Samsung SDS Wins Seoul National University 800Gbps Campus Network Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 24, Samsung SDS was awarded the "Smart Campus Next-Generation Network Platform Transformation Project" at Seoul National University, which will upgrade the campus network covering 243 buildings and approximately 50,000 students and faculty members. The two parties held a project kickoff meeting on August 21, and the construction work is planned to be carried out in phases through the first half of 2029.

The project will improve the quality of wired and wireless campus networks, upgrading the backbone network transmission capacity from the current approximately 200Gbps to up to 800Gbps, providing infrastructure support for large-scale data transmission in AI research, model training, and cross-institutional research collaboration. The 800Gbps figure refers to the overall bandwidth and data processing capacity of the campus core network, not the access speed of individual user terminals.

Upon completion of the upgrade, teaching buildings, laboratories, libraries, and administrative facilities will be connected to a unified network architecture. The high-bandwidth environment is primarily designed to address potential congestion issues when AI training data, research databases, and computing results are transferred between GPU clusters, storage systems, and research terminals, while also improving network stability in centralized access environments.

Samsung SDS will deploy Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in the project, centrally controlling network devices, service configurations, and access policies through a software platform, transforming the traditional management approach of configuring switches, routers, and other devices individually. The company has previously built and managed SDN systems serving approximately 80,000 users across 13 global operating nodes, and will now apply this technology to a large-scale university campus network.

The security system is also a major component of this transformation. Samsung SDS will implement logical isolation of research, teaching, and administrative networks through software-based methods, restricting unnecessary access between different business areas, and configuring network policies based on user identity, terminal type, and business purpose. When a security incident occurs in one area, logical isolation can reduce the likelihood of risks spreading to other network segments.

The project also includes the construction of a network automation service portal. Users can apply for IP addresses, register access devices, or create research-dedicated networks through the portal, with the system completing review and configuration according to preset policies. Repetitive tasks that were previously handled individually by network administrators will be automated, allowing operations personnel to focus on device failures, abnormal traffic, and security incidents.

At this stage of the project, Samsung SDS has completed the bid award and initiated implementation, with the scope covering network expansion, SDN platform, logical isolation, user service portal, and automated operations and maintenance systems. Seoul National University will upgrade the existing network in phases according to buildings and business areas, ultimately forming a unified campus network platform covering teaching, research, and administrative operations.