Know What's Happening in Telecom
Know What's Happening in Telecom
Cable operators leverage Wi‑Fi bundles to snag a third of new wireless customers
Cable giants Charter and Comcast have turned their extensive Wi‑Fi networks—carrying roughly 90 % of mobile data—into a competitive wireless advantage. The bundling strategy captured about one‑third of all new wireless customers in Q4 2025 and enabled lower‑priced plans, saving consumers an estimated $5 billion that year.
Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has convened telecom operators and other industry participants to review its draft Numbering Resource Registration Regulations. The draft incorporates feedback from earlier consultations and is positioned to underpin the upcoming mandatory SIM‑card registration drive. NCA Director‑General Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko highlighted that the new rules will strengthen number allocation, reduce fraud, and support a more secure communications ecosystem. Stakeholders now have a limited window to submit final comments before the regulations are finalized.
Ericsson hosted U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg at its 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas, showcasing a domestic manufacturing hub for next‑generation network equipment. The tour, attended by the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, the Swedish ambassador, CEO...
ETSI’s Software Development Group has launched OpenOP Release 1, the first open‑source Operator Platform for the Telco Cloud. The platform bundles an Open Exposure Gateway, Service Resource Manager, Federation Manager, a transformation‑function SDK, a developer portal, and an AI² layer that...
A UK‑European consortium comprising Excelerate Technology, Eutelsat and Livewire Digital has unveiled the Nomadlink connectivity trailer. The mobile unit promises near‑instant broadband for rural and isolated sites, targeting large public gatherings, major incidents and other high‑demand scenarios. By integrating satellite...
Madrid‑based Summa Networks and communications‑software specialist Cataleya have announced a partnership to deliver secure, cloud‑native core‑network and VoIP signalling platforms for mobile operators. The joint offering combines Summa’s modular HLR, HSS, EPC and IMS stack with Cataleya’s Orchid Link Session Border...
Russia’s public budget for public Wi‑Fi upgrades jumps to 9.62 billion roubles in 2025, more than double the 3.77 billion allocated in 2024. Data traffic on these networks surged 10.6‑fold year‑on‑year, reaching 13.8 million petabytes. The growth is linked to mobile‑internet disruptions caused...
Brazil's Ministry of Communications aims for 80% of the population to have 5G coverage by the end of 2026, spanning 2,220 municipalities. This exceeds the original target of 1,469 cities. To date, 5G is active in about 1,420 municipalities, focusing...
Policyband Quote of the Day: “@BrendanCarrFCC critics pretend he said something radical. However, the Communications Act in Section 309(a) has long required broadcasters that use public spectrum to operate in the ‘public interest.’ That principle is the foundation of...
"The new AT&T app is built around a GenAI assistant, making it faster to find what you need with a more personalized experience." https://t.co/rqlH2QUpWO $T
Vantage Towers has teamed with PowerX Technology to install its AI‑driven monitoring platform at 220 off‑grid rural tower sites. The system provides continuous telemetry, replacing manual diesel oversight and delivering real‑time visibility into energy usage. Integrated battery data now supports...
Interesting piece on D2D from GSMA. Gets the physics and capacity limitations right, but doesn't resolve the inherent contradiction between the lack of indoor coverage and what that means for actual end user demand in rural unserved areas https://t.co/0ncbKgndSC
The FCC will auction 100‑180 MHz of upper C‑band spectrum by July 2027, forcing broadcasters to vacate a band that currently underpins U.S. video distribution and supports emerging 5G/6G services. Industry leaders warn that no single technology can replace the band’s five‑nines...
At MWC Barcelona 2026, Huawei introduced an “Agentic Operations” framework for telecom operators, leveraging AI agents across user interaction, experience operations, and network O&M. The approach showcased rapid GTM acceleration in Kenya, a 30% reduction in handling time in Hong...
ELVA-1 reports a surge in demand for solid‑state noise sources that operate beyond 100 GHz, driven by expanding research in 6G, imaging, spectroscopy and radio astronomy. Engineers need high excess noise ratio (ENR) references to overcome waveguide losses and the inherently...
Vodafone UK has activated Hiya’s Secure Branding on its network, allowing verified businesses to display their identity when calling customers. The service uses Vodafone’s open APIs and is limited to approved entities such as banks and government bodies. With 85% of...
