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
Back to Books? Key Takeaways From NTIA Listening Sessions
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) held public listening sessions on Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 to discuss how to use unspent funds from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Analysts at Kaptivate compiled the comments, highlighting strong calls from educators and neuroscientists to divert BEAD savings away from the K‑12 EdTech experiment and back toward analog resources. They argue that near‑universal school digitization has coincided with falling reading scores and rising cognitive issues, erasing decades of academic progress. The sessions also emphasized repurposing non‑deployment funds for printed materials and other non‑digital interventions.
LinkWorx & Bivocom: A Parternership for Robust Industrial IoT
LinkWorx announced a strategic partnership with Bivocom, integrating its Multi‑SIM (MSIM) technology into Bivocom’s industrial wireless portfolio. The combined solution delivers automatic carrier selection and failover, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for IoT and M2M devices in harsh environments. Targeted sectors include...
Q&A: ATSC’s Luiz Fausto on Ensuring 5G Broadcast Delivery Via 3.0
ATSC is finalizing an amendment to its Recommended Practice A/327 that details how ATSC 3.0 broadcasters can interleave 5G Broadcast waveforms within the same RF channel. The proposal leverages ATSC 3.0’s built‑in time‑domain sharing mechanisms, requiring no changes to the core standard, and...
High Power Dual-Directional Coupler
The new high‑power dual‑directional coupler from MIcable operates from 1 to 8 GHz with 30/40 dB coupling and can handle 600 W continuous‑wave power. It delivers VSWR ≤1.4:1, insertion loss ≤0.4 dB, coupling accuracy ±0.8 dB and flatness ±1.1 dB, and a minimum directivity of 14 dB. The device...
Co-Packaged Optics and the AI Data Center: From Skepticism to Strategic Adoption
Co‑Packaged Optics (CPO) is being touted as a solution to AI data‑center bandwidth, latency, and power challenges. While hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Google, Meta and Amazon are already testing CPO to slash interconnect power by up to 40 % and enable...
Two Satellites in SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO Constellation Come Online
SES announced that the ninth and tenth O3b mPOWER satellites have entered service, raising the constellation to ten operational units out of the planned thirteen. The satellites were launched by SpaceX on July 22 from Cape Canaveral and use redesigned...
Shentel’s Commercial and Residential Fiber Drove a Shift in Its Revenue Mix
Shentel’s aggressive fiber build now covers roughly 427,000 homes and businesses, adding about 81,000 new passings each year. Commercial fiber revenue jumped 13.2% in Q4, pushing fiber services ahead of legacy lines, while residential broadband saw a modest dip but...
BSNL Indigenous 4G Built With TCS and Tejas Faces Call Drops, Connectivity Issues: Report
BSNL’s indigenously built 4G network, developed by a TCS‑Tejas‑C‑DOT consortium, is currently being tested nationwide. Early user feedback highlights widespread voice call drops, one‑way audio and false “switched off” messages, while data traffic remains largely unaffected. The rollout follows Prime...
City of Bellevue In Iowa to Sunset Cable TV, Citing Streaming Network Competition
The City of Bellevue, Iowa, announced it will discontinue its municipal cable television service on October 1, 2026 after nearly twenty years of operation. The decision cites mounting competition from streaming platforms and rising financial pressures. Residents were notified through...
FCC to Unlock Billions for Modern Broadband Infrastructure
Unleashing new infrastructure builds. For too long, regulations have actually *required* providers to keep communities on slow, aging, & outdated copper networks—instead of allowing them to invest and build the modern, high-speed ones that consumers want. The FCC will vote this month...
Open RAN Buzz Dominates MWC 2026 Conversations
MWC 2026: Here’s what people are saying about open RAN 🖇️https://t.co/C4S6nseYS7 🖇️ #openRAN #AI #MWC2026 https://t.co/mgewWl2Jtm
Spectrum Business Expands Suite of Services Offered to CALNET
Spectrum Business announced an expansion of its offerings under California's CALNET contract, adding managed network services and a unified communications suite powered by RingCentral. The move, approved by the California Department of Technology, gives state and local agencies access to...
