Virtual cell site routers are emerging as an important building block for the next generation of carrier networks. In a recent automation trial, Samsung leveraged its virtual cell site router (vCSR) to demonstrate how operators can deploy operating systems, cloud infrastructure and routing software together – with minimal manual configuration or on-site installation. By automating these deployment layers, this approach significantly reduces human effort while improving speed, consistency and security across the network.
The move to software-driven routing marks a broader shift away from hardware-centric infrastructure. Instead of physical upgrades or truck rolls, operators can scale capacity, introduce new services and apply updates remotely with just a few clicks. This flexibility not only accelerates innovation but also enables faster multi-vendor interoperability and future-proof network design. As automation and virtualization continue to mature, virtual routing solutions are positioning carriers to deploy, manage and evolve networks with greater efficiency, resilience and control.
Steve Saunders:
Hey, Ravi, can you tell me about the recent vCSR trial that Samsung completed? What was the significance of that milestone?
Ravi Rajgopal:
We recently had an opportunity to work on the world's first end-to-end network solution involving virtual cell site routers and vSecurity. So the main milestone of this collaboration was to showcase the company's leadership in developing comprehensive software-based network-enabling flexibility, and efficient network deployment and management. That was the main point of this collaboration.
This trial uses Samsung's hyper-network automation solution, which is a part of standard SMO in an O-RAN term. It enables the automation of deployment layers like operating system, CAS, and the vCSR, along with virtualized security. So this new automation addresses the longstanding challenge of reducing the human effort and input during any vCSR or a router-based deployment.
Steve Saunders:
What are the other operational benefits that derive from vCSR?
Ravi Rajgopal:
This deployment is not just about the speed. It enables to deploy all layers. Deploying an operating system, deploying CAS, and the vCSR on top of it, along with the virtual security. This new automation actually addresses the longstanding challenges of reducing the human effort and the input during vCSR deployment. Traditionally what happens is somebody has to go to the site, put the actual hardware, connect the cables. This new solution will avoid all that human interaction. That is the main achievement of this vCSR.
Steve Saunders:
Yeah. It sounds like a big success, and things largely went as they were supposed to, which bodes well, I think, for the future of this technology. What does this mean for the future of the telco industry? What does this trial represent in terms of where telco is going at a broader level?
Ravi Rajgopal:
One of the biggest advantages of vCSR is that the vCSR replaces the traditional hardware-centric routers, and at the same time it is providing the flexibility of a software-driven solution that scales as needed and speeds up these services, like I mentioned earlier. That is the biggest advantage. It provides the operator future infrastructure, enabling the faster innovation. Or delivering the solution just by a software upgrade rather than somebody physically going to be changing the hardware or the board, right?
Steve Saunders:
Yeah. Yeah.
Ravi Rajgopal:
This is completely software-driven. You can upgrade from a few clicks, not even being at the site, from a remote location. So that speeds up everything. And it will also allow to do multi-vendor interoperability much quicker.
Steve Saunders:
Amazing. Congratulations, Ravi.
Ravi Rajgopal:
Thank you.
Steve Saunders:
That's very exciting. Well done. Thanks for talking to us about it.