Mirrorcle Technologies announced renewed production orders from Taara at OFC 2026, extending a decade‑long partnership that underpins Taara's Lightbridge terrestrial laser‑communication system. The Lightbridge product delivers 20 Gbps over 20 km using Mirrorcle's MEMS fine‑steering mirrors, now moving into volume production. Mirrorcle...
D.C. Memo: @NCTAitv CEO Has a Big Concern about WRC-27 in Shanghai — China Spying; Cable broadband leader wants WRC-27 delegates to have ‘reliable encrypted Wi-Fi connectivity’ and ‘appropriate privacy safeguards in meeting spaces and lodgings.’ https://t.co/U8Opk4syIc https://t.co/eYFMmRVpf3
Nokia’s $2.3 billion acquisition of Infinera is bearing fruit as the company unveils a modular "building‑block" optical engine featuring four new DSPs and interchangeable indium‑phosphide, silicon‑photonic, and lithium‑niobate front ends. The approach lets customers mix and match components to serve 13...
The House passed H.R. 5419, the Enhancing Administrative Reviews of Broadband Deployment Act, directing the Interior and Agriculture departments to assess and report on administrative barriers to broadband permits on federal lands within a year. The bill follows previous executive...
Incoming BEREC Chair Alejandra de Iturriaga outlined the regulator’s 2026‑2030 strategy at the IIC Digital Communications and Media Forum. The roadmap targets a secure, competitive, inclusive and sustainable digital Europe by strengthening connectivity, open ecosystems and resilient infrastructure. Implementation will...
The UK lags in 5G, ranking 24th of 30 European nations, while VodafoneThree has committed £11 bn to build a network covering 99% of the population by 2030. The rollout relies heavily on upgrading existing sites—96% of work—allowing a 30% reduction...
U Mobile satisfied Malaysia’s local‑ownership rule for 5G by letting Mawar Setia acquire a majority stake, while Singapore’s ST Telemedia retained a 20% share. The ownership shift also saw Tunku Tun Aminah become chair. With compliance secured, the operator can...
Netcracker Technology announced that BICS, a Proximus Global subsidiary, will upgrade its entire Netcracker Digital OSS deployment as part of a strategic modernization program. The upgrade covers all core OSS components—including inventory, service management, and network planning—to improve stability, security,...
The European Commission launched two new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital calls for 2026, targeting equipment for smart European cable systems and backbone connectivity for digital global gateways. Together the calls allocate €200 million to support high‑capacity network projects, including submarine...
Vislink Technologies has introduced the DragonFly V 5G Dual‑Modem, a miniature bonded video transmitter that combines two cellular links with Wi‑Fi. The device supports live streaming up to 1080p 50/59 from compact cameras, helmet‑mounted rigs, and UAVs. It integrates with Vislink’s LinkMatrix...
5G’s rollout introduces unprecedented bandwidth and low latency, enabling applications from autonomous vehicles to remote surgery, but also expands the cyber attack surface dramatically. The architecture’s reliance on software‑defined networking, network slicing, and edge computing creates new vectors such as...
Bouygues Telecom has launched a cloud‑native Analytics and Performance Management platform built on Polystar’s Kalix suite, completing a multi‑year migration. The solution unifies data from over 60 core and RAN systems, delivering granular KPI insights across vendors. Customized dashboards and...
The Australian government will launch a comprehensive review of the triple zero (000) emergency‑calling framework, asking the designated custodian to consider minimum mobile network performance standards. The move follows two major Optus outages, one of which caused emergency‑call failures linked...
Alaska Communications will deploy fiber and next‑generation fixed wireless to over 9,000 unserved locations after securing a $124 million BEAD grant, with private funds covering an additional 12,000 sites. Mobileum unveiled its “Signal to Value” strategy at MWC Barcelona 2026, promoting...
On March 18, 2026, Akamai Technologies announced the launch of its AI Grid, a distributed inference platform that leverages thousands of NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPUs across 4,400 edge locations worldwide. The rollout, built on NVIDIA AI Enterprise and BlueField DPUs,...
On March 15, 2026, EchoStar’s DISH Wireless unit announced it would void roughly $9 billion in long‑term tower lease contracts, invoking force majeure after the FCC warned it failed to meet spectrum‑buildout benchmarks. The move has triggered lawsuits from tower owners...
