Today's Telecom Pulse
EE fast‑tracks UK 5G+ rollout, leveraging $51 bn BT network upgrade
EE, owned by BT, is accelerating its 5G+ deployment across the UK, using Advanced RAN Coordination to boost download speeds by up to 20% without adding new masts. The rollout will activate 5G+ at more than 25 major events and 30 tourist destinations, extending coverage to 75% of the population, and is part of BT’s roughly $51 bn network‑upgrade programme.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Optimum raises $300M in preferred equity
Router (Home Network): OWE Authentication Question
A home‑network user in NYC noticed their router reporting OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) instead of the expected WPA2. The moderator explained that when a router is set to WPA3/WPA2 mode it operates in an OWE transition mode, causing compatible devices to use OWE while older devices fall back to WPA2. The discussion highlighted that OWE is essentially the encryption layer of WPA3 and that mixed‑device environments may need network segregation. The user was advised to keep the current mode until all devices support WPA3 or to isolate legacy clients.
T-Mobile Surges, Adding More Than 500,000 5G Home Internet & Fiber Customers in Q1 2026 As Comcast & Spectrum Lose...
T‑Mobile reported a record‑breaking first quarter, adding more than 500,000 net broadband customers, driven largely by its 5G Home Internet and expanding fiber footprint. Service revenue jumped 11% to $18.8 billion and adjusted EBITDA rose 12% to $9.24 billion, prompting the company...
CEO of MCNC Joins Beyond the Cable at Connected America
Tracy Doaks, president and CEO of MCNC, spoke at the Connected America 2026 expo about the nonprofit’s North Carolina Research and Education Network, which delivers high‑speed connectivity to smaller, mid‑size and minority research institutions. She highlighted MCNC’s role as a...
US Spectrum Shuffle Could Earn SES Billions
SES CEO Adel Al‑Saleh met FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to discuss a new C‑band spectrum reallocation aimed at U.S. cellular operators. The FCC’s plan could net SES between $1.5 billion and $3.4 billion, far less than the $8.7 billion it earned in the...
Emirates Installs Starlink Wi‑Fi on A380, Delivering 2 Gbps In‑Flight Broadband
Emirates has completed the first Starlink Wi‑Fi retrofit on its Airbus A380, installing three antennas that raise total cabin bandwidth to more than 2 Gbps – roughly a thousand times the speed of its legacy system. The upgrade, certified in Newquay,...
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Justin Faulb, after a decade at the Federal Communications Commission, has been appointed senior vice president, Policy and General Counsel at NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, effective May 11. At the FCC, Faulb served as chief of staff and legal advisor...
Using NVIDIA Aerial CUDA-Accelerated RAN on Red Hat OpenShift to Accelerate Development of AI-Native 5G and 6G RAN Solutions
Red Hat demonstrated NVIDIA Aerial CUDA‑Accelerated RAN running on OpenShift, using an NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip and ConnectX‑7 NIC in a single‑node edge configuration. The open‑source stack enables AI‑native 5G/6G development with zero‑touch GitOps provisioning and GPU‑accelerated PHY performance....
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Virgin Atlantic Accelerates Starlink Rollout with Free High-Speed Wi-Fi Across Fleet
Virgin Atlantic is accelerating its rollout of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, beginning installations on its A350 fleet in May with full A350 coverage expected by early summer. The airline will extend the free, high‑speed Wi‑Fi to its 787 and A330neo...
T-Mobile Adds More Than 500,000 Broadband Subs
T‑Mobile added more than 500,000 broadband subscribers in Q1 2026 across fixed‑wireless and fiber, CEO Srini Gopalan announced. Fixed‑wireless net additions accelerated, bringing the base to 8.45 million and targeting 15 million by 2030. Post‑paid accounts grew 217,000 with an ARPA of...
Sertex Takes Aim at Digital Gaps in some Western Mass. Towns
Sertex Broadband Solutions announced two master service agreements to expand fiber broadband across Western Massachusetts. The company will install more than 1,000 underground service drops in towns such as Greenfield, Heath, Chesterfield and Westfield, using Westfield Gas & Electric’s Whip...
