Network slicing has moved from trial to commercial reality in the UK, AI-RAN is attracting serious investment and growing vendor alignment, and the 5G monetisation debate has sharpened considerably. This week’s digest spans enterprise connectivity launches, private network market data, spectrum awards in Africa, sporting mega-events, and a GSMA push to reposition Japan as a global digital leader. Across all of it runs a consistent thread: the industry is pressing hard to demonstrate that 5G can pay its way.
Vodafone Business has launched what it claims is the UK’s first commercial 5G network slicing service for enterprise customers. The 5G+ Local Slicing product allocates a dedicated slice of VodafoneThree’s standalone (SA) 5G network across a defined area of up to 5km², giving organisations guaranteed, predictable mobile performance in high-demand environments. Target sectors include manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, retail, universities, transport hubs and stadiums. Provisioning can be temporary or permanent, and additional slices can be added as needed.
The service has already been tested at some high-profile events, including the coronation of King Charles III, Glastonbury Festival and a dual-slice deployment at the Principality Stadium, where the network maintained prioritised performance under simultaneous demand from tens of thousands of users. Nick Gliddon, Business Director at VodafoneThree, noted that enterprise customers can now “own their network performance, not just hope for it.” Alongside Local Slicing, Vodafone Business has introduced Network Boost, a nationwide add-on that prioritises business traffic on 4G and 5G networks in congested areas without requiring a dedicated slice. The dual launch signals a serious push to capture enterprise connectivity spend and signals that SA-based commercial slicing is no longer a future ambition in the UK market.
A detailed commentary published by Telecoms.com this week from Spirent’s Head of Market Strategy laid out the central challenge facing operators: 5G infrastructure investment has been enormous, penetration has reached close to 80% in some markets, but the path to meaningful returns remains uncertain. Several structural problems are converging. Consumers widely regard 5G as a commodity, comparable to tap water, and are reluctant to pay a premium for what feels like an incremental improvement over 4G. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) offers some relief by monetising existing infrastructure for home broadband, but it does not resolve the underlying differentiation problem.
Operators are responding in several ways. Specialised network slicing for specific segments (uplink packages for live streamers, speed boosts at sporting events) can generate four to five times average revenue per user (ARPU) in some cases. Networks optimised for third-party AI agent traffic are emerging as an early revenue driver, with some operators reporting an additional $8 ARPU per agent. On the cost side, autonomous network management powered by AI is being positioned as a tool for reducing operational expenditure; China Mobile has reportedly achieved a 30% reduction in backend maintenance requirements alongside a 30% improvement in mean time to repair. The commentary concludes that operators moving towards 5G SA and 5G-Advanced are best positioned to unlock these opportunities, while those still on non-standalone architectures face a longer journey to profitability.
AI-RAN gathered significant momentum this week across several fronts. Nokia and Orange announced a structured co-innovation partnership, backed by NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure, to jointly develop AI-RAN capabilities. Their work will focus on GPU-based radio processing for improved receiver performance, tighter AI integration into the RAN for automation and sensing, and co-development of approaches to maximise spectral efficiency in existing and future bands including upper 6 GHz. The platform is described as 6G-ready, enabling a software-defined migration path. Orange Group CTO Laurent Leboucher cited improvements in scheduling, beamforming, power optimisation and predictive capabilities as key goals, with deployment ambitions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Separately, US startup ORAN Development Company (ODC) attracted attention for its AI-native RAN architecture built on NVIDIA’s Grace Hopper hardware. Founded in 2023 by former Altiostar engineers, ODC has raised $45 million in a Series A round from a notably strategic investor group including AT&T, Nokia, NVIDIA, Cisco Investments, MTN and Telecom Italia. The company’s platform combines RAN and AI workloads on a unified GPU stack, with its RANIQ layer turning base stations into programmable RF sensor nodes capable of integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) applications, including drone detection and perimeter security, ahead of 6G standardisation. ODC’s CEO argues that private 5G networks are the natural starting point for AI-RAN deployment, given that a single enterprise controls all the resources. The company expects proof-of-concept engagements with MTN, Telefonica and Telecom Italia to begin in Q3 2026. Industry analyst Rémy Pascal at Omdia characterised private networks as a “more compelling environment” for AI-and-RAN than public networks, at least for now.
Ericsson this week articulated a strategic vision in which enterprise 5G and network APIs represent the primary route to longer-term AI revenue, rather than competing directly in the data centre interconnect (DCI) market. The vendor’s position reflects a broader industry conversation about where telcos can extract value from the AI infrastructure wave. Rather than chasing GPU-dense infrastructure plays, Ericsson appears to be betting that programmable 5G networks, exposed through standardised APIs, will become essential enablers of enterprise AI workflows. This aligns with the growing emphasis on network-as-a-platform models and reinforces the commercial logic behind initiatives such as GSMA Open Gateway.
Analysis from Analysys Mason, reported in RCR Wireless, finds that high-precision 5G positioning is gaining technical momentum but faces the same scaling and monetisation difficulties that characterise 5G services more broadly. Early adoption is expected in private network environments, particularly logistics, manufacturing and healthcare, where asset tracking and industrial applications justify the commercial effort. Extending positioning to wide-area use cases, including navigation, autonomous vehicles and drones, will depend on improving accuracy, notably through integration of GNSS correction technologies in rural and suburban environments. Senior analyst James Kirby emphasised that success will require operators to build their own location analytics platforms and undertake substantial sales investment, rather than expecting enterprise customers to pull the technology through on their own. Ericsson’s recent launch of 5G-Advanced location services, embedded directly into the 5G SA core, reflects the vendor community’s attempt to accelerate adoption by removing integration complexity.