Tesla Wins FCC Nod for Ultra‑Wideband Wireless EV Charging
Tesla Secures FCC Approval for Ultra-Wideband #Wireless #EV Charging by @IntEngineering #Innovation #EmergingTech #Tech #Technology https://t.co/UWndlAbFZ1
Orange Wholesale CEO: We're Not Looking to Sell Data Centers
Orange Wholesale CEO Michaël Trabbia told MWC that the French telco will not sell its roughly 75 data‑centre assets across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Instead, Orange plans to monetize the facilities by expanding colocation services for enterprise customers,...
AntennaWare’s Mission to Remove Monopoles for Wi-Fi HaLow Applications with Morse Micro
AntennaWare announced a partnership with Morse Micro to replace traditional monopole antennas in Wi‑Fi HaLow deployments with its low‑profile Bodywave™ antenna. The Bodywave™ design delivers 6‑12 dB higher link margins in non‑line‑of‑sight scenarios, effectively doubling range or halving power consumption. This...
How to Bring Private 5G to Life in Mining: A Five-Step Path to Safer, Smarter Operations
Private 5G is positioned as the backbone for digital transformation in mining, delivering industrial‑grade connectivity for automation, real‑time analytics, and safety systems. Operators face two practical questions: how to launch a trial and how to scale the network site‑wide. A...
GSMA MWC26 Barcelona Closes 20th Anniversary Edition
GSMA’s Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona marked its 20‑year anniversary, drawing nearly 105,000 participants from 207 nations. The event featured 2,900 exhibitors, over 1,700 speakers—including 40 % C‑level and 27 % female—and a robust ministerial programme with 188 delegations. Adjacent‑industry attendance...
MWC26 Barcelona Awards GLOMO & 4YFN26
The GSMA unveiled the 31st Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards at MWC26 Barcelona, adding six new categories that spotlight AI, fintech, and digital inclusion. Top honors went to industry leaders such as Apple for the iPhone 17 Pro, Huawei for UWB AAU infrastructure,...
MWC Barcelona 2026 Highlights
The GSMA’s MWC Barcelona 2026 highlighted three strategic "mountains": completing 5G, tackling AI with new Open Telco initiatives—including an Open Swahili Reasoning Model—and combating global scams. A €100 million ESA‑GSMA fund was announced to fast‑track space‑mobile convergence, while the Airport of...
GSMA MWC26 Barcelona Closes 20th Anniversary Edition
Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona marked its 20th anniversary, drawing nearly 105,000 attendees from 207 countries. The event featured 2,900 exhibitors showcasing AI, 5G, robotics and a record 40% C‑level speaker lineup. GSMA highlighted the broader ecosystem with 58%...
FCC to Allocate Spectrum for Emerging Space Activities
The FCC is outlining plans to provide spectrum for novel space activities, or what it calls "weird space stuff." https://t.co/blttdrzzp3
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SES, MTN Announce Projects to Connect Refugees in Africa
Mobile operator MTN and satellite provider SES announced initiatives to improve connectivity for refugees across Africa. MTN signed a multi‑year MoU with UNHCR, launching services in Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan, with plans to expand to other markets hosting more...
Circuits Integrated Hellas and Reach Power Sign Multi-Year Strategic MOU
Circuits Integrated Hellas (CIH) and Reach Power have signed a multi‑year memorandum of understanding to co‑develop integrated RF/mmWave and wireless power‑at‑a‑distance (WPDT) solutions. CIH will supply custom semiconductor designs, beamforming architectures and heterogeneous integration, while Reach contributes its proven power‑beaming...
Ethio Telecom and Ericsson Sign Landmark Network Expansion and Modernization Agreement
Ethio Telecom and Ericsson have signed a landmark agreement to expand and modernize Ethiopia’s mobile network. The project will upgrade 1,500 sites, add 2.8 million new 4G capacity and extend LTE to 276 towns, raising population coverage to 85 %. It includes...
Podcast: Iris² and the European Space Programme
Dominic Hayes, spectrum manager for the European Commission, discussed the Iris² satellite programme on a PolicyTracker podcast, highlighting its role within the broader European Space Programme. Iris² aims to provide a European‑controlled direct‑to‑device (D2D) communications network, offering an alternative to...
