Telecom News: Veon, Starlink, Kyivstar, MWC 2026, TRAI, Huawei
Veon predicts its Ukrainian unit Kyivstar will boost Starlink adoption from roughly 5 million today to about 12 million users by the end of 2026, leveraging satellite links for remote and conflict‑affected areas. The group also plans to roll out Starlink on its Beeline network in Kazakhstan and is eyeing launches in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. In India, the Telecom Regulatory Authority reported a record 1.02 billion internet users in the December 2025 quarter, pushing total telephone connections past 1.3 billion and driving higher revenues for operators. Meanwhile, Huawei and leading African carriers unveiled the AI‑driven Pioneer Club 2.0, a platform aimed at accelerating digital and network transformation across the continent.
India Mobile Congress 2026 to Be Held From October 7-10 in New Delhi, GSMA Partners to Boost Global Collaboration
India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 will take place in New Delhi from October 7‑10, marking the event's 10th edition. The Indian government and the Cellular Operators Association of India are organizing the show, which will draw over 150,000 participants and...
Optus Completes Dual-Path Resilience Test
Optus has completed a dual‑path resilience trial delivering 800 gigabit Ethernet services across a 4,700 km Sydney‑to‑Perth corridor. The test used the Indigo subsea cable paired with a terrestrial fibre backup, leveraging Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch for automatic fail‑over. Results showed...
Vietnam’s 5G Expansion Fuels Digital Economy Growth
Vietnam’s rapid 5G rollout is reshaping both urban and rural economies, with tens of thousands of base stations enabling real‑time data, AI‑driven traffic and flood management, and new digital services. Smart city pilots in Hanoi illustrate how low‑latency connectivity powers...
How Nvidia Turned a Steal of a Deal Into Its Secret Weapon
Nvidia leveraged its 2020 $7 billion acquisition of Mellanox to transform its networking business into a major growth engine. In the most recent fiscal quarter the company reported $11 billion in networking revenue, a 263 % increase year‑over‑year, positioning it as the world’s...
Cisco: AI Is a Double-Edged Sword in Industrial Networks
Cisco’s 2026 State of Industrial AI Report reveals AI is a double‑edged sword for industrial networking teams, simultaneously creating security challenges and offering defensive benefits. While 40% of surveyed professionals cite cybersecurity as a major barrier and 48% list it...
ESChat Announces Interoperable PTT Availability to LA-RICS
ESChat announced its broadband push‑to‑talk platform is now available to users of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA‑RICS). The integration leverages the Project 25 Inter‑Sub‑System Interface (ISSI) to connect ESChat with the LA‑RICS LMR network, supporting over 800 P25...
Galaxy 1 Partners with Viasat to Deliver Rapid, Scalable and Securecommunications for Uncrewed Aircraft
Galaxy 1 Communications has teamed with Viasat to extend the Velaris satellite service for uncrewed aerial vehicles and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) platforms. The partnership leverages Galaxy 1’s Distribution Partner‑as‑a‑Service (DPaaS) model, providing a managed layer that simplifies provisioning, billing,...
KRYTAR Announces New Compact 3 dB, 90-Degree ULTRA+ Hybrid Coupler Covers 2 to 18 GHz
KRYTAR, Inc. introduced the ULTRA1830, a 90‑degree ULTRA+ hybrid coupler that provides 3 dB coupling from 2 GHz to 18 GHz in a compact form factor. The device offers tight amplitude (±0.3 dB) and phase (±4°) balance, >17 dB isolation, and low insertion loss (<1.2 dB)....
Accenture Down to Buy Downdetector as Part of $1.2 Billion Deal
Accenture announced a $1.2 billion acquisition of Ookla, the parent of Downdetector, from Ziff Davis, bringing Speedtest, Ekahau and RootMetrics into its portfolio. The deal expands Accenture’s intelligence and analytics capabilities for telecom operators, hyperscalers and enterprise networks. Ziff Davis will apply the...
3GPP Completes Release 19, While Progress Begins on 6G Work
The 3GPP Technical Specification Group meetings in December 2025 marked the freeze of Release 19, shifting all development effort to Release 20 and the initial study of 6G. The FirstNet Authority participated to ensure public‑safety requirements are embedded, reporting progress on high‑priority...
Western Allies Form 6G Security Coalition Amid Tech Rivalry with China
Western and Indo‑Pacific allies launched the Global Coalition on Telecoms (GCOT) at Mobile World Congress, uniting the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia, Sweden and Finland. The coalition released a set of voluntary security and resilience principles designed to...
