about how AI-RAN functions will be orchestrated, how data will be shared across vendors, and how to ensure interoperability. The Hyper AI Network projects will provide valuable lessons on all three.
Q: What are the risks? Is this just vendor lock-in by another name?
A: There’s always a risk of lock-in, especially when a single vendor takes the lead role. Samsung is the sole global vendor for KT and the main vendor for SK Telecom. That gives it significant influence over architecture and roadmap. But the Korean government’s involvement and the emphasis on standards—Samsung’s leadership in 3GPP and the AI-RAN Alliance—suggest that interoperability will be a priority. The operators themselves have an interest in avoiding lock-in; they want the flexibility to mix and match components as the technology matures.
The bigger risk is that AI-RAN remains a niche solution for industrial private networks and doesn’t scale to wide-area commercial deployments. The economics of AI-RAN are still being worked out. Dell’Oro’s forecast is bullish, but it assumes that operators will see clear ROI. The Hyper AI Network projects are designed to generate the data needed to make that case. If they succeed, they could unlock a much larger market. If they don’t, AI-RAN could remain a premium offering for specific use cases.
Q: What should Open RAN operators watch for next?
A: Three things. First, the early results from the Korea deployments. If Samsung and the operators can demonstrate tangible gains in spectral efficiency, latency, or operational cost, that will accelerate adoption globally. Second, the evolution of the AI-RAN Alliance and its Agentic AI Task Group. Samsung is leading that effort, and its outcomes will shape how AI agents are used in RAN operations. Third, the competitive response from Nokia, Ericsson, and others. Nokia is already testing AI-RAN with Orange in a live network, and Ericsson is embedding AI into its RAN compute platforms. The race is on, and operators will have more choices—and more complexity—as a result.
For now, Samsung’s double win in Korea is a clear signal that AI-RAN has moved from the lab to the field. The industrial focus is smart: it targets real problems with clear value. And the involvement of KT and SK Telecom gives it credibility. Open RAN operators should pay attention—not because they need to copy Korea’s approach, but because the lessons learned there will shape the next phase of AI-native network evolution.