Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) is expanding global partnerships to secure an early lead in "AI-native" network technology, which embeds artificial intelligence into telecom base stations to sharply improve performance and enable new services such as autonomous driving.
The company said on the 15th that it is hosting the Silicon Valley Future Communications Summit 2026 in Silicon Valley, California. The event, held on the 15th following a Partners Day on the 14th, draws about 100 participants, including global carriers, equipment makers and experts from government and academia. Samsung plans to share its progress in AI-native network technology and discuss ways to broaden cooperation.
AI-native networks install AI chips such as graphics processing units in base stations, allowing AI computing to run close to users much as a data center would, or using AI models to boost network performance itself. A related technology, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC), adds sensing capabilities to base stations to support AI services including autonomous driving. Both are considered core technologies for sixth-generation (6G) networks, expected to be commercialized around 2030, and for new services such as self-driving vehicles.
Samsung has organized three sessions — on AI-native 6G networks, satellite-based expansion of 6G coverage, and hyperconnectivity linking the physical and virtual worlds — to share technologies it has developed with its partners. The session on AI-native 6G networks addresses technical challenges and cooperation plans for building intelligent 6G infrastructure, focusing on using AI to improve network performance and operational efficiency.
The session on satellite-based 6G coverage covers the current state and outlook for low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations, along with technical barriers to space communications and possible solutions. The hyperconnectivity session explores how to identify new services using ISAC and physical AI. Samsung will also unveil results of joint development projects it has led, including high-density multiple-input multiple-output systems (X-MIMO) and distributed MIMO systems (D-MIMO).
Samsung is jointly developing AI-native network technology with LG Uplus, Verizon of the U.S. and SoftBank of Japan. Since October last year, it has also taken part in AI-RAN research cooperation led by Nvidia, together with South Korea's three mobile carriers.
"Through close cooperation with partners across the telecom industry, Samsung is leading the development of core network technologies that will give concrete shape to 6G," said Jung Jin-kook, head of the Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research. "We will bring together our advanced research capabilities to advance next-generation communications technology for both carriers and users."