Brownsville’s Edge AI Experiment Reimagines the Economics of the Connected City
Brownsville, Texas has launched an in‑city edge AI platform that runs on private 5G and fiber, turning low‑cost IoT sensor data into real‑time public‑safety insights. NTT Data’s Shahid Ahmed highlighted that traditional GPU‑heavy AI would break IoT economics, prompting a...
MWC 2026: Tech Mahindra and NVIDIA Launch AI-Powered Telco Network Operations Reasoning Agent to Accelerate L4+ Autonomous Networks
Tech Mahindra and NVIDIA unveiled an AI‑powered Telco Network Operations Reasoning Agent at MWC 2026, aimed at accelerating the shift to Level 4+ autonomous networks. The solution runs on Tech Mahindra’s Orion platform and leverages NVIDIA AI Enterprise, NeMo, and NIM...
Alkira Launches Partner Program to Boost Services Revenue and AI Infrastructure Wins
Alkira announced its Connect Partner Program, a partner‑first platform designed to help global systems integrators, managed service providers, cloud service providers and AI‑focused firms deliver complex networking and AI infrastructure solutions faster and more profitably. The program introduces Connect Services...
Amphenol RF Introduces Additional Non-Magnetic SMPM Connector Configurations
Amphenol RF has expanded its non‑magnetic RF connector portfolio by adding new SMPM configurations. The connectors are offered in smooth‑bore and full‑detent styles that mate with existing non‑magnetic bullet adapters for board‑to‑board applications. Their gold‑plated beryllium‑copper contacts and PTFE insulators...
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Accumold announced its participation at OFC 2026, the leading optical networking exhibition, where it will showcase micro‑molded plastic components for fiber‑optic and photonics hardware. The company will demonstrate how its precision‑molded parts support tight‑tolerance requirements in connectors, transceivers, and optical modules...
Forefront RF to Unveil Industry’s First Commercial Low-Band Tunable Duplexer at Mobile World Congress 2026
Forefront RF announced the FFM51010, the industry’s first commercially available low‑band tunable duplexer, at Mobile World Congress 2026. The module leverages the company’s proprietary Foretune adaptive passive cancellation to replace multiple fixed filters with a single configurable component, covering 612‑960 MHz...
Marlink Rolls Out Fleet-Wide Multi-LEO Hybrid Connectivity Service
Marlink launched Sealink Multi-LEO, a hybrid connectivity service that unifies Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb low‑Earth‑orbit satellite networks under a single managed data allowance. The offering provides 500 GB to 10 TB of monthly data, with carrier‑agnostic orchestration that dynamically selects the best...
A+ Connectivity: Why Smart Campuses Need the Right Foundation
Universities are shifting to data‑intensive research, AI, and immersive learning, demanding campus‑wide, high‑performance connectivity. Legacy copper LANs struggle with bandwidth, latency, and scalability, forcing costly, disruptive upgrades. Optical LAN (OLAN) leverages fiber to deliver 10‑25 Gbps today and a clear path...
Nvidia-Backed Cassava Wants to Fix Africa’s Network Downtime with AI
Cassava Technologies, backed by Nvidia, has launched the Cassava Autonomous Network, an AI‑driven system that monitors and optimises Radio Access Networks across Africa. The platform replaces manual RAN adjustments with autonomous optimisation, claiming up to 75% efficiency gains and reducing...
GSMA Calls for Regulatory Readiness for Direct-to-User LEO Satellite Services
The GSMA released a position paper urging governments to modernise regulatory frameworks for direct‑to‑user Low‑Earth‑Orbit (LEO) satellite services. It highlights that existing rules are fragmented and often unsuitable for new satellite‑only offerings, creating uncertainty for operators and investors. The paper...
Spectrum Showdown
Satellite communications constellations are crowding the microwave bands used for weather monitoring, raising concerns about radio‑frequency interference (RFI). NOAA scientists warn that emissions from broadband satellites could corrupt data from instruments like the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on JPSS...
Rivian Partners with Giesecke+Devrient and AT&T for R2 Connectivity
Rivian will equip its upcoming R2 SUV with GSMA SGP.32‑enabled eSIM technology and 5G connectivity through a partnership with German security firm Giesecke+Devrient and telecom operator AT&T. The SGP.32 specification allows remote SIM provisioning, letting Rivian use a single hardware...
