Today's Telecom Pulse
Australia's $5.25B spectrum fee sparks industry backlash
The Australian Communications and Media Authority announced a A$7.32 billion (≈US$5.25 billion) fee for renewing mobile spectrum licences held by the three major operators and NBN Co. Industry bodies AMTA and ATA denounced the charge as a "short‑sighted spectrum stealth tax" and warned it could force operators to curb investment.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Optimum raises $300M in preferred equity
Direct-to-Cell Growth Hits Headwinds While 6G Set for Rapid Uptake
Juniper Research projects direct‑to‑cell (D2C) satellite connectivity will expand from 17.4 million monthly users in 2026 to 133 million by 2031, but urban obstacles and limited everyday demand will keep usage below early expectations. The study highlights that voice services are a realistic first use case, while data remains in trial phases due to bandwidth and latency constraints. Simultaneously, Juniper forecasts rapid 6G adoption, with 4.1 million connections in 2029 soaring to 2.9 billion by 2035, led by the US, South Korea and China. Analysts warn operators must pair 6G with value‑added AI services to justify investment.
EE Accelerates UK 5G+ Roll-Out and Teams with Meta to Boost Mobile Video
EE, owned by BT, is fast‑tracking its 5G+ rollout across the UK as part of BT’s roughly $51 bn network‑upgrade programme. The operator is deploying Advanced RAN Coordination (ARC), which can lift download speeds by up to 20% without adding new...
Lapsus$ Leak Exposes Vodafone Production Database Credentials
The Lapsus$ extortion group released a 7.1 GB archive of Vodafone's internal source code on May 12, 2026, after a failed ransom demand. Independent analysis confirmed the dump includes hard‑coded production PostgreSQL credentials, forcing Vodafone to scramble for remediation while regulators watch...
NSDI '26 - Net-P4ct: Enhanced WAN Bandwidth Fair Sharing Using P4 Programmable Switches
The talk introduces NetPack, a WAN‑wide bandwidth management system that shifts traffic policing from per‑host eBPF agents to line‑rate P4 programmable switches. By installing service‑specific policies at ingress points, NetPack can recognize jobs via a unique identifier and enforce guaranteed...
Telco Data Challenges Are Hampering AI-Native Network Progress
Speakers at Telecom TV’s DSP Leaders World Forum warned that decades-old, heterogeneous and siloed telco data is a major obstacle to building AI-native and cloud-native networks. Data lives in inconsistent formats across wireless, wireline and OSS/BSS domains, with weak cross-business...
Arctic Fiber Failures Question Viability For
D.C. Memo: Is Fiber the Right Technology for Alaska? @GCIAK Rushing to Fix New Subsea Fiber Tear in the Aleutians | GCI is also buying Quintillion, which suffered a fiber break in the Beaufort Sea in 2025 that could not...
Trump FCC Saved Americans $5.6 B in Internet Costs
Thanks to President Trump, millions of Americans are paying a lot less for Internet The Trump FCC quickly shut down a Biden-era plan that would have spiked Internet prices A new study now shows that consumers would have paid $5.6 Billion more...
What Is eBPF?
The video introduces eBPF—Extended Berkeley Packet Filter—as a technology allowing tiny, verified programs to execute inside the Linux kernel, and explains why it has become a buzzword across Kubernetes, observability, security and telecom cloud stacks. Traditional Linux architecture forces user‑space applications...
5G & AI Native 6G PDSCH Chain and AIML in Phy Layer
The video walks through the transformation of the physical‑layer digital signal processing (DSP) chain across three generations of mobile radio—4G LTE, 5G NR, and the emerging 6G vision. It frames the discussion around the PDSCH pipeline and how each generation...
May Update - Tematica Select Digital Infrastructure Model (DIGI)
Tematica Select has released its May 2026 update to the Digital Infrastructure (DIGI) model, a thematic investment framework that concentrates on companies constructing the backbone of the connected economy. The refreshed model spotlights firms involved in fiber‑optic networks, data‑center construction, semiconductor...
AT&T Sues California Regulators For Trying To Make Broadband Affordable
AT&T has sued the California Public Utilities Commission, alleging the agency’s 2024 order prevents the company from retiring its aging copper landline network. The CPUC insists AT&T must upgrade rural and low‑income customers to fiber rather than replace service with...
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New Chennai-Singapore Subsea Cable Route to Boost Regional Connectivity
FLAG, the private global subsea cable operator, announced a new Chennai‑to‑Singapore cable corridor as part of its Vision 2030 strategy. The route adds a second, geographically distinct path on India’s east coast, boosting capacity, reducing latency and improving network resilience. Coupled...
Australia Attacks 'Short-Sighted Spectrum Stealth Tax'
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced a A$7.32 billion (≈US$5.25 billion) fee for the renewal of mobile spectrum licences held by the three major operators and NBN Co, far above its earlier $5‑$6.2 billion range. Industry bodies AMTA and ATA denounced...
Liberty Global Creates Ziggo Group Ahead of Planned 2027 Amsterdam Listing
Liberty Global is forming Ziggo Group, a new Benelux telecom operator that combines its Dutch asset VodafoneZiggo with Belgian carrier Telenet. The merged entity will serve roughly 13 million customers and generate about €6.6 billion (≈ $7.2 billion) in annual revenue, while retaining the...
Eir to Switch Off 3G Mobile Data Network From October
Eir announced that it will begin decommissioning its 3G mobile data network in early October 2026, rolling the shutdown out over several weeks. The move supports the carrier’s ongoing upgrade to 4G and 5G services. Only a very small share...
Networks in Orbit: How the Physics of Space Is Driving Smarter 5G Satellite Design
Satellite‑based 5G is shifting focus from launch volume to the physics of the space environment. Doppler shifts, long distances, and harsh thermal and radiation conditions force a redesign of the physical layer, from chips to cooling systems. Efficiency metrics such...
Koodo Offers Free 5G Speed Upgrade to Customers
Koodo, Telus’s contract‑free mobile brand, will automatically upgrade new customers who receive 5G‑compatible phones to 5G speeds of up to 1 Gbps at no additional charge. The upgrade also extends to existing Pick Your Perk subscribers with compatible devices. The rollout...
Nokia Accelerates AI Push After Nvidia's $1 B Strategic Investment
Nvidia has placed a $1 billion strategic stake in Nokia, prompting the telecom giant to embed AI across its radio access network and optical portfolio. The deal has lifted Nokia's share price from about $6 to just under $15 and helped...
EE Extends 5G+ Network Ahead of Summer Season
EE, the UK’s largest mobile operator, announced a major expansion of its 5G+ network ahead of the summer season. The rollout adds coverage to more than 30 additional towns, including tourist hotspots such as Blackpool, Canvey Island, Torquay and Weston‑super‑Mare....