Samsung Electronics office in southern Seoul (Newsis)

Samsung Electronics is set to participate in the first-ever project to deploy an Open Radio Access Network in Latin America by teaming up with US-based telecom giant Liberty Latin America.

The Korean tech giant’s network division will supply its virtualized radio access network solutions for the commercial Open RAN network in Puerto Rico, according to industry sources on Friday.

Samsung has partnered with Liberty Puerto Rico, the US firm's local subsidiary with 870,000 subscribers, to provide vRAN solutions essential for Open RAN deployment.

Open RAN is a cutting-edge technology that enables the integration of telecom equipment from multiple manufacturers via software-based interoperability, creating an open, flexible wireless network.

Samsung's vRAN solutions virtualize the traditional hardware-based RAN functions, boasting cost-efficient maintenance and adaptable network operations.

Samsung has been involved in Open RAN projects in the US and Japan, as well as in 11 European countries, including the UK, Germany, Spain and Romania.

While 74 percent of the region's mobile subscribers rely on fourth-generation networks, 5G adoption remains below 10 percent, with 33 million subscriptions as of the end of last year.

This year, countries such as Mexico, Paraguay, El Salvador and Costa Rica held 5G spectrum auctions, with Peru expected to follow suit. By 2030, 5G will account for nearly 60 percent of total mobile connections in Latin America, according to a report released by the Global System for Mobile Communications.