TRAI Drive Test in Sundarbans: Airtel and Jio Lead 5G Performance, BSNL Lags in Coastal Route
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released results of a 41‑km drive test in the Sundarbans’ coastal river routes, evaluating 2G‑5G performance across Airtel, Jio, BSNL and Vodafone Idea. Airtel and Jio achieved 100 % call‑setup success and the highest...
MoMe Deploys Synamedia to Power First Spanish-Built CDN Service for Streaming
Spanish systems integrator MoMe has launched the country’s first streaming‑optimised content delivery network, using Synamedia’s Fluid EdgeCDN platform. The service spans eight data centres, placing edge nodes close to viewers to minimise latency and improve reliability. Integrated ingest, encoding and...
'Jio, Airtel Deliver Digital Access to 1.4 Billion Indians Uniquely at $2 per Month'
Cisco President Jeetu Patel highlighted the unprecedented scale of low‑cost broadband in India, where Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are providing internet to 1.4 billion people at roughly $2 per month. He emphasized Cisco’s role in powering this rollout through networking,...
Soitec and NTU Singapore Reporting Results of Research Program Into 6G Connectivity
At Mobile World Congress 2026, Soitec and Nanyang Technological University unveiled the results of a four‑year research program targeting 6G connectivity. The collaboration produced three technical papers showing that gallium‑nitride (GaN) devices on Soitec’s epitaxial wafers deliver record power‑added efficiency...
UniFi U7 Mesh Arrives: Compact Wi-Fi 7, IPX6, 2.5GbE Uplink
Ubiquiti has introduced the UniFi U7 Mesh, a compact Wi‑Fi 7 access point that supports dual‑band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz operation. Designed for flexible placement, it offers wall, pole and tabletop mounting with an IPX6 weather‑resistance rating for semi‑outdoor use. The device...
Jio Platforms Appoints Dan Bailey as President to Lead International Business
Jio Platforms has appointed Dan Bailey as president to head its international business. Bailey, a veteran with 35 years in consulting and investment banking, will join the executive committee and report to Akash Ambani from London. His hiring coincides with...
Secure Agility Sets Sights on AI, Security, IoT and Telco-Led Growth in 2026
Secure Agility, a Sydney‑based tech services firm with roughly 100 staff and $70 million in annual revenue, is shifting from a low‑profile engineering focus to aggressive customer acquisition and national expansion. The company now offers production‑ready AI, IoT and cybersecurity platforms,...
Policy at the Edge: PCF’s AAA+ Vouchers Deliver Predictable Data Spend
MSB Micro Systems’ Policy Control Function (PCF) introduces voucher‑based wallets that enforce authentication, authorization and accounting at the network edge, delivering near‑real‑time usage caps. The SaaS solution automatically suspends service when a voucher is exhausted and reinstates it upon new...
AI-Based Spam Data Must Be Shared in Hours, Trai to Telcos
TRAI has ordered all Indian mobile operators to share AI‑based spam detection data on a blockchain platform within hours, requiring terminating carriers to flag suspected spam CLIs and originating carriers to notify senders and verify KYC. If five or more...
ATA Calls for Reduction of Red Tape Holding Back Digital Infrastructure
The Australian Telecommunications Alliance (ATA) is urging the federal government to slash regulatory red tape that it says is stifling digital infrastructure investment. A Business Council of Australia report placed Australia near the bottom of the Global Investment Competitiveness Index...
AT&T Downplays Competition From Cable Ops
AT&T’s chief operating officer told investors that cable operators are not yet exerting measurable pressure on the telecom giant’s results. He highlighted four consecutive quarters of stable performance despite cable MVNO growth and emphasized the company’s expanding fiber footprint into...
Optimum’s Price-Locked Plans
Optimum has introduced a “25 for 5” campaign that locks internet prices for five years, starting at $25 per month for 300 Mbps service. The offer expands to a 500 Mbps plan at $35/month with six months of ad‑supported HBO Max, and a...
Sparklight Mobile’s New Promo
Sparklight Mobile, the Cable One subsidiary, has rolled out a nationwide promotion offering a free unlimited‑data line for twelve months to both new and existing customers. After the promotional period, the plan reverts to the standard $30 per month rate,...