Nigerian Communication Commission Orders Telecoms to Report Cyber Threats Within 4 Hours
Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a Cyber Resilience Framework requiring telecom operators to report any cyber‑attack to the regulator within four hours of detection. The rule, effective February 2027, applies to major providers such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom...
The Rapid Evolution of Transport Lasers
Transport lasers have accelerated from 1 Gbps in the early 2000s to emerging 1.6 Tbps solutions today. IEEE standards progressed through 10 Gb (2002), 40 Gb (2010), 100 Gb (2010), 400 Gb (2017) and now 800 Gb and 1.6 Tb lasers are in limited deployment. Digital Signal Processing...
Nosh Launches eSIM to Power Global Connectivity & Borderless Digital Payments
Nosh has introduced an eSIM feature that lets users buy, activate, and manage digital SIM plans directly within its app, expanding the fintech’s services beyond digital asset trading and bill payments. The eSIM offering includes data‑only and full voice‑text‑data plans...
Autonomous Networks Evolve Into KPI‑Driven Economic Strategy
At #MWC26 one theme stood out at the @Ericsson pavilion: Autonomous networks are no longer just about automation. They are becoming an economic strategy, where intent-driven architectures align network behavior directly with business KPIs. My latest analysis. https://t.co/eC7D8S6bFP #AI @MWCHub @GSMA
LiveU Marks First Large-Scale Global Deployment of AI-Driven LIQ at Winter Games
LiveU deployed its AI‑driven LiveU IQ (LIQ) technology at the Winter Games, marking the first large‑scale global rollout for a multi‑venue sporting event. Broadcasters used LIQ for roughly 60% of live sessions, achieving a 36% increase in average bitrate and...
AI Is Changing How People Use AT&T Home Internet—And Helping Stabilize the Network
AT&T reports that consumer upload traffic is growing twice as fast as download traffic, driven by AI interactions such as voice, video, and code submissions. By 2025, this shift reflects a broader change in home internet usage patterns, with users...
MTS Revenue Surpasses RUB 800 Bn in 2025 as AI, FinTech and Cloud Businesses Accelerate Growth
Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) posted record revenue above RUB 800 billion in 2025, driven by a 16.4% Q4 increase and strong performance in both telecom and non‑telecom segments. Net profit surged to RUB 21.5 billion, up from RUB 1.4 billion a year earlier, while OIBDA rose 18.9%...
Vodafone Idea Share Price Gains 3.5% on Reports that DoT Review May Slash Its Licence Fee by 60–65%
Vodafone Idea’s shares jumped over 3.5% to around ₹10.35 after media reports indicated the Department of Telecommunications could slash the company’s licence fee liability by 60‑65%. The DoT has completed the licence‑fee reassessment, with spectrum usage charges to be reviewed...
Agenda of the 14th BEREC Stakeholder Forum
On March 31, 2026, BEREC will host its 14th Stakeholder Forum in Brussels, unveiling the agenda for its 2027 work programme. The two‑day schedule features keynotes from the European Commission’s Executive Vice‑President for Technological Sovereignty and the Smart Networks and Services Joint...
Sovereignty for Sale
Elon Musk’s decision to block Russia from using Starlink satellites has hampered Russian drone and artillery operations, highlighting the strategic power of private space assets. After initially supplying Ukraine with terminals, Musk later restricted their use against Russian territory following...
Seeking Simple Explanation of MWC26 Protest
Can anyone explain this protest outside of #MWC26 to me with simplicity and succinctness? I am honestly just curious. https://t.co/CHj6oQ8VoA
Presentation: Netlab Overview and Use Cases
At the recent NetBCN event, a concise presentation showcased netlab’s expanding portfolio of use cases, adding a dedicated “use cases” section to the standard deck. The speaker highlighted roughly a dozen scenarios, ranging from rapid prototyping of network designs to...
