A week in which geopolitics, economics and engineering converged. NATO’s move to explore commercial 5G networks for military communications sharpened the ongoing debate over trusted vendors. The GSMA quantified the mobile sector’s contribution to the EU economy at over a trillion euros, even as it flagged a concerning investment gap. On the technology side, Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia and Telefónica all advanced the AI-RAN and network slicing agenda, while Dell’Oro put a $500 billion price tag on the 6G transition. And the FIFA World Cup gave operators in Mexico and the US a high-visibility opportunity to demonstrate what their networks can do under pressure.
One of the week’s most consequential stories came from Light Reading, which reported that NATO is in discussions with mobile operators about using their public 4G and 5G networks to provide communications services for military officials and troops across Europe. The likely model would see a country’s defence ministry invest in its own network core whilst using a commercial operator’s radio access network as a kind of MVNO arrangement. Tests have already taken place in Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The implications for vendors are significant. The “trusted vendors” requirement associated with such arrangements would almost certainly exclude Huawei and ZTE from participating. The report notes that NATO’s demands could accelerate pressure on operators to sever ties with Huawei, even ahead of the updated EU Cybersecurity Act coming into force. At the same time, Google confirmed it is winding down its Spectrum Access System (SAS) business in the US, directing its CBRS customers to migrate to an alternative FCC-approved SAS provider by June 2027. Federated Wireless, which holds approximately 83% of the SAS market, is the most obvious destination for those customers.
The GSMA launched its Mobile Economy Europe 2026 report in Dublin on 12 June, timed to coincide with Ireland’s EU presidency. The figures are striking: the mobile sector’s direct contribution to EU GDP rose 14% in 2025, reaching €1.15 trillion, or 6.1% of total EU output. Employment across the mobile ecosystem stands at 2.4 million jobs, and tax revenues from the sector reached €110 billion in 2025.
The report is not without warning signs, however. Europe’s capex per mobile user sits at €35, exactly half the €70 per user invested by operators in leading connectivity markets. The GSMA calculates that €475 billion of investment is needed in European mobile networks by 2035, of which only €270 billion is currently expected to be available, leaving a shortfall of €205 billion. The association has used the report to press for regulatory reform, particularly around the proposed Digital Networks Act and merger guidelines, arguing that the current framework is hampering the investment conditions needed to sustain growth and remain competitive.
Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung each made meaningful moves on AI-integrated radio networks this week. Ericsson launched an “AI in RAN” software subscription that applies AI models across its RAN baseband compute processors and radio units, enabling carriers to migrate towards AI-native 5G operations without requiring significant new hardware investment. The service is designed to improve bandwidth, observability and overall network performance.
In Indonesia, Nokia and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison announced a network modernisation partnership centred on low- and mid-band 5G, with field trials of AI-RAN technology planned for later in 2026, working with Nvidia. The goal, as both companies described it, is to “turn connectivity into a platform for intelligence.” Meanwhile, Samsung and MediaTek revealed the industry’s first test of a 3Tx 5-layer uplink configuration, combining MediaTek’s M90 5G modem with Samsung’s vRAN and Massive MIMO technology to achieve 670 Mbps uplink throughput. Samsung expects comparable technology to reach commercial networks by late 2027, with meaningful performance gains for FWA, cloud services and AI-related workloads.
Telefónica secured a milestone for 5G network slicing this week after leading an initiative within the GSMA’s Terminal Steering Group to approve a new “App Token” mechanism. The standard creates a uniform method for operators to authenticate and authorise applications seeking access to a specific network slice, giving operators visibility of which applications are consuming slice resources. Today, operators lack that visibility because device operating systems determine how applications route traffic, leaving operators largely in the dark.
After more than two years of effort within a GSMA working group of 200 members, the App Token creates what Telefónica described as a common language for mobile operators, OS vendors and application developers. According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, 33 operators currently offer network slicing for differentiated connectivity services, so the commercial context for this standardisation work is growing. The next step is getting commercial devices to support the new specification.
Dell’Oro Group published its 6G Advanced Research Report this week, forecasting that cumulative 6G RAN capex will exceed $500 billion and RAN revenue will surpass $100 billion during the first six years of deployment, spanning 2029 to 2034. The research firm characterises 6G as an evolutionary technology, building on Massive MIMO, existing site infrastructure and wider channel bandwidths rather than reshaping the market wholesale. It does not expect 6G to expand the overall RAN market, projecting a 1% CAGR across the broader market between 2030 and 2034.
