The week brought significant developments in spectrum policy as regulators and industry bodies grapple with the infrastructure demands of 5G evolution and 6G preparation. The FCC unanimously advanced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the upper C-band spectrum (3.98-4.2 GHz), targeting an auction of at least 100 MHz by July 2027. This initiative benefits from a consensus framework developed by CTIA, aerospace industries, and major carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile – a stark contrast to the contentious debates that plagued the initial C-band auction. The proposal sets a 30-day comment period, with the FCC aiming to avoid the aviation industry conflicts that previously delayed deployments.
Looking further ahead, the GSMA’s Vision 2040 report issues a stark warning: 6G networks will require 2-3 GHz of mid-band spectrum per country by 2035-2040, potentially triple today’s typical allocations. With most nations currently having only 1 GHz identified for mobile use, the message to policymakers is unambiguous – act now or face capacity bottlenecks, network congestion, and competitive disadvantage in the 2030s. The report forecasts 5 billion 6G connections by 2040, generating 3,900 exabytes of monthly traffic in high-growth scenarios, with 83% concentrated in urban areas. Key candidate bands identified include 3.8-4.2 GHz, 4.4-4.99 GHz, and upper 6 GHz ranges.
The European vendor landscape saw notable shifts as Nokia secured major contract wins at Ericsson’s expense. The Finnish vendor’s three-year agreement with Telecom Italia represents a landmark deal, potentially adding 10,000 sites and increasing Nokia’s RAN share by 40 percentage points, making it TIM’s largest 5G supplier. This follows Nokia’s recent UK success with VodafoneThree, where it captured 7,000 sites, including 2,400 previously served by Ericsson. For Nokia, these wins provide crucial momentum after losses to Samsung in the US market and Ericsson’s gains at AT&T.
The broader equipment market presents a mixed picture. Dell’Oro Group data shows the RAN market stabilising after two years of decline, remaining flat in Q3 when excluding China, though muted growth is expected through next year. Regional dynamics vary significantly, with EMEA growth nearly offsetting declines in North America and Asia-Pacific. In contrast, the mobile core market is thriving, with revenues outside China surging 14% year-on-year, driven by 5G Standalone migrations and 5G-Advanced deployments. This bifurcation reflects the industry’s transition from coverage expansion to network intelligence and service differentiation.
AT&T demonstrated the strategic value of spectrum acquisitions through rapid deployment of EchoStar’s 3.45 GHz mid-band spectrum across nearly 23,000 cell sites in 5,300 cities spanning 48 states. The deployment, completed in weeks through a spectrum manager lease ahead of the anticipated mid-2026 acquisition closure, delivered impressive performance gains: up to 80% faster 5G download speeds for mobile services and 55% improvements for fixed wireless access. Beyond immediate capacity benefits, the deployment addresses regulatory concerns about spectrum concentration whilst demonstrating efficient asset utilisation, adding capacity without requiring new cell site construction.
Regional deployment milestones included Armenia’s Ucom completing nationwide 5G coverage across 48 cities and hundreds of rural communities, reaching 94% of the population within one year of launch. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s U Mobile secured substantial financing, a 10-year, 4.3 billion ringgit (US$1.03 billion) syndicated facility to accelerate deployment of the country’s second 5G network. The operator, which launched Ultra5G in August, is tracking ahead of schedule toward 80% coverage of populated areas by H2 2026.
The transition to 5G Standalone architecture continues at a measured pace, with mixed success in monetisation strategies. Ericsson’s Mobility Report reveals that whilst 90+ operators have launched or soft-launched 5G SA networks (up 20 from June), only 33 operators offer 65 commercial differentiated services using network slicing—with 21 launched in 2025 alone. Despite this progress, the figures remain underwhelming relative to initial expectations for network slicing as a key monetisation vehicle. Seventy-two operators have now deployed 5G SA, with examples including Reliance Jio’s announcement of 10 network slices with guaranteed SLAs.
Fixed Wireless Access has emerged as the more successful 5G monetisation strategy, with 159 providers offering 5G-based FWA services, 54% using speed-based tariffs familiar from fixed broadband models. The slower European rollout of 5G SA is forecast to create a one-year delay in commercial 6G services compared to leading markets including the US, China, Japan, South Korea, and GCC countries, with India expected to leapfrog its 5G timeline to position itself as an early 6G adopter.
Verizon’s announcement of 13,000 job cuts- its largest-ever reduction – signals significant strategic restructuring under new CEO Dan Schulman. The cuts are expected to concentrate in retail operations, with approximately 200 corporate stores transitioning to dealer ownership, alongside reductions in network divisions where 5G Ultra-Wideband deployment is complete. The 5G Acceleration enterprise team, focused on private networking and neutral host installations, faces potential cuts of up to 25%. Analysts suggest the restructuring reflects efforts to streamline operations, shed unprofitable business units, and address perceived management layers accumulated during previous leadership.
T-Mobile US outlined its rural expansion strategy at an F1 Las Vegas event, targeting areas outside the top 100 markets where it holds just over 20% household share despite representing 40% of the country. The operator launched “Switching Made Easy,” an AI-driven programme enabling new customers to join in 15 minutes via the T-Life app, with tools to assess competitor accounts and recommend optimised plans. This initiative reflects the carrier’s focus on reducing customer acquisition friction in a market characterised by low switching rates.
Industry forecasts for 6G adoption are taking shape, with Ericsson predicting 180 million 6G subscriptions by end-2031; though this excludes early IoT device uptake, suggesting actual connections could be significantly higher. The ‘usual suspects’ (US, Japan, South Korea, China) are tipped as early 6G pioneers, joined by India and GCC countries. India’s inclusion is particularly notable, expected to launch 6G earlier than it deployed 5G, reflecting the nation’s ambitions for technology leadership.
In Africa, Ericsson solidified its commitment to Zambia’s digital future by opening a Lusaka office, pledging support for both 5G adoption and future 6G development. The investment, viewed as strengthening Sweden-Zambia relations, aligns with Zambia’s national goals for secure, modern connectivity. Minister of Science and Technology Felix Mutati emphasised the critical role of private sector partnerships in accelerating digital transformation and positioning Zambia as a regional digital hub.
Technological innovation continues with NTT Docomo’s developments in AI-boosted wireless interfaces, whilst the mobile core market’s 14% growth reflects operators’ push toward network intelligence and service differentiation. The industry narrative is clearly shifting from coverage and capacity toward enabling new service models and preparing infrastructure for the 6G era.
Nokia to replace Ericsson at Telecom Italia 5G sites
Major vendor shift sees Nokia gain 40 percentage points of RAN share in landmark three-year deal
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/nokia-to-replace-ericsson-at-telecom-italia-5g-sites
6G mobile networks will need up to three times today’s spectrum
GSMA report warns policymakers: act now to avoid 2030s capacity bottleneck as traffic surges to 3,900 exabytes monthly
https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/6g-mobile-networks-will-need-up-to-three-times-todays-spectrum-to-meet-surging-data-demands-new-gsma-report-shows/
Mobile core surges as 5G-A gains momentum
Core network revenues jump 14% year-on-year as operators migrate to 5G Standalone architecture
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/5g/mobile-core-surges-as-5g-a-gains-momentum/
AT&T touts faster 5G with EchoStar midband spectrum
Rapid deployment across 23,000 sites delivers up to 80% speed improvements whilst addressing regulatory spectrum concerns
https://www.lightreading.com/5g/at-t-touts-faster-5g-with-echostar-midband-spectrum
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