AT&T Extends Home Internet Savings With $25 Off Internet Air for Eligible Customers
AT&T has expanded its Access program, offering eligible low‑income households a $25 monthly discount on its Internet Air 5G home broadband service. Internet Air is a plug‑and‑play solution that can be installed in about 15 minutes and now benefits from...
LG Electronics Unveils Hybrid eCall Solution for 2G‑5G Networks Ahead of Europe’s 2027 NG eCall Rule
LG Electronics demonstrated its Hybrid eCall platform at the 5G Automotive Association meeting in Gothenburg, a system that can switch automatically between 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks. The technology is designed to satisfy Europe’s upcoming Next‑Generation eCall requirement that...
Brightspeed Is Two-Thirds Done with Their Alabama Fiber Build
Brightspeed announced that more than two‑thirds of its planned fiber network in Alabama is complete, covering over 165,000 homes and businesses. The rollout leaves roughly 86,000 locations still pending construction, with the company citing a 65% completion rate across the...
Amazon Accelerates Its New Home Internet Ambitions as It Launches 29 New Satellites
Amazon’s Leo constellation added 29 new low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, bringing the total launched by United Launch Alliance to 168. The expanded network moves the company closer to a summer 2026 launch of its direct‑to‑home broadband service aimed at underserved areas. Leo’s...
Grain Aiming to Lease Direct-to-Device Spectrum 90 Days After Deal Closing
Investment firm Grain Management plans to lease the 800 MHz low‑band spectrum it bought from T‑Mobile for $2.9 billion to satellite operators within 90 days, pending FCC approval. Grain met with FCC Chair Brendan Carr and senior advisor Arpan Sura to outline...
IMS2026 Returns to Boston with Newly Structured RF and Microwave Engineering Technical Program
The IEEE International MTT Symposia will return to Boston from June 7‑12, 2026 with a newly organized technical program. The event is split into three coordinated symposia—RF Integrated Circuits, RF Systems & Applications, and RF Technology & Techniques—each targeting a specific stage...
Catalina Island Subsea Cable Project Enters Survey Phase
AVX Networks has moved its Catalina Island high‑speed internet project into the marine survey phase, a key step toward laying a subsea fiber‑optic cable between Avalon and Huntington Beach. The effort is funded by a $37.5 million grant from the California...
Capito Bill Tightens FCC Vetting of Broadband Providers
Congress approved the Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025, directing the FCC to vet broadband providers before awarding high‑cost universal service funds. The FCC must issue a rulemaking within 180 days requiring applicants to demonstrate technical, financial and operational capability...
Beyond Connectivity: How Submarine Cable Resilience Dictates Digital Sovereignty in the Age of Fragmented Governance
Submarine cables, spanning more than 1.4 million km, carry over 99 % of intercontinental data traffic, making them the hidden backbone of the digital economy. Ownership is consolidating among a few hyperscalers—Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon—shifting digital sovereignty from nation‑state contests to...
State Broadband Merger Limps Into a Second Decade
The state‑owned Broadband Infraco (BBI) and signal distributor Sentech have seen their merger pushed to the 2028/29 financial year, marking the third major timeline shift since approval in 2017. BBI has posted consecutive losses since 2019, been declared technically insolvent,...
NBTC Backs Google-Linked Subsea Cable Project
Thailand’s telecom regulator, the NBTC, approved the TalayLink subsea cable project that links Google Cloud with the country’s network. The 300‑kilometre conduit will house 11 separate fiber lines and land on Thailand’s coast, extending to Australia’s Christmas Island. The approval...
Maine Governor Veto Opens Way for Jay Data Center and Rural Fiber Rollout
Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed a statewide data‑center moratorium, clearing regulatory hurdles for a new data center at the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay. The move accelerates the rollout of the MooseNet‑backed fiber network that will bring high‑speed broadband to...
AI, Connectivity Demands Make Next-Gen Wi-Fi a Priority for More Building Operators
Cisco’s 2026 State of Wireless survey of over 6,000 professionals shows AI‑driven connectivity demands are pushing building operators to replace legacy Wi‑Fi with next‑generation standards. More than three‑quarters of respondents are already deploying or planning Wi‑Fi 6E or 7, and 80%...
