Samsung just landed a major network infrastructure win in Canada. The tech giant announced it's been selected by Videotron, one of Canada's leading telecommunications operators, to modernize its network with Samsung's 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) and 4G LTE Core Gateway solution. The deal marks a significant expansion of their partnership that started with radio access network (RAN) infrastructure back in 2019, and positions Samsung deeper into the Canadian telecom market as operators race to upgrade their core networks with cloud-native, AI-ready architecture.
Samsung is making serious moves in Canada's telecom infrastructure space. The company announced today it's been tapped by Videotron - Canada's fourth-largest mobile carrier with over 4.3 million mobile lines - to overhaul its core network infrastructure with a comprehensive 5G and 4G solution. It's the kind of deal that signals real confidence, especially since Videotron is betting on Samsung to handle the network's brain after years of working together on the radio access side.
The deployment centers on Samsung's cloud-native 5G Non-Standalone and 4G LTE Core Gateway, delivered as a turnkey package running on Dell PowerEdge servers powered by AMD EPYC 9005 Server CPUs. The whole thing sits on Red Hat OpenShift, the Kubernetes-powered hybrid cloud platform that's become the de facto standard for operators trying to escape vendor lock-in. This tech stack isn't just about raw performance - it's a statement about open architecture and operational flexibility.
"Samsung's success delivering our RAN infrastructure gave us confidence in their ability to support our Core network," Mohamed Drif, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer at Videotron, told Samsung Newsroom. "Their solution leverages open, industry-standard platforms that provide the operational flexibility we need as we elevate service for our customers in Quebec and expand our digital-first mobile and home internet brand, Fizz, across Canada."
That Fizz mention is key. Videotron isn't just maintaining its Quebec stronghold - it's pushing a national expansion with a digital-first brand that needs network infrastructure that can scale without breaking a sweat. The cloud-native approach Samsung's delivering means Videotron can spin up capacity and services faster than traditional hardware-dependent architectures would allow.
The partnership goes back to 2019 when Samsung first started providing RAN equipment to Videotron. Moving from radio access to core network represents a major trust escalation. Core infrastructure is the network's central nervous system - handling everything from user authentication to data routing to billing. Operators don't hand that over lightly, and the fact that Videotron is expanding Samsung's role speaks volumes about the previous deployment's success.
"The expansion of our relationship with Videotron from RAN to Core is a testament to Samsung's best-in-class virtualized end-to-end network technology," said Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks at Samsung Electronics, according to the announcement. "This deployment will empower Videotron to further optimize its network performance and reduce operational complexity, while continuing to ensure seamless connectivity for customers across Canada."
Samsung's Canadian momentum is building. The company recently helped SaskTel launch a cloud-native 4G and 5G core, and pioneered North America's first roaming gateway in partnership with Telus and AWS. These wins matter because Canada's telecom market is notoriously competitive and quality-obsessed - operators can't afford infrastructure that doesn't deliver.
What makes this deployment particularly interesting is the AI angle. Samsung's baking in AI-driven automation and intelligent analytics from the start, positioning Videotron's network as what Samsung calls "AI-native core" ready. That means automated lifecycle management, predictive maintenance, and the ability to optimize network resources in real-time based on traffic patterns and user behavior. It's the kind of operational intelligence that reduces the army of humans needed to keep networks running smoothly.
Samsung's been in the cloud-native core game since 2015, starting with LTE and evolving through to 5G standalone. The company's deployed large-scale commercial cores across Canada, Korea, Japan and India - infrastructure that connects hundreds of millions of users daily. That scale matters when operators are evaluating partners, because core network failures don't just mean dropped calls - they mean total service blackouts.
The open architecture approach Samsung's taking with Videotron - mixing Dell servers, AMD processors, and Red Hat software - reflects where the industry's heading. Operators want to avoid the proprietary hardware trap that's locked them into expensive, inflexible upgrade cycles for decades. Cloud-native, software-defined infrastructure running on commodity hardware gives them the flexibility to swap components, scale incrementally, and negotiate better with vendors.
For Videotron, the deployment addresses three critical needs: resilience and reliability to support consistent service quality, automation-ready operations to cut complexity and staffing costs, and flexible scalability to support both its Quebec base and national Fizz expansion. As of September 2025, Videotron was serving 1.26 million TV subscribers, 1.74 million internet subscribers, and 562,100 wireline phone connections on top of those 4.3 million mobile lines - all of which will benefit from the modernized core infrastructure.
The deal also reinforces Samsung's position as a credible end-to-end network vendor competing against traditional telecom giants like Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei (where geopolitically palatable). Samsung's been aggressive in building out its network equipment business, leveraging its semiconductor expertise and manufacturing scale to compete on both technology and price. Landing expanded deals with existing customers like Videotron proves the equipment performs and the relationship works - crucial signals for other operators evaluating vendors.
Samsung's Videotron win represents more than just another infrastructure deal - it's a validation of the cloud-native, open architecture approach that's reshaping telecom infrastructure. As operators worldwide face pressure to modernize networks while controlling costs, Samsung's offering a compelling alternative to traditional vendors by combining proven scale, AI-ready automation, and the flexibility of industry-standard hardware. For Videotron, the deployment provides the foundation to compete nationally while maintaining the service quality that's earned it 19 reputation awards in Quebec. The real test comes in execution - but with seven years of successful RAN partnership as prologue, both companies are betting this core network expansion delivers the seamless connectivity and operational efficiency that modern mobile networks demand.
