Samsung boosts US 5G expansion with TeleWorld acquisition

Samsung Electronics has agreed to buy US network services provider TeleWorld Solutions (TWS), with the aim of helping network operators to accelerate and simplify roll-outs of 5G networks across the country and give momentum to its own regional 5G network expansion. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 

Samsung said continued growth in mobile usage was driving the need for new spectrum and network densification, and demand was increasing for network infrastructure, design, deployment and optimisation services. This was being driven by 5G network builds, network virtualisation initiatives, testing and optimisation associated with new open RAN architectures, as well as the demand for new enterprise cellular networks, it said. 

To date, Samsung Networks has collaborated with major US network operators to fulfil 5G network expansion plans and it said that as its growth continues through network operator agreements and enterprises seeking their own cellular networks, the combination of Samsung and TWS would help customers to address next-generation demands.

Based in Chantilly, Virginia, TWS provides network design, testing and optimisation services to mobile service and cable operators and equipment OEMs. With network builds associated with 5G and 4G LTE enhancements advancing in the US, Samsung sees the acquisition as addressing the need for end-to-end support in delivering network systems and sees TWS’s service offerings and customers complementing its own footprint growth among US network infrastructure clients.

With TWS’s competencies in radio frequency (RF) and network design service – as well as installation, testing and optimisation services – it will continue to serve its existing customers and clients it currently supports with Samsung. Going forward, TWS will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics America and the TWS leadership team will continue to manage the business and, together with Samsung, address the network upgrade cycle in the US.

“The acquisition of TWS will enable us to meet mobile carriers’ growing needs for improving their 4G and 5G networks, and eventually create new opportunities to enhance our service capabilities to our customers,” said Paul Kyungwhoon Cheun, executive vice-president and head of networks business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to drive innovation in communications technology, while providing optimisation services for network deployments that accelerate US 5G network expansion.”

TeleWorld Solutions CEO Shervin Gerami added: “Everyone at TeleWorld Solutions is excited to be part of the Samsung family. The advent of 5G and the amount of new spectrum coming into the US market requires scale and innovation for the next generation of wireless technologies. Joining forces with Samsung will accelerate innovation to help our customers fulfil their needs for network strategy, deployment and automation.”