In the United States the regulator put a headline figure on its auction ambitions, the case for the 4GHz band gathered pace, and a new experimental licence tied 6G research to mid-band airwaves.
Europe’s largest operators pressed Brussels for a lighter regulatory hand, while the debate over sensing, 6G direction and AI in the radio network ran through almost every announcement.
There was solid deployment news too, from a live 5G core in the UK to open RAN progress in Japan, alongside a sober reminder from the GSMA that billions of people are still being left behind.
Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr indicated the agency expects to raise more than $100 billion from a series of planned spectrum auctions over the next two years. It is a striking target that signals how central airwaves have become to US fiscal and industrial policy, and operators will be watching closely to see which bands come to market and on what terms.
Much of the near-term attention is on the 4GHz range. The CTIA published a report making the case for 4GHz as prime spectrum for both wireless capacity and future 6G services, urging policymakers to move quickly to repurpose the band. The argument gained a practical edge when Verizon applied to the FCC for an experimental licence to use part of the 4GHz band, working with Ericsson and Samsung to demonstrate 5G sensing use cases that it frames as a precursor to 6G. The wider policy debate is that AI traffic is strengthening the case for more mid-band spectrum, particularly as more data is pushed upstream.
Not every band is up for grabs. Analyst Dean Bubley argued that reversing or diluting the status of the unlicensed 6GHz band now would strand equipment, disrupt users and undermine confidence in American spectrum policy, a pointed reminder that regulatory certainty has a value of its own. Regulation and physical build came together in Iowa, where the FCC’s new Innovation Zone at Iowa State University opens up an area for spectrum experimentation just as agricultural machinery starts generating more data than rural networks can carry.
In Europe the mood was one of frustration. The continent’s biggest operators urged European Union policymakers to rethink rules they say are holding back investment in connectivity, listing spectrum, fibre and cybersecurity regulation among their main concerns. Cross-border spectrum questions also featured at an NTN panel, which highlighted differing regulatory approaches to direct-to-device and non-terrestrial services, a topic heading for the WRC-27 agenda. Closer to the ground, the Competitive Carriers Association warned that US regional operators need continued investment in spectrum, network upgrades and new services to stay competitive.
The 6G conversation is maturing from hype to hard questions. Verizon’s chief technology officer Yago Tenorio told RCR Wireless that the industry must avoid the fragmentation that dogged earlier generations, pointing to uplink capacity, spectrum and standards as the areas most in need of alignment before commercial 6G becomes realistic. Verizon also broadened its 6G Innovation Forum, adding nine members including AWS, Cisco, Intel, MediaTek, Nvidia, Palo Alto Networks and Viavi, a sign that ecosystem building is now well underway.
A note of realism came from Light Reading’s analysis, which suggested 6G is shaping up to be a multivendor letdown, with operators likely to deploy it using much the same spectrum, hardware and suppliers they used for 5G. Ericsson’s chief technology officer offered a different framing, arguing that the path to 6G success runs through applying AI to today’s 5G networks, with AI-ready radios and uplink capacity high on the list of priorities.
Integrated Sensing and Communication moved from theory to field trials. Samsung and Verizon completed what they described as a first AI-powered ISAC trial running on commercial virtualised RAN, turning live 5G radio signals into real-time crowd heatmaps during a large international sporting event. Notably, Samsung used the moment to argue against a wholesale 6G overhaul for sensing, suggesting much can be achieved on existing 5G foundations. Ericsson, meanwhile, extended its own ISAC drone detection work to Finland through a project with state-owned operator Erillisverkot, as sensing continues to attract early commercial interest.
There was tangible deployment progress across several markets. In the UK, Ericsson and VodafoneThree activated the operator’s upgraded cloud-native 5G core, described as a significant milestone in a SEK12.5 billion modernisation programme. In the US, regional operator Nex-Tech Wireless signed a four-year agreement with Ericsson to modernise around 85% of its radio footprint across rural Kansas and expand its cloud-native core to support standalone 5G. In Japan, NTT Docomo said it was the first in the world to deploy Nokia’s latest equipment configured for a multivendor open RAN environment.
AI in the radio network remained a dominant theme. Nokia reported growing momentum for AI-RAN, naming A1 Group, Chunghwa Telecom, du, e&, Mobily, stc, TPG Telecom and Zain Saudi among operators running proofs of concept and trials on Nvidia’s Aerial RAN platform. The strategic picture is less settled among the largest US carriers, with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon each charting a different route towards AI-RAN, a divergence that will shape vendor roadmaps over the coming years.
Private mobile networks are set for a spending surge, according to Juniper Research, which linked the growth to demand for infrastructure capable of extracting the full value of AI in business operations. On the consumer side, AT&T subsidiary Cricket Wireless launched a 5G-powered fixed wireless home internet service starting at $45 per month, extending the reach of fixed wireless access into more budget-conscious segments.
The GSMA sounded a cautionary note with its State of Mobile Internet Connectivity report for 2026, warning that the world risks a widening gap between AI haves and have-nots unless action is taken to close the digital divide and make smartphones affordable for billions of people in low and middle income countries. Rising component costs are pushing device prices up just as AI makes connectivity more valuable, a combination that regulators and operators in emerging markets will need to confront. In Asia, Japanese operators signed a memorandum of understanding to explore ways of extending the reach of millimetre wave 5G, a reminder that capacity challenges persist even in mature markets.
FCC chief targets $100bn from spectrum auctions
A clear read on how central spectrum revenue has become to US policy, and a signal of the auction pipeline ahead.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/regulation/fcc-chief-targets-100b-from-spectrum-auctions/
European telco bosses call for the EU to correct the course
Essential context on the regulatory reforms Europe’s operators say are needed to unlock connectivity investment.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/operators/europe-telco-bosses-call-for-eu-to-correct-the-course/
6G is shaping up to be a big multivendor letdown
A useful reality check on how far 6G may actually differ from the 5G networks operators run today.
https://www.lightreading.com/6g/6g-is-shaping-up-to-be-a-big-multivendor-letdown
GSMA raises alarm over smartphone affordability and AI access
A sobering look at the affordability and connectivity gap that could leave billions outside the AI economy.
https://www.telecomreviewafrica.com/articles/reports-and-coverage/29206-gsma-raises-alarm-over-smartphone-affordability-and-ai-access/
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