Videotron taps Samsung to modernise Canadian 5G core

Vidéotron has selected Samsung to modernise parts of its mobile core network in Canada, expanding a partnership that previously focused on radio access network (RAN) equipment.

The deployment covers Samsung's 5G non-standalone core and 4G LTE core gateway infrastructure, building on a RAN deal signed in 2019.

Vidéotron is a national mobile carrier and a subsidiary of Quebecor Media. It also offers fixed internet, television and wireline telephony services, with Québec as its largest market.

Core expansion

The latest agreement takes Samsung deeper into Vidéotron's core network layer, which handles functions such as routing, subscriber access and service connectivity across 4G and 5G networks.

Samsung will deliver a cloud-native 5G and 4G core running on Dell PowerEdge servers with AMD EPYC 9005 processors. Red Hat OpenShift will provide the Kubernetes-based platform for running applications.

The architecture is positioned as open and interoperable, delivered through a partner ecosystem that includes hardware and platform suppliers.

Vidéotron highlighted resilience and reliability, automation-ready operations, and scalability as key priorities. It also linked the initiative to its broader service footprint as it expands beyond Québec.

Operational focus

Mohamed Drif, Senior Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer at Vidéotron, said the earlier RAN deployment influenced the decision to broaden the relationship.

"Samsung's success delivering our RAN infrastructure gave us confidence in their ability to support our Core network," Drif said.

He said the use of "open, industry-standard platforms" aligns with Vidéotron's network plans.

"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. The cloud-native approach aligns perfectly with our network evolution strategy," he said.

Fizz, which Vidéotron positions as a digital-first mobile and home internet brand, is part of Quebecor's push beyond its core provincial base. Core network expansion is central for operators as they grow services and traffic volumes across regions and device types.

Samsung's position

Samsung said the project strengthens its position in Canada's telecommunications market and expands its footprint with a large operator customer. It is competing with long-established mobile network vendors across radio and core network segments in North America.

Stephen Wiktorski, Vice President and Head of Networks at Samsung Electronics, called the move from RAN into core network work a milestone.

"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," Wiktorski said.

"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. With this step in our partnership, we are proud to continue supporting Videotron in realizing its vision of scalable, future-ready networks."

Samsung also pointed to other work in Canada and North America, including a recent core launch with another Canadian operator and involvement in a roaming gateway project. It has promoted open architectures and software-based network functions as part of its approach to operator deployments.

Vendor stack

The deployment uses a multi-vendor stack: Dell provides the servers, AMD supplies the processors, Red Hat provides the container platform, and Samsung supplies the core network software and integration.

Telecom operators are increasingly shifting core network functions to cloud-native designs that run on standard server infrastructure. Platforms such as Kubernetes are widely used to deploy and manage containerised applications at scale.

Samsung said it has supplied cloud-native core solutions since 2015 across LTE and 5G, citing deployments in Canada, Korea, Japan and India.

Vidéotron reported 4,328,100 mobile lines as of 30 September 2025. It also reported 1,736,400 internet subscribers, 1,259,300 television subscribers, and 562,100 wireline telephony connections as of the same date.

Financial terms, rollout milestones and the scale of the deployment were not disclosed. Both companies linked the project to ongoing network evolution and Vidéotron's national expansion plans.