Search Results for: Open RAN
Verizon’s Huge Increase in Fiber Investments for “5G” Small Cell Backhaul & FTTP
Verizon Communications’ recent surge in buying fiber assets has little to do with its FiOS video and broadband Internet access. Yet the company expects to benefit from the investments, Senior Vice President Kyle Malady said at the Fiber Connect conference this week. He said Verizon is doubling down on fiber to fuel 5G network builds…. Read more
Will Outsourcing of Managed Services and Network Maintenance Make Telecoms More Competitive?
Introduction: Managed services and outsourcing of wireless and wireline network operations has become an emerging trend in the global telecom industry. Here are a few recent examples: -Last year, Embarq outsourced its Network Operation Centers (NOCs) to Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN). -In a blockbuster deal announced a few months ago, Sprint announced it will pay… Read more
Intel to spin off its Networking & Edge Group into a stand-alone business
As originally reported by CRN, Intel revealed its plan to spin off its Network and Edge Group in a memo addressed to customers and said it will seek outside investment for the business unit. Intel will be an anchor investor in the stand-alone business. The memo, seen by CRN, was authored by Sachin Katti, who has… Read more
T-Mobile’s growth trajectory increases: 5G FWA, Metronet acquisition and MVNO deals with Charter & Comcast
T-Mobile US is having a banner year. The “uncarrier” has again increased its annual earnings outlook, supported by the acquisition of fiber network operator Metronet and strong mobile customer growth in Q2. After gaining another 1.73 million postpaid customers in the quarter, T-Mobile now expects total postpaid net additions this year of 6.1-6.4 million, up… Read more
ITU-R WP5D IMT 2030 Submission & Evaluation Guidelines vs 6G specs in 3GPP Release 20 & 21
Like previous generations of international mobile telecommunications (IMT) recommendations, ITU-R defines the 6G terrestrial radio access network requirements while 3GPP develops the standardized technology specifications that will be the project’s candidate to the ITU-R process. The target date for “Technology proposals for IMT-2030 RIT/SRITs” has been defined by ITU-R to be early 2029, and resulting… Read more
Gen AI eroding critical thinking skills; AI threatens more telecom job losses
Two alarming research studies this year have drawn attention to the damage that Gen AI agents like ChatGPT are doing to our brains: The first study, published in February, by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University, surveyed 319 knowledge workers and concluded that “while GenAI can improve worker efficiency, it can inhibit critical engagement with work… Read more
Lack of wireless network operator consolidation & EU over-regulation weakened mobile network infrastructure investments
by John Strand of Strand Consult Over-regulation in the European Union (EU) has had a negative impact on mobile network operator’s investment in both fixed and mobile infrastructure. Years ago, the EU identified a €100 billion investment gap in telecommunications. By 2025, this gap has reportedly doubled to €200 billion. Why did that happen? The… Read more
Ookla: Uneven 5G deployment in Europe, 5G SA remains sluggish; Ofcom: 28% of UK connections on 5G with only 2% 5G SA
According to Ookla, Europe is a “two-speed” 5G competitiveness landscape,” with some countries surging ahead and others falling well behind, In Q2-2025, Nordic and southern Europe countries maintained a substantial lead in 5G availability, helped by recent 700MHz band deployments in countries such as Sweden and Italy. By contrast, 5G availability in central and western… Read more
Softbank developing autonomous AI agents; an AI model that can predict and capture human cognition
Speaking at a customer event Wednesday in Tokyo, Softbank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said his company is developing “the world’s first” artificial intelligence (AI) agent system that can autonomously perform complex tasks. Human programmers will no longer needed. “The AI agents will think for themselves and improve on their own…so the era of humans… Read more
Ericsson reports ~flat 2Q-2025 results; sees potential for 5G SA and AI to drive growth
Ericsson’s second-quarter results were not impressive, with YoY organic sales growth of +2% for the company and +3% for its network division (its largest). Its $14 billion AT&T OpenRAN deal, announced in December of 2023, helped lift Swedish vendor’s share of the global RAN market by +1.4 percentage points in 2024 to 25.7%, according to… Read more