IEC Telecom Establishes Malaysia Hub to Accelerate Starlink-Powered Digital Inclusion
On March 3 2026 IEC Telecom Group launched its first operations centre in Kuala Lumpur, becoming an authorized Starlink reseller for Malaysia. The hub targets the persistent “last‑mile” connectivity gap in rural Sarawak and Sabah and supports the country’s maritime and energy...
PODCAST: Blue Stream Fiber's Turiano on Driving Its AI Strategy and Innovation Roadmap
Blue Stream Fiber, a former cable operator now serving 385,000 residents in Florida, has accelerated its expansion into Houston’s multi‑family market. The company announced executive promotions, elevating Josh Turiano to Chief Innovation and AI Officer to steer its AI roadmap....
WFN Strategies Marks 25 Years in Subsea Cables
WFN Strategies celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter‑century of independent project management, engineering oversight, and client representation for the global submarine cable industry. The firm’s proprietary PM 2.0® methodology blends technical execution with governance, risk management, financial controls, and ISO‑certified...
Cable One’s MBI Deal to Bolster Its Business Services Capabilities
Cable One will acquire Mega Broadband Investments (MBI) to broaden its rural fiber footprint and diversify its business‑services portfolio. The deal adds roughly 210,000 residential and business customers and expands the company’s network to about 675,000 passings across 24 states....
Pilots Petition Starlink Following Shift to New Speed Tiers
Starlink has restructured its in‑motion service, capping standard Roam and Priority plans at 100 mph ground speed and launching two aviation‑specific tiers. The Aviation 300MPH tier costs $250 per month for 20 GB, while the Aviation 450MPH tier is $1,000 per month...
Vero Networks Scores $500 Million Investment
Vero Networks, a Boulder‑based fiber infrastructure and broadband provider, closed a $500 million non‑control growth equity round on March 2, 2026. The investment was led by Hamilton Lane, Braemont Capital and Delta‑v Capital. The capital will fund accelerated fiber deployment and network upgrades...
Veeco Books Multi-System Lumina and Spector Orders for InP Datacom Laser Manufacturing
Veeco Instruments announced that a leading optical‑communications laser manufacturer placed multi‑system orders for its Lumina metal‑organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tools and Spector ion‑beam sputtering (IBD) coating systems. The Lumina will serve as the production‑tool‑of‑record for indium phosphide (InP) epitaxy,...
Skyworks and MediaTek Showcase Early 6G FR3 and PC1 RF Front-End Innovations at MWC 2026
Skyworks Solutions announced it will demonstrate an early‑6G FR3 RF front‑end power amplifier at Mobile World Congress 2026, partnering with MediaTek. The SKYR60002 module covers the 6.425‑to‑>7 GHz band and integrates LNA, PA and filters to meet new 3GPP requirements. Skyworks...
Telecom Operators Accelerate AI Monetisation with New Revenue Models, Says GSMA Intelligence
Telecom operators are moving AI initiatives from internal cost‑saving projects to revenue‑generating services, according to a GSMA Intelligence report unveiled at MWC 2026. The study identifies three emerging monetisation models—AI Connectivity Provider, AI Compute Provider, and AI Solutions Partner—backed by...
GSMA Forecast: 5G to Reach 57% of Global Mobile Connections by 2030, Driving $11.3 Trillion Economic Impact
The GSMA’s 2026 Mobile Economy report forecasts that 57% of global mobile connections will operate on 5G by 2030, marking a decisive shift from legacy networks. The Gulf Cooperation Council states are projected to lead with 95% penetration, followed by...
Chittenden County CUD Continues Affordable Fiber Expansion In Vermont
Chittenden County Communication Union District (CCCUD) completed a fiber‑optic expansion into six rural towns—Essex Town, Essex Junction, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford, and Williston—bringing high‑speed internet to more than 1,900 homes and businesses. The project, executed with Fidium Fiber, was financed by...
International Telecommunication Union Secures $82 Bn in Partner2Connect Pledges to Accelerate Global Internet Connectivity
At Mobile World Congress 2026, the International Telecommunication Union announced that its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition has secured over $82 billion in pledges, moving toward its $100 billion goal for 2026. The coalition, launched in 2021, aggregates commitments from governments, operators and civil...
Wi-Fi Signal Strength Is a Terrible Indicator of Real Performance
The familiar Wi‑Fi bar icon only measures signal strength, not actual throughput, leading many users to misjudge network performance. Real‑world speed depends on hidden factors such as interference, channel congestion, and device hardware, which the bars cannot reveal. Experiments show...
