What Utilities Need to Know About the 900-MHz ‘NextNav’ FCC Proceeding
NextNav has petitioned the FCC to repurpose the lower 900 MHz band (902‑928 MHz) for high‑power broadband and GPS‑backup services. The band currently underpins communications for more than 160 million smart meters and critical grid functions such as SCADA, DER monitoring and distribution automation. Utilities estimate that replacing just 10 % of affected devices would cost $10 billion, with total sector impact potentially exceeding $100 billion. If approved, the proposal could shrink available spectrum by up to 60%, jeopardizing reliability for rural and emergency services.
Globe to Expand Lucena Network with Campus Cell Site
Globe Telecom announced a partnership with Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation to install an on‑campus cell site in Lucena City, expanding mobile coverage for the university and surrounding communities. The project builds on Globe’s earlier school‑based network efforts, such as...
Orange Acquires Full Ownership of MasOrange in €4.25 Bn Deal to Strengthen Spain Telecom Leadership
Orange completed the purchase of the remaining 50% stake in MasOrange for €4.25 billion (about $4.7 billion), giving it full ownership of Spain’s largest telecom operator by customer base. The deal, first agreed in December 2025, cleared EU Commission approval and will...
How Telecom Can Help Power Economies in Tribal Communities
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) is partnering with tribal nations, notably the Cherokee Nation, to train residents in telecom infrastructure skills such as pole climbing, fiber‑optic aerial construction, trenching and splicing. The initiative aims to create a homegrown...
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Telecom Namibia Tackles Copper Theft with Fiber Rollout
Telecom Namibia has signed an agreement with Demshi Investment Holdings to accelerate its fiber‑optic rollout, replacing copper lines in areas prone to theft and vandalism. The partnership leverages Demshi’s open‑access fiber network, with Demshi handling deployment, maintenance and passive infrastructure...
AT&T Scales Cloud RAN as Open RAN Swap Passes 50%
AT&T has finished the controlled introduction phase of its cloud RAN, with about 25 sites now running live traffic on Intel’s Sapphire Rapids processors handling TDD layers. The next‑generation Granite platform, already in AT&T labs, will support a full‑stack RAN...
The US Wants NATO Allies to Spend Their New Defence Budgets Ripping Out Huawei
The U.S. State Department is urging NATO members to treat the removal of Huawei equipment as a defence‑related expense, allowing it to be funded under the alliance’s new 1.5% of GDP defence‑related budget slice. The suggestion, made by China coordinator...
Four Suspects Identified in Finland Undersea Cable Damage Investigation — Criminal Case Referred to Prosecutors for Consideration of Charges
Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation has closed its probe into damage to two undersea telecom cables after identifying four suspects linked to the St. Vincent‑flagged cargo ship Fitburg. The vessel’s anchor dragged across the seabed in the Gulf of Finland, severing...
Eutelsat and Voimatel Partner on LEO Connectivity in Finland
Eutelsat has signed a partner agreement with Finnish infrastructure provider Voimatel to deliver OneWeb low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) connectivity across Finland. Voimatel will embed the satellite service into its fixed and wireless solutions, creating hybrid networks for enterprise and public‑sector clients. The...
Hidden Texting Vulnerability Across Major Carriers, Including Verizon and Apple, Finally Patched
Researchers at UC San Diego identified a hidden vulnerability that let attackers spoof text messages by exploiting the email‑to‑SMS translation used by carriers. The flaw affected both Android and iOS devices and was present across all major U.S. wireless providers, including Verizon...
Altice Agrees SFR Sale to Orange, Bouygues and Free
Altice has agreed to sell France's SFR to Bouygues, Iliad and Orange, splitting the operator into 42%, 31% and 27% stakes respectively. The enterprise value remains the same as the April proposal, with potential adjustments via a €650 million earn‑out and...
Algorithmic Optimization of Passive Phase-Shifts in RIS-Assisted mmWave Networks
Researchers unveiled a hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) platform that optimizes passive reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) for 28 GHz millimeter‑wave links. The system uses an 8×8 element RIS with 2‑bit phase shifters and a microcontroller‑driven coordinate‑descent algorithm that adapts to real‑world pin‑diode losses via...
Telcos Redefining Their Role in Private 5G Future
Telcos are re‑positioning themselves in the nascent private 5G market, where adoption remains modest despite optimism at the Mobile Europe event. The Global mobile Suppliers Association counted 2,003 private network references worldwide by March 2026, with only about one‑third involving a...
Report: Wi-Fi 7 Remains Nascent in Most Markets
Ookla’s Speedtest data shows Wi‑Fi 7 is still in early adoption, representing just under 2% of global samples in Q1 2026. The 6 GHz band, essential for Wi‑Fi 7 performance, has risen to 13.8% usage in North America but remains under 2% worldwide. Singapore...
Telecom Revenue Growth May Slip to Single Digits without Tariff Hike
India's telecom sector saw revenue growth slow to about 10% in FY26, down from 13% the prior year, reaching roughly $32.5 bn. Operators have postponed major tariff hikes amid inflation and the Iran war, leaving only a modest ₹50 ($0.60) increase...