Samsung Electronics convened telecommunications industry leaders at its Research America campus in Mountain View, California, for the Silicon Valley Future Wireless Summit 2026 on October 15. The event followed a Partner Day held the previous day, bringing together more than 100 attendees from major global operators, manufacturers, government agencies, and academic institutions.
The gathering focused on the evolution of software-driven networks for the AI and 6G eras. Samsung used the platform to highlight its leadership in 6G communication technology and share recent achievements in AI-native technologies applied to communication systems. The company emphasized ecosystem-wide collaboration as a primary method for creating new value across the telecommunications industry.
AI-Native Network Strategies
Samsung opened the summit with a keynote address detailing how artificial intelligence is transforming the architectural foundation of telecommunications networks. The company stated that the convergence of connectivity and AI will drive new forms of communication, moving beyond the limitations of existing technologies.
Panel sessions during the event examined lessons learned from the commercialization of virtualized networks. Participants discussed how the industry can continue to evolve these systems and develop new services that translate into tangible business opportunities. The discussions highlighted the need for flexible infrastructure capable of adapting to diverse service requirements.
Angelo Jeongho Park, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Strategic Sales for the Networks Business at Samsung Electronics, stated that networks in the AI era are evolving into intelligent infrastructure. He noted that Samsung has successfully commercialized virtualized networks at scale and plans to add advanced AI technologies to that foundation to transform communications infrastructure into a new engine for growth.
6G Technology Demonstrations
The summit featured three main panel sessions: “AI-Native 6G Networks,” “Taking 6G to Space With NTN,” and “Connecting the Physical and Digital Worlds.” The first session positioned AI as the core technology for driving innovation in network performance and operational efficiency. It addressed the technical challenges and global collaboration required to evolve 6G into a truly intelligent network infrastructure.
The second session reviewed the status of low Earth orbit satellite constellations and discussed technical barriers for space-based communication. It also covered satellite communication standards currently under discussion within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The final session explored new user experiences by linking physical spaces to digital services through Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) and physical AI.
Technology demonstrations showcased cutting-edge 6G core technologies jointly developed by Samsung and partner companies. These included AI RAN implementations, eXtreme Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (X-MIMO) systems, Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) technologies, and ISAC. Samsung presented field validation results for AI-enabled RAN performance across all layers, transmission performance in the 6G candidate frequency band of 7 GHz, and sensing performance utilizing base station infrastructure.
Global Collaboration and Partnerships
The summit occurred amid Samsung’s efforts to expand collaboration on 6G and AI-native communication technology with global partners. The company has initiated collaboration with LG U+ and conducted field validation with Verizon at a major international soccer fan event in Dallas, Texas, for ISAC technology development.
Samsung is also strengthening research partnerships with major telecommunications operators globally, including NTT DOCOMO, KDDI Research, KT, SK Telecom, and SoftBank. These collaborations are part of ongoing efforts to make 6G technology a reality.
Jinguk Jeong, Executive Vice President and Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung Research, said that 6G and AI-native technologies represent the next step in telecommunications. He emphasized that the summit demonstrates Samsung’s commitment to closely collaborating with industry partners to advance telecommunications.
Samsung aims to connect its research strengths with business expertise to translate innovation into greater value for the industry. The company plans to continue deepening collaboration with global partners to reinforce its leadership in AI-native, 6G networks.
Source: Samsung