RF Experts Question Starlink Mobile's Physics‑Defying Claims
MWC 2026: Can Elon Musk’s Starlink Mobile defy physics? RF experts weigh in #MWC26 🖇️https://t.co/hmQXnCNSio 🖇️ https://t.co/3Dp4fYFcYe
'Smart Simplification' In the EU Telecom Policy
At Mobile World Congress, BEREC Chair Marko Mišmaš reaffirmed the regulator’s active role in shaping the EU’s Digital Networks Act. He highlighted the need for "smart simplification" – trimming regulatory complexity while safeguarding competition, consumer protection, and technological neutrality. Mišmaš...
Ericsson Showcases 5G Core SaaS Innovation at MWC 2026
Ericsson demonstrated a 1 Tbps 5G Core network capable of handling 1 million concurrent subscribers, fully hosted on Google Cloud, at MWC 2026. The solution leverages Google Kubernetes Engine for automatic elasticity, a planet‑scale fiber backbone, and AI‑driven telemetry to optimize resources....
Code & Waves: 5G Network Digital Twin
Network engineers are turning to 5G digital twins to simulate deployments before any hardware is installed, using 3GPP‑compliant channel models and traffic patterns. The approach supports single‑cell baselines, 7‑cell interference studies, and 19‑cell large‑scale layouts, each revealing different performance limits....
GLOMO Awards 2026 at MWC Barcelona Honor Global Mobile Innovation and Industry Leaders
The GSMA unveiled the 31st Global Mobile Awards (GLOMOs) at MWC 2026, honoring over 30 innovations across six categories. Highlights included Huawei winning Best Mobile Network Infrastructure, LG Uplus securing two security awards, and Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro taking Best Smartphone. The ceremony...
Sparklight Recognized for Fastest Internet Speeds Several Cities
Sparklight was recognized by Ookla for delivering the fastest median download speeds in seven communities across Missouri, Arizona and Idaho during the second half of 2025. The accolade is based on consumer‑initiated Speedtest data, confirming the performance of its fiber‑fueled...
Ciena Corp (CIEN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Ciena reported record fiscal 2025 revenue of $4.77 billion, up 20% year‑over‑year, and EPS of $2.64, a 45% increase. The company posted a $7.8 billion order backlog of roughly $5 billion and raised its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to $5.7‑$6.1 billion, reflecting strong demand...
Charter, Comcast Focused on Customer Service, Savings to Win Customers Back
Cable operators Charter and Comcast are doubling down on customer‑service initiatives and bundled pricing to stem broadband subscriber losses. Charter promises up to $1,000 annual savings when customers combine broadband with two mobile lines, while Comcast has introduced price‑lock, all‑inclusive...
MWC 2026 Launches AI‑Driven 5G‑to‑6G Era
Industry Analyst: MWC 2026 ushers in new AI - 5G - 6G Era to wireless world https://t.co/kuBOGueI89 @jeffkagan #jeffkagan #industryanalyst #ictindustryanalyst #ai #aianalyst #aiindustryanalyst #analyst #analysts #wirelessanalyst #telecomanalyst #wirelessindustryanalyst #telecomindustryanalyst #tech #technology #techanalyst #technologyanalyst #techindustryanalyst #pr #publicrelations #pressrelease #marketing #ceo #cmo #caio...
Chill MWC Sparks Questions on 6G Funding and LEO Impact
Back home. Came back a day early. I’ve been to at least 14 MWCs. This one has to be the chillest I’ve attended. Optimism was tempered. My biggest question is where will the CAPEX come from to build out...
Salt Lake FMs Soar With New Dielectric Master System
Dielectric has installed its RingMaster broadband FM and manifold combiner system at Farnsworth Peak, creating a new master antenna that now supports 13 FM stations for Bonneville International and other broadcasters. The upgrade replaces a 40‑year‑old infrastructure that was not...
FCC Proposes Onshoring and Language Rules for Call Centers
Americans get frustrated when they call a U.S. business and end up speaking with someone at a call center located in a foreign country. Language & communications barriers only make it harder for callers to get the results they want. So the...
D2D Signals Can't Penetrate Buildings, Starlink Confirms
Good piece on the physics of D2D, with everyone emphasizing it won't penetrate buildings like terrestrial does (which Starlink admits too, with only AST #cluelesscult members still in denial) https://t.co/TsFCNnsuGp