The report expects both Sub-7 GHz and cmWave spectrum to play important roles in 6G, with momentum continuing to build around spectrum above 7 GHz. RAN capex is projected to account for approximately half of total wireless capex during the 2029 to 2034 period, with spending accelerating towards the end of the decade. The framing is broadly reassuring for the vendor community: 6G is coming, but operators enter the transition from a stronger network capacity position than they did moving from 4G to 5G.
Private 5G continued to build a track record in operational settings this week. Ericsson published results from its 5G USA Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas, where autonomous mobile robots running over private 5G required coverage from just two Radio Dot units, compared with 28 Wi-Fi access points needed to cover the same floor area. The reduction in handovers improved robot movement efficiency and productivity across the 80,000 square foot facility. Zambia’s state-owned Zamtel also signed an MoU with Ericsson to deploy private 4G and 5G networks for businesses in key economic sectors.
In Nigeria, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators (ALTON) announced planned investment of approximately $1.38 billion in 2026 for network expansion, technology upgrades and infrastructure densification. Separately, Airtel Nigeria reported that 200 solar-powered “lean sites” deployed over the past year have increased network uptime by 21% and reduced monthly maintenance costs by 90%, alongside a 30.8% rise in average monthly data usage per customer to 11GB.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which opened this week, has provided operators with a high-profile stress test. AT&T has upgraded infrastructure at Mexico City Stadium, deploying additional spectrum under a temporary licence from Mexico’s Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones and installing new radio frequency equipment to raise download speeds to 600 Mbps, three times the previous level. The 90,000-capacity venue presents a particular density challenge, with AT&T estimating at least 72,000 simultaneous connected fans.
In the United States, the FCC co-ordinated with federal, state and local agencies across all World Cup host cities to support high-capacity wireless and 5G connectivity for broadcasters, operators and media organisations. The Commission deployed spectrum sensors across all US venues for real-time interference monitoring and notes that the communications frameworks being established will carry forward into preparations for the 2028 Olympics.
Progress continued on 4G and 5G coverage across London Underground. TfL and its network partners, EE, Three, Vodafone and VMO2, have extended coverage to additional sections of the Bakerloo, Metropolitan and Circle lines, with approximately 60% of underground stations now covered. Recent additions include tunnelled sections between Queen’s Park and Edgware Road, Euston Square and King’s Cross St Pancras, and multiple connections along the Circle and District lines. All parties remain on track to complete coverage across the entire Tube network by the end of 2026, with the majority of the Northern, Bakerloo and Metropolitan lines expected to have tunnel coverage by end of summer.
As more operators deploy 5G Standalone networks, interoperability is becoming a growing operational concern. An article this week from RCR Wireless examined the expansion of the GSMA’s Interoperability Testing service to include a 5G extension. The framework provides operators with a standardised way to verify IMS-based services across network boundaries, addressing VoNR interoperability challenges comparable to the VoLTE issues faced in earlier network generations. The extension reduces reliance on bilateral testing arrangements and gives operators a trusted route to validate service continuity across SA deployments and roaming scenarios.
NATO plan to use public 5G is a further blow to Huawei
An in-depth analysis of NATO’s reported discussions with mobile operators about using commercial 4G and 5G networks for military communications, and the consequences for Chinese vendors across Europe.
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/nato-plan-to-use-public-5g-is-a-further-blow-to-huawei
Mobile industry’s contribution to the EU economy jumps 14%
The GSMA’s Mobile Economy Europe 2026 report sets out a detailed picture of the sector’s trillion-euro contribution to EU GDP, alongside a sobering assessment of the investment gap that threatens future competitiveness.
https://www.telecoms.com/5g-6g/mobile-industry-s-contribution-to-the-eu-economy-jumps-14-
Telefónica touts new standard for app-aware 5G slicing
The story behind the GSMA’s new App Token mechanism, how it gives operators visibility of application-level traffic on network slices, and why it matters for the commercialisation of differentiated 5G services.
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/telef-nica-touts-new-standard-for-app-aware-5g-slicing
Dell’Oro issues $500B 6G RAN forecast
Dell’Oro Group’s latest 6G Advanced Research Report places a $500 billion capex figure on the first six years of 6G deployment, and makes the case for an evolutionary rather than revolutionary transition from 5G.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/network-tech/delloro-issues-500b-6g-ran-forecast/
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