“Samsung’s network infrastructure team has again used MWC to announce a new operator contract. Last year the win was with Telefonica in Chile for LTE; this year Verizon Wireless has selected Samsung to provide it with LTE femtocells for SMEs, core network elements, and element management solutions.
“Since the emergence of 4G, first with WiMAX and then LTE, Samsung has been working to raise its profile as a network solutions provider, and the company’s LTE equipment can be found in the largest LTE markets – the US, South Korea, and Japan. Until now, however, it was not an LTE supplier to Verizon Wireless’s network. This win may not carry the same weight as a macro cell deployment, but it does serve to raise the infrastructure team’s profile and will help it emerge from under the shadow of its much better-known devices group.
“This deal could also work as a way for Samsung to gain a greater presence in Verizon Wireless’s network. As the mobile operator continues to add capacity to its network it will have to continue to add new elements to that network. Today’s enterprise win could turn into tomorrow’s metro small cell win, or possibly even a macro cell win if the operator decides that a major RAN refresh will be needed to support more advanced LTE-A features.”
By Daryl Schoolar, Principal Analyst at Ovum