Cornelis Expands Global Partner Ecosystem to Accelerate High-Performance Networking for HPC and Data-Intensive Workloads
Cornelis announced the expansion of its global partner ecosystem, adding North American distributor ASI Corp. and federal integrators CTG Federal and TVAR Solutions. The move broadens access to the CN5000 400‑Gbps networking family, which promises sub‑1 µs latency, up to 800 M...
AT&T Vs. Verizon: How The Country’s Biggest Carriers Fared In Q1 2026
AT&T edged out Verizon in Q1 2026, delivering $31.51 billion in operating revenue, a 2.9% YoY increase, and adding 294,000 postpaid phone subscribers. Verizon posted $34.40 billion in revenue, also up 2.9% YoY, but missed estimates while gaining 55,000 postpaid net adds—the...
Dutch Govt Looks at Relaxing Rules for Mobile Antenna Sites
The Dutch government is reviewing its regulations to make it easier for mobile operators to install antennas in new locations, especially in densely populated cities. State Secretary Willemijn Aerdts presented the proposal to parliament, citing a Monet industry report that...
Freshwave Makes UK Flight Connection
Freshwave has activated a 4G neutral‑host network across an 85,000‑square‑foot extension at Leeds Bradford Airport, providing consumer Wi‑Fi and push‑to‑talk staff connectivity. The deployment will soon expand by another 44,000 sq ft to include security zones, completing coverage of the new three‑storey terminal....
BH Telecom Boosts Data on Tourist Offers
BH Telecom announced an upgrade to its Tourist and Unlimited start packages, adding a new Tourist 1 offering. The plan costs 20 BAM (about $11) and provides 40 GB of mobile data usable in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans. It also...
Trai Extends Deadline for Comments on Mobile Plan without Data at Lower Price to May 5
India’s telecom regulator TRAI has extended the comment deadline for its draft amendment to May 5, a week beyond the original April 28 cut‑off. The proposal would obligate operators to offer voice‑and‑SMS‑only mobile plans at lower prices than current bundled tariffs that...
FS Launches D5110 16T Solutions for Automated DCI Deployment
FS unveiled two D5110‑based Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions that automate deployment and configuration for point‑to‑point optical links up to 120 km. The 100G solution uses a 4/8‑channel 1U platform delivering up to 800 G line capacity, while the 1G‑400G DWDM option...
Altair Semiconductor Spins Off From Sony to Focus on 5G IoT and eRedCap Strategy
Altair Semiconductor has completed a spin‑off from Sony Semiconductor Solutions, backed by $50 million in new funding led by Pitango Group. The independent company will double‑down on low‑power cellular IoT chipsets and a 5G eRedCap roadmap, highlighted by the upcoming ALT1550...
AI Data Bursts Force Rethink of Data Center Networking at Backblaze
Backblaze is swapping its legacy 100‑gigabit links for 400‑gigabit connections to accommodate the bursty, unpredictable traffic generated by AI workloads on neocloud providers such as CoreWeave and Lambda. The upgrade includes higher‑density Arista switches, allowing terabit‑per‑second internal flows and more...
How AI Is Creating New Intersecting Opportunity Points for Fiber
The 2026 FiberConnect trade show highlights fiber’s expanding role beyond consumer broadband, focusing on data‑center needs driven by AI workloads. Industry forecasts indicate roughly 92,000 route miles of new fiber must be built to connect existing and emerging data centers....
T‑Mobile Pairs 5G with Starlink for Enterprise Redundancy
T-Mobile has taken another step into the enterprise market with its launch of SuperBroadband on April 28, a business-focused connectivity service that pairs the carrier's 5G network with SpaceX's Starlink satellite system. The concept is straightforward, yet the execution aims...
Toosheh Leverages Satellite TV to Circumvent Iran Shutdown
During Iran’s internet shutdown, Toosheh used satellite TV signals to deliver data, bypassing restrictions and maintaining access to vital information. https://t.co/FrheDSw8hU
Eir Business Chooses ServiceNow to Strengthen Ireland’s Next-Generation Digital Infrastructure
eir business, Ireland’s managed‑connectivity provider, has entered a multi‑million‑euro (≈ $5.5 million) partnership with ServiceNow to revamp its managed services platform. The deal will migrate eir’s operations onto ServiceNow’s AI Platform, delivering a unified portal, AI‑driven automation, and real‑time analytics. The...
Disney Asserts FCC Record Proves Continued Licensing Qualifications
Disney on FCC licenses: 'We are confident that record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels....'
FCC Forces ABC to Renew License After Kimmel Joke
Trump’s FCC Orders ABC to File Broadcast TV License Renewals Within 30 Days in Wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s Melania Joke https://t.co/XAtl8VE6ko via @variety
Cellular IoT Data Surge to 281.6 Exabytes Predicted by 2035 - Omdia
Omdia forecasts cellular IoT data traffic to hit 218.6 exabytes by 2035, with automotive applications accounting for more than half of the volume. Asia and Oceania are expected to generate 50.6% of the global traffic, propelled by early technology adoption and...
License Renewals Are Tedious, but FCC Revocation Is Rare
And during that entire time, the licensee keeps the license. BUT -- needing to drop everything to do all your license renewals early is a major, expensive time-consuming pain in the butt. And you are under the microscope. You can get...
Always‑on Connectivity Makes Any Place a Deal Room
Work isn’t tied to offices anymore, and neither are high-stakes decisions. Secure, always-on connectivity is turning any location into a deal room. That’s the power behind SuperMobile. @TMobileBusiness #TFBPartner
Godshill Residents Left in Lurch as New Forest Gigabit Contract Adjusted
Godshill, a village in the New Forest, has been removed from the UK Government’s Project Gigabit contract, leaving 159 homes without a guaranteed full‑fibre connection. The original timeline promised service by the end of 2026 from Wessex Internet, but the...
Private Networks Redefine Live with Sub‑100ms Latency
We’re watching the playbook change in real time. Private networks + ultra-low latency are redefining what “live” actually means — not just for sports, but for every industry. Strong execution by @TMobileBusiness - #TFBPartner
CTIA Names Former Federated Wireless Exec Kurt Schaubach CTO
CTIA appointed Kurt Schaubach as CTO. Schaubach joins CTIA from Federated Wireless. via CityBiz https://t.co/YoFujOvkWr
Starlink Turned Dial‑up Satellite Internet Into Gigabit Speeds
When SpaceX launched Starlink, traditional satellite internet was stuck at dial-up speeds using the same old spectrum. Elon went orbital... literally. Building a constellation of 6,000+ low-Earth orbit satellites delivering gigabit speeds to places cable companies won't touch. Elon doesn't stand still.
User Switches O2 Tariff After Criticism, O2 Remains Silent
Thanks to all those who reacted or responded to my O2 post - will be taking your advice and moving my tariff. Unsurprisingly @O2 haven't responded to my criticism
DRAN: Distributed Radio Access Network Optimizes Performance
"DRAN stands for Distributed Radio Access Network. It is a network architecture where the radio equipment and processing functions are distributed to optimize performance." via Verizon https://t.co/gAFzibxzWo
Fiber Boosts Market Share by 15%, Yet Underpriced
The "fiber castle" effect is real and it's reshaping telecom. Our data shows fiber gives a 15% market share lift, and it doesn't matter if you're @ATT or @Verizon. The market is massively underpricing this structural advantage. 🧵📊
T‑Mobile Invests $2.7 Bn to Scale Fibre JV
Joint venture incoming: @TMobile writes $2.7bn in cheques as Oak Hill and Wren House bring their fibre bets to scale Read more here: https://t.co/8NsUEh8aj9 https://t.co/gI8TxB6bpQ
Josh's Team Deploys NY's $542M BEAD Broadband Funding
Congrats to @joshdotfm and his team at @EmpireStateDev for starting to implement NY State's $542 M BEAD allotment for locations unserved or underserved by high-speed broadband. The high profile names take credit, but Josh is the engine that gets it...