On March 10, 2026 Pakistan concluded a landmark IMT spectrum auction that added 480 MHz of 5G‑ready bandwidth, raising total assigned spectrum to nearly 754 MHz. The auction generated about $507 million for the government and lifted Pakistan from 14th to 7th place...
On March 16, 2026, AT&T announced a $250 billion, five‑year capital program to upgrade its U.S. fiber and wireless infrastructure for generative AI and edge computing, targeting more than 100 million customers. Industry analyst Jeff Kagan highlighted the move as a bellwether...
On March 17, 2026, Ofcom announced a five‑year extension of its regulatory framework for BT Openreach, widening wholesale price caps to 80 Mbit/s and laying out new rules for the final phase of the UK’s full‑fibre broadband rollout. The decision, made...
ScaleFibre announced the creation of ScaleFibre USA Inc., marking its first dedicated foothold in the North American market. The U.S. entity will streamline logistics, provide localized technical support, and accelerate delivery of the company’s high‑density optical fiber solutions. By focusing...
Lite Coms, a seven‑year‑old satcom firm, has deployed almost 1,000 tactical VSAT terminals for U.S. and allied forces. Its core strategy centers on multi‑orbit, constellation‑agnostic terminals that operate across GEO, MEO and LEO networks, highlighted by the upcoming 2026 Ku/Ka...
Ripple Fiber announced a partnership with eero, an Amazon‑owned Wi‑Fi company, to equip all Gig‑package customers with the eero Pro 7 mesh system at no extra charge. The deal bundles eero Signal, which automatically switches to cellular backup during outages, and...
At the February 2026 ITU‑R WP 5D meeting in Geneva, the working party reached consensus on the technical performance requirements for IMT‑2030, the forthcoming 6G standard. The draft report defines 20 minimum performance requirements, including seven entirely new metrics, to evaluate...
In this episode, host Chris interviews broadband veteran Doug Dawson to dissect recent industry shifts, including the Astound‑Google Fiber merger and New Mexico's new state‑level affordable connectivity program. They explore how consolidation drives economies of scale for fiber deployment, the...
Researchers at Skoltech and KTH have developed an ultrathin carbon‑nanotube black paint that absorbs terahertz radiation, addressing interference in emerging 6G photonic circuits. The coating, applied via aerosol chemical vapor deposition, can be tuned from 2 to 53 nm, with the...
John Windhausen, a staff architect of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, warned that partisan politics have stalled universal broadband, leaving up to 15% of Americans offline. He cited delays in the BEAD program and insufficient, poorly overseen Universal Service Fund financing...
Ikea launched a low‑cost Matter‑over‑Thread smart‑home line promising universal compatibility, but users encountered frequent onboarding and connectivity failures across major platforms. Reports highlighted Apple Home struggling more than Google Home, while Ikea’s Dirigera hub required multiple firmware updates to improve...
Next up at #IWCE26 @IWCEXPO is a session on private 5G for schools @mosonetworks & Ataya 200-acre private school campus in California https://t.co/V6xjv3LZMs
Comms strength isn’t one system. It’s how layers hold under pressure. Radio. Data. Priority access. Satellite. When incidents scale, coordination depends on resilient, mission-critical communications, not a single point of failure. @T_Priority Partner https://t.co/9rc48ZIfG4
During its 66th meeting, BEREC released a draft “Telecom Reality Check” fact‑finding report for public consultation, comparing EU connectivity, competition and regulation with the US, China, Japan and other leading markets. The report finds the EU telecom sector competitive with...
Back at @IWCEexpo Day 2 Panel on spectrum & public safety for major sports events - esp the 2026 World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics https://t.co/jqA6kUrLLf
2027 more likely to be closer to $600B. Networking alone could be north of $60B.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow and Heriot‑Watt University, funded by the TransiT hub, discovered that everyday traffic can significantly degrade 5G signals needed for autonomous vehicles and digital twins. In a simulated 160‑metre urban road, high congestion reduced the...
Comcast is partnering with NVIDIA to run field trials that place NVIDIA GPUs inside its distributed edge network, enabling AI inference close to 65 million U.S. homes and businesses. The tests will evaluate use cases such as household‑level personalized video ads,...
KRYTAR, Inc. announced two new directional couplers covering the 7.125‑15.35 GHz C‑through‑Ku band range, targeting mmWave and emerging 6G applications. The 10 dB model offers 13 dB directivity, while the 20 dB version provides 14 dB directivity. Both units handle 20 W average and 3 kW peak...
