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Samsung ups its 5G ante with network analytics firm acquisition

The company acquires Spanish firm Zhilabs, which could enhance its 5G network capabilities and quality.

Jennifer Bisset Former Senior Editor / Culture
Jennifer Bisset was a senior editor for CNET. She covered film and TV news and reviews. The movie that inspired her to want a career in film is Lost in Translation. She won Best New Journalist in 2019 at the Australian IT Journalism Awards.
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Samsung is well and truly signalling its 5G intent.

The company acquired Barcelona-based Zhilabs, a network analysis firm that uses artificial intelligence to monitor the performance of telecommunications carriers and their services. The sum of the acquisition was not disclosed.

The acquisition could let Samsung enhance its 5G capabilities and network quality, with Zhilabs' AI-based analytics that monitor the performance of SMS messaging, data connectivity and roaming at an individual subscriber level. Zhilabs, formed in 2008, also offers automated troubleshooting. Samsung says it will collaborate with Zhilabs to create new technology for its move to 5G.

And it is clearly committed to the next generation of super-fast mobile data, expected to come next year and increase network speeds, coverage and the responsiveness of wireless networks, with carriers AT&T and Verizon having already launched early 5G coverage. 

In the next three years, Samsung is putting more than $22 billion toward artificial intelligence, 5G networks, biopharmaceuticals and electronic automotive parts, with its house-made Exynos 9 chip able to support 5G devices.

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