What's new in telco digital services.

Apple lands Siri AI at WWDC as Cook takes a bow

After two years of over-promising and under-delivering, Apple unveiled an overhauled Siri AI voice assistant with new capabilities, a dedicated app and a foundation built on Google's Gemini AI. The post Apple lands Siri AI at WWDC as Cook takes a bow appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Orange completes MasOrange takeover

Orange made a second decisive acquisition move in as many days after completing a buyout of its partner in Spanish joint venture MasOrange. The post Orange completes MasOrange takeover appeared first on Mobile World Live.

SKT obtains EU funding for AI quantum security project

SKT is the first Asian private company to receive R&D funding from Horizon Europe. The project involves developing next-generation quantum cryptography technology.

Vodafone despliega una red 5G privada para los Mossos durante la visita del papa a Catalunya

Vodafone ha reforzado su infraestructura de red en Barcelona y ha puesto a disposición de los Mossos d’Esquadra, la policía Read more... The post Vodafone despliega una red 5G privada para los Mossos durante la visita del papa a Catalunya appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Nvidia strikes AI cloud, memory deals in Korea

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang clinches AI deals with SK Group, Naver and LG Group in Seoul, following a series of partnerships announced in Taipei last week.

Siemens, Infineon seek circuit protection improvement

Siemens and Infineon Technologies teamed to tackle a little reported but quite important element of digital transformations, namely protecting electrical supplies in data centres, production facilities and battery storage systems. The post Siemens, Infineon seek circuit protection improvement appeared first on Mobile W

Tencent goes after mobile AI with handset deals

Tencent pursues smartphone partnerships to put WeChat at the center of the mobile AI experience.

FCC's AWS-3 auction starts slow with low demand so far

The FCC's spectrum auction for AWS-3 bands got off to a sluggish start this week with bids reaching $104 million after the first three days.

Ads will not fix consumer AI's money problem

Consumer AI companies need to convert heavy free users into paid subscribers at a higher rate in order to win the category.

Elisa gives its subsea cable ears

Having had its cables cut in suspicious incidents in the past, Elisa tests the use of distributed acoustic sensing in the Baltic Sea to listen out for potentially harmful activity.

Eurobites: The slow death of SMS speeds up in Germany

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Kyvistar's Uklon buys e-scooter firm; CISPE unconvinced by EU's cloud plans; TIM strikes World Cup deal with DAZN.

The Buildout: Wire 3 expands to Florida's Martin County

This week in broadband builds: Wire 3 to invest $53 million in Martin County, Florida; TDS continues rural upgrades in Dane County, Wisconsin; Spectrum adds to rural Michigan footprint – and more.

Public Wi-Fi at crossroads in India as telcos question relevance

Telecom operators argue affordable 4G and 5G services have made public Wi-Fi redundant, while technology firms say it remains vital for digital inclusion.

SKT enlists gated Claude Mythos AI to shield core infrastructure

SKT, along with Samsung and SK Hynix, is among the 150 new partner organizations of Anthropic's Project Glasswing initiative, which uses advanced AI to scan codebases for security flaws.

Verizon finds work for DT's former CTO among all the AI agents

Promoted last October, Abdu Mudesir quit the top tech job at Deutsche Telekom just a few months later and has now popped up at Verizon.

Ciena poised for more growth as AI network spending shows no signs of stopping

Ciena once again reported growing revenue and earnings amid the ongoing AI network spending spree, with CSO David Rothenstein telling Light Reading that the current boom is unlikely to end anytime soon, and agentic AI could amplify current trends.

Cable asks FCC for expedited waiver on broadband routers

NCTA, an org that represents many US cable operators, wants the FCC to grant an expedited waiver for foreign-made consumer broadband routers that require limited memory and materials alterations.

Wireless service is cheaper than ever, but carriers are leaving money on the table

After four years of flat connectivity prices and rising incomes, telecom claims less than 1% of household spending. Carriers haven't figured out what to do with that leverage yet.

AT&T expands open RAN and cloud is on the horizon

AT&T is expanding open RAN rollout and poised to scale cloud RAN in latest progress update on its five-year wireless network upgrade project with Ericsson.

Eurobites: European Commission unwraps tech sovereignty package

Also in today's sovereignty-soaked EMEA regional roundup: Telefónica's Murtra on the dignity of digital autonomy; hospital group prescribes Orange's Live Intelligence for GenAI needs; MTN Zambia turns to Huawei's LampSite for indoor 5G.

Openreach fiber monopoly is a growing threat, says Nexfibre CEO

Without the wholesale competition a Netomnia takeover would create, the UK could be stuck with a dominant Openreach, says Nexfibre CEO Rajiv Datta, citing new research.

Dobson Fiber connects with Reach on mobile launch

Oklahoma-based Dobson Fiber has launched a handful of by-the-gig and unlimited mobile plans via a partnership with Reach.

Handset outlook darkens on war, memory costs

Mid- and low-end handset firms are eyeing an exit from the smartphone market, says Counterpoint.

Cisco: AI driving a 'network supercycle'

Data and latency demands for AI paired with AI agents and strict security requirements are fueling a 'network supercycle,' says Cisco's Jeetu Patel. Execs also were asked if they foresee an AI 'bubble' similar to the dot-com era.

Eurobites: Ofcom highlights poor mobile coverage on trains, surprises no one

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: ViaTunisia subsea cable section ready for service; CMA helps publishers fight back in the AI battle; latest on Meta's 'gatekeeper' status.

Starlink's S-1 says wholesale. The pattern says MNO.

Roger Entner breaks down seven operating moves SpaceX has made that no wholesale satellite supplier needs and what the carriers' panicked JV announcement seems to signal.

Telecom is the cheapest way to distribute AI – VEON

VEON continues its push to embed AI into digital services, which are becoming an ever bigger part of the group's revenue.

AI is making telecom more expensive, warn Ericsson and Nokia

Rampant demand for AI has led to component shortages and driven up chip costs for network equipment vendors. Customers may eventually pay.

FLAG activates Chennai-Singapore subsea cable route

The new route, which complements FLAG's Mumbai-Singapore route, provides a second, geographically distinct path between India and Singapore.

Nvidia taps SKT for physical AI

Nvidia has asked SKT to join its physical AI program as it seeks to build closer supply chain ties with Korean firms.

Charlie Ergen's SPAC moves to take over HC2 Broadcasting

CONX, Charlie Ergen's SPAC focused on media and telecom, has struck a deal to gain a controlling interest in HC2 Broadcasting, a company that is pursuing a 5G Broadcast platform.

Electric co-ops 'not happy' with BEAD

Electric cooperatives are disappointed with a number of policy changes to the BEAD program, from its dropped fiber preference to the NTIA's move to impose FCC pole attachment regs on co-ops. Some are declining their grants.

Eurobites: Vodafone drives connected-car tech for Geely

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Openreach offers sweeteners to broadband providers; Finland to get new alerts system; InCoax Networks signs Tier 1 US deal.

Closing the gap: Europe takes slow but strategic approach to 5G SA

Europe trails on headline 5G standalone metrics, but operators argue the slower rollout reflects a pragmatic and value-driven deployment strategy rather than a failure to keep up.

Australia connectivity surge: Google-Telstra deal and SMAP's Tasmanian extension

Google and Telstra plan to integrate their subsea and terrestrial cable networks in Australia. Meanwhile, