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
T-Mobile Poland Offers Full Range of Prepaid Card Purchase Functions Online
T‑Mobile Poland has moved its entire prepaid SIM purchasing workflow online. Customers can now activate eSIMs, select new telephone numbers, and use Mobile Number Portability via the website. The service also supports ordering physical SIM cards with free delivery. This digital rollout streamlines acquisition for both new and existing users.
A1 Slovenia Leads Survey as Most Frequently Recommended Mobile Operator for Seniors
A recent Aragon agency survey shows A1 Slovenia is the most frequently recommended mobile operator among Slovene users aged over 60. More than 80% of these senior customers actively use mobile data, a rate that exceeds the national average. Seniors...
Beeline Kyrgyzstan Launches Mobile Plan with Zero-Rated AI Apps
Beeline Kyrgyzstan has rolled out a new Ukmush AI tariff priced at KGS 500 per month. The plan offers 80 GB of mobile data, unlimited on‑net calls and SMS, 60 minutes of off‑network calls, and unlimited data sharing. It also zero‑rates traffic to...
Analyst Urges Patience as Verizon's Earnings Mask Future Growth
Read @jeffKAGAN Industry Analyst comment in this piece on @Verizon performance... Despite many analysts predicting Verizon’s future performance under Schulman’s leadership, industry analyst Jeff Kagan said in a press release that the company’s most recent earnings report does not reflect how...
L3Harris Unveils P25 Device with 5G, Satellite D2D Functionality
L3Harris introduced the XL‑300P, a redesigned P25 handheld that adds a built‑in LTE‑5G modem and satellite direct‑to‑device (NTN) capability. The device can switch among P25, Wi‑Fi, commercial LTE bands—including Band 106—and T‑Mobile’s Starlink‑backed satellite service, with an AI‑driven selector that chooses...
The Path to ‘Mobile AI’ Laid Out in GSMA Report
The GSMA and GTI Telecom report outlines a "Mobile AI" ecosystem where 5G expansion drives AI workloads from the cloud to devices and edge nodes. It predicts AI‑related traffic will grow at a CAGR above 70% and could outpace traditional...
Private 5G Seen as Fix for Warehouse Robot Connectivity
Private‑5G specialist Celona and Digi International have teamed up to deliver a plug‑and‑play Robots‑as‑a‑Service (RaaS) platform that replaces unreliable Wi‑Fi in large‑scale warehouses. By integrating Digi’s rugged edge routers and gateways with Celona’s 5G LAN, the solution offers low‑latency, high‑capacity...
AT&T’s $250 B Spend Fuels AI Competition
What AT&T $250 billion network investment means for new AI era competition: Industry Analyst Jeff Kagan https://t.co/GlrtRrgOmx via @ein_news @jeffkagan #jeffkagan #industryanalyst #ictindustryanalyst #ai #aianalyst #aiindustryanalyst #analyst #analystrelations #wirelessanalyst #telecomanalyst #tech #technology #techanalyst #technologyanalyst #pr #publicrelations #pressrelease #marketing #ceo #cmo...
How Safaricom’s New M-PESA Masked Phone Number Feature Will Work
Safaricom will roll out a phone‑number masking feature for M‑PESA transaction alerts at the end of March 2026. Alerts will replace full numbers with a partially hidden format such as 0722*000**, while still displaying the sender’s first and second names....
Broadband Policy Turmoil: Budgets, Secrets, and Big‑tech Scrutiny
Policyband Headlines ■ KeyBanc’s Brandon Nispel: @Google's GFiber Was a Broadband ‘Tourist’ ■ Conservative Groups Seek 35% Jump in @FTC Budget in Support of Chairman @AFergusonFTC ■ Cost of Ontario’s Contract Breach with @Starlink to Be Kept a Secret ■ N.J. @GovSherrillNJ ...
Opening 7 GHz Band Aligns U.S. Spectrum Policy Globally
"Making spectrum available across the 7 GHz band for commercial wireless use would be a valuable opportunity to align U.S. spectrum policy with our partners and allies." via @CTIA https://t.co/c0rqotfnLr
The Human Touch
Consumer Cellular, an AT&T‑based MVNO targeting seniors, has surpassed 4.4 million subscribers while many rivals shrink. The carrier maintains a $30 average revenue per user and attributes growth to live‑person customer service and a rapid rollout of brick‑and‑mortar stores. Since opening...
United Leads with Starlink‑powered Seatback IFE
Connected seatback IFE is on the horizon and @united, which is installing @Starlink across its fleet, is leading the charge. "They're starting to lead this industry in digital engagement," says Andy Masson of @PanasonicAero, United's IFE provider. https://t.co/WJIZdT2yiC #PaxEx https://t.co/LrBgB4gR44
Ericsson and VNPT Upgrade Airport Connectivity in Vietnam
Ericsson and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) have teamed up to upgrade connectivity across Vietnamese airports, deploying Ericsson's new C‑band radios and RAN Compute baseband kits. The solution delivers high‑capacity indoor coverage, multi‑band roaming and a software‑defined architecture that scales...
License Revocations Under 47 USC 312(a)(4) Are Uphill Battles
I assume that when @BrendanCarrFCC refers to license revocations, he means via 47 USC 312(a)(4). This is, to put it mildly, a very uphill fight and the broadcaster keeps the license until final resolution. /1
XLSMART Unveils AI-Powered Vision to Lead Indonesia's Digital Future
XLSMART, the product of the 2025 XL Axiata‑Smartfren merger, announced an AI‑centric strategy to become Indonesia’s digital‑economy engine. The telecom now serves 73 million customers, holds a 27% market share and operates 225 000 base stations. AI “copilots” powered by Huawei’s AUTIN...
Over 5.23 Lakh 5G BTS Installed Across India; Services Reach 99.9 Percent of Districts
India has installed over 523,000 5G base transceiver stations, extending network reach to 99.9% of districts nationwide. The deployment accelerates data speeds, capacity, and supports both urban and rural digital services. The government is promoting 5G use cases in telemedicine,...
Can Africa Succeed Where India Failed with the $40 Smartphone?
The GSMA announced a pilot program to launch $40 4G smartphones in Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda by 2026, aiming to connect tens of millions of Africans who are offline despite network coverage. The initiative bundles operators, manufacturers,...
Kenya Moves to Let Courts Order ISPs to Block Illegal Livestreams
Kenya’s draft Copyright and Related Rights Bill 2026 would empower courts to issue blocking orders against internet service providers that host illegal livestreams of sports and entertainment events. The legislation introduces a formal notice‑and‑takedown regime and safe‑harbour protections for platforms...
DoCoMo and Keio University Demonstrate ‘World’s First Stable, High-Fidelity Robot Teleoperation via Commercial 5G Using Low-Latency Slicing
NTT DoCoMo and Keio University demonstrated the world’s first stable, high‑fidelity robot teleoperation using commercial 5G with low‑latency slicing (Configured Grant). The system combined Configured Grant slicing and Keio’s Real Haptics to transmit force feedback with minimal latency and jitter....
UK Government Unveils Gigabit Broadband Upgrade Tracker
The UK government has launched an online address checker that lets businesses and households verify whether they are slated for a gigabit broadband upgrade under the Project Gigabit scheme. The programme, funded with £5 billion, now brings gigabit‑capable service to more than...
Tells.co Among First U.S. Platforms Approved for RCS Business Messaging
Tells.co has become one of the first U.S. platforms cleared to run Rich Communication Services (RCS) Business Messaging campaigns. RCS upgrades traditional SMS with high‑resolution images, branded sender IDs, interactive buttons, and swipeable product carousels, and its adoption is accelerating...
Pilot Photonics Selected by Finchetto for Optical Network Switch
Pilot Photonics, an Irish integrated‑laser specialist, has partnered with Finchetto to supply its nanosecond tunable lasers for the development of the world’s first fully optical passive network switch. The switch aims to slash data‑centre power consumption by up to 20×...
Du and Huawei Partner to Deliver 10 Gbps 5G-A Network Experience
UAE telecom du has signed an MoU with Huawei to roll out a 10 Gbps‑class 5G‑Advanced (5G‑A) network across the United Arab Emirates. The partnership will deploy Huawei’s U6G radio and 3‑component carrier aggregation to deliver ultra‑large bandwidth in both outdoor...
MTN South Africa Struggles as Competition Bites in Prepaid Market
MTN South Africa reported a 10.1% drop in EBITDA to R17.7 billion, driven by a shrinking prepaid base, higher bad‑debt provisions and a modest 2% rise in service revenue. Prepaid subscribers fell 0.7% and prepaid revenue contracted 2.3% (3.9% in Q4),...
Case Study | Geospatial Technology Accelerating India’s Telecom Growth Story
India’s telecom sector is leveraging geospatial technology to accelerate network rollouts and bridge the digital divide. Jio’s AirFiber project used Esri’s ArcGIS platform to create a national‑scale 3D GIS model covering over 100 million buildings in 900 cities. The system generated...
The Techco of Tomorrow: Comarch Communications’ Autonomous Approach to Satellite-Terrestrial Convergence
At Mobile World Congress 2026, Comarch Communications’ CSO Tymoteusz Wrona outlined the company’s push to embed agentic artificial intelligence into its OSS/BSS platforms to create autonomous, API‑driven networks. The strategy targets measurable efficiency gains and positions telcos to monetize satellite‑terrestrial...
Tejas Networks Wins Deal to Supply 4G RAN in South Asia
Tejas Networks announced it has secured a contract to supply its 4G radio access network equipment to an unnamed telecom operator in South Asia. The deal, disclosed in a regulatory filing, marks a strategic push to broaden the company’s international...
Australia Mobile Services Market: Telstra, Optus, and TPG Drive 5G Growth and Rising Data Revenue
Australia’s mobile services market remains dominated by Telstra, Optus and TPG, which together control the majority of subscribers and revenue. Telstra leads with roughly 40% share and A$10 billion annual mobile revenue, backed by an A$800 million four‑year 5G investment to reach...
Getting Network Automation Right: A Practical Strategy for Enterprise Networks
Enterprise network automation hinges on strategic planning rather than just tool selection. Leaders must prioritize process maturity, governance, and skill development before deploying IaC platforms like Terraform or Ansible. A phased, high‑frequency task approach mitigates risk in brownfield environments, while...
Reliance Communications Files Review Plea Against SC Order on Spectrum Sale Under IBC
Reliance Communications has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging the February 13 order that bars the sale or transfer of spectrum under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The court held that spectrum, as a scarce public resource,...
Nvidia CPO's Distinct Architecture Demands Error‑rate Focus over Meta Hype
One observation I have- everyone is mooning about the Meta data and it’s great. But the Nvidia CPO uses a totally different modulation architecture. The success of Broadcom at Meta is not a direct read through to Nvidia CPO. And no...
Meta Reports 10× Reliability Boost After Fixing Gen 1 Issue
Drew Alduino from Meta presented update on reliability of Broadcom Bailey gen 1 systems. 10x pluggables once a manufacturing issue with elsfp was isolated. 40M test hours. Gen2 hardware hasn’t failed enough yet to count even with more device hours...
Fiber Frenzy
Charter rolled out Spectrum fiber services in Jefferson, Gibson and Henderson counties, Tennessee, linking over 3,000 homes and businesses. GFiber, fresh from its merger with Astound Broadband, began offering symmetrical speeds up to 8 Gbps in Las Vegas from a new Summerlin...
CSIRO Farm Trials Point to Low-Frequency Mining Connectivity Potential
CSIRO’s Data61 team is testing sub‑1 GHz low‑frequency signals as a rugged, long‑range communications layer for remote industries. Farm trials with Sharp demonstrated live video and AI‑driven livestock monitoring using a 240 MHz signal at just 0.01 mW. The research shows the spectrum...
FCC's Rule Blocks Dead From Receiving Subsidized Internet
"How the @FCC Is Trying to Make It Harder to Get Low-Income Internet" [Correction: How the FCC is trying to make it harder for dead people to get taxpayer money.] https://t.co/VlE3D5DHUc
Starlink’s First 100K Terminals Cost $2,500 Each
Starlink is a good example of this, everyone now seems to forget that the first 100K+ terminals cost ~$2500 each to make...
Patchy Wi-Fi at ACCC Despite Access Point Expansion
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) disclosed ongoing Wi‑Fi performance problems across its nine‑office footprint despite a recent rollout of 60 new wireless access points, bringing the total to 168. The issues include connection dropouts, weak signal strength, and...
Why Your Expensive New Router Feels Slow: 5 Next-Gen Features Disabled by Default
Many new Wi‑Fi 7 routers ship with key performance features turned off, causing users to experience slower speeds despite premium hardware. By default, routers often restrict channel width and disable OFDMA, MU‑MIMO, Target Wake Time, and Multi‑Link Operation. Enabling these settings...
Turk Telekom Opens 5G Technology and Innovation Centre in Istanbul
Turk Telekom has opened a 5G Technology and Innovation Centre at its Gayrettepe headquarters in Istanbul. The 600‑square‑metre hub serves as a live‑lab showcasing real‑world 5G applications and demos. It offers a test environment for startups, corporates, universities and public institutions...
Panasonic Enjoys Rapid IFE Growth as Connected Seatback Takes Wing
Panasonic Avionics reports rapid growth of its Astrova OLED inflight entertainment (IFE) platform as airlines adopt low‑latency LEO satellite connectivity, notably United Airlines’ Starlink rollout. United’s Starlink‑enabled seatbacks now let passengers stream personal services such as Spotify directly on the...
Democratic FCC Member Pushes Back on Carr's Broadcaster Threats
Lone Democrat on the FCC responds to Republican Chairman Brendan Carr’s threats to broadcasters: https://t.co/e9xfRAbUII
🛰️ AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) Deep Dive
AST SpaceMobile’s shares have surged from under $20 to a market capitalization above $30 billion, drawing heightened attention from hedge funds and analysts. Recent filings show Cantor Fitzgerald increased its stake by roughly 140%, a rare move for a company still...
Bandwidth May Bottleneck Outdoor AI Beyond 5G
Will outdoor AI use cases, particularly when we get to “world view” based AI, overwhelm 5G ? Satellite uplinks ? And make many of those use cases, unusable ? Is the bottleneck going to be bandwidth ?
California Democrats Strip ISPs of First Amendment Rights
What’s the political libel one should use to describe California Democrats who led the way in stripping Internet Service Providers of their First Amendment rights? https://t.co/4Ylh2Cr4zF
How Verizon Handles Customers Who Misuse 5G Home Internet Service
Verizon’s 5G Home Internet serves roughly 40 million U.S. residences, offering speeds of 100‑300 Mbps at a base price of $35 per month. The service is strictly limited to the address listed in the customer’s order and is intended for non‑commercial residential...
SpaceX Acquiring Telcos Post‑IPO Is Unlikely
Like many people, I'm trying to decode @elonmusk & @SpaceX strategy in #telecoms, #mobile & #AI. I'd started to think that post-IPO, SpaceX might start to acquire terrestrial telcos. But I've changed my mind - it would make no sense. https://t.co/TVnXInOi2U
6G Will Fuse AI with Radar‑Style Sensing
6G Is Coming. Here’s What to Expect From the Next Generation of Cellular Tech “…AI, and radar-like ‘sensing” of vehicles, devices, and people’” https://t.co/02mPNn1kgj https://t.co/jLKd1p3shS
Wi‑Fi Home Phone Brings Messenger Calls to Living Rooms
Playboy, November 2006 Uniden home phone with Windows Live Messenger audio call features over WiFi https://t.co/kOaod9OHpb
Broadcast Licenses Aren't Protected by the First Amendment
Constitutional law 101: “No one has a First Amendment right to a license or to monopolize a radio frequency; to deny a station license because ‘the public interest’ requires it ‘is not a denial of free speech.’” Supreme Court in Red...