Data from Dell’Oro Group indicates that private wireless RAN revenue growth decelerated substantially in the second half of 2025, with the full-year growth rate settling at approximately 16%, down from around 40% the previous year. Private wireless accounted for 3 to 5% of total RAN revenue in 2025. Geographically, China led the market, accounting for 40 to 50% of global private wireless RAN revenue, while Nokia and Ericsson dominated outside China with a combined share of approximately 80%. The campus network segment has been revised downward, though wide-area network prospects have strengthened. Dell’Oro maintained its long-term outlook of 10 to 20% compound annual growth and expects the segment to represent 5 to 10% of total RAN revenue by 2030, characterising the current period as a “more measured growth phase” following rapid early expansion from a small base.
Verizon has confirmed its role as Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, covering the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June. The deployment is substantial: spectrum capacity at host stadiums has been increased by an estimated three to five times, thousands of under-seat antennas and large-format ball antennas have been installed, and nearly 140 small cells and temporary sites are positioned around venues and transit corridors. Verizon’s technology will support tournament operations, global broadcasting via the FIFA Broadcast Contribution Network, and low-latency private 5G use cases including referee body cameras. The operator and FIFA will also use the tournament as a live proving ground for 5G network slicing, testing priority performance for applications that require guaranteed bandwidth. With spectators expected to consume more than 50 terabytes of data per match inside each stadium, the deployment represents one of the most demanding connectivity challenges in the current 5G era.
Gaming and esports group Veloce Media, working with GSMA Fusion under the Open Gateway initiative, has published a Statement of Requirements urging mobile operators to deploy programmable 5G capabilities to support competitive esports, cloud gaming and live creator streaming. The esports sector currently attracts more than 550 million viewers globally and a commercial ecosystem exceeding $3.8 billion. Traditional tournament formats rely on dedicated fibre and collocated venues to guarantee performance; Veloce’s argument is that standardised 5G APIs can replicate those conditions on mobile networks at scale, opening new event formats and fan experiences. The case rests on a demonstration at MWC Doha 2025, where four live racing simulators ran over Ooredoo Qatar’s 5G SA network at approximately 7 ms end-to-end latency. Veloce plans to stage competitive events across 11 markets over the next 24 months, including the UK, US, Brazil, Germany, India and the UAE, with each event intended to validate the commercial API model for operators.
Turkcell reached 15 million 5G subscribers, a significant milestone for the Turkish operator as it continues its nationwide rollout. In Kuwait, Zain has been recognised by Ookla as the country’s fastest and best-covered 5G network for the second half of 2025, achieving a 5G speed score of 73.06 and a median 5G download speed of 521 Mbps, alongside the widest verified coverage area at 7,965 square kilometres. LG Uplus extended South Korea’s already dense urban 5G infrastructure by upgrading the Busan metro system to 5G.
Mauritania awarded four 5G licences in a process that raised MRU 1 billion (approximately $27 million), marking one of the first substantive 5G spectrum awards in West Africa. The awards reflect growing appetite for 5G licensing across African markets, even where near-term subscriber volumes remain modest. In Malaysia, U Mobile, Qualcomm and logistics firm City-Link commenced a trial of 5G IoT technology for air cargo tracking, an application that combines the precision of 5G positioning with the scale of logistics operations. Telenor Sweden introduced 5G Laptop Connect, a business-grade service allowing employees to bypass public Wi-Fi by routing laptop connectivity directly through the 5G network, addressing corporate concerns around security and performance in mobile working environments.
A new GSMA report launched at the Digital Nations Summit Tokyo identified 2026 as a critical inflection point for Japan’s digital ambitions. While Japan retains world-class strengths in next-generation connectivity research, the GSMA found that structural barriers, including stagnant productivity, a widening digital services deficit and a significant digital inclusion gap among older age groups, are limiting economy-wide impact. On connectivity specifically, the report noted that nationwide deployment of 5G SA remains uneven and that completing this rollout is an urgent priority before 6G planning can accelerate meaningfully. At the Summit, Japan’s four mobile network operators, KDDI, NTT DOCOMO, Rakuten Mobile and SoftBank, signed the Tokyo Accord alongside three APAC 6G Alliances, Globe and LG U+, formalising a shared commitment to open, interoperable and trusted digital ecosystems for the 6G era.
Vodafone Business launches commercial 5G network slicing
A close look at the UK’s first commercial SA-based network slicing service, covering the technical specifications, enterprise use cases and the accompanying Network Boost product from VodafoneThree.
https://www.telecoms.com/5g-6g/vodafone-business-launches-commercial-5g-network-slicing
How to (finally) monetise 5G
Spirent’s Stephen Douglas sets out the structural revenue challenges facing operators and traces the clearest paths to profitability through SA deployment, network slicing and AI-enabled cost reduction.
https://www.telecoms.com/5g-6g/how-to-finally-monetise-5g
Startup ODC charts AI-RAN course through private 5G
A detailed profile of ORAN Development Company, its $45 million Series A, its NVIDIA-based AI-native RAN architecture and the ISAC sensing capabilities it is developing for private 5G networks ahead of 6G.
https://www.lightreading.com/private-networks/startup-odc-charts-ai-ran-course-through-private-5g
5G positioning is picking up, but monetisation is a problem
Analysys Mason analyst James Kirby examines why high-precision 5G positioning is gaining traction in private networks yet struggles to scale commercially, and what operators need to do to build a viable location services business.
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20260417/5g/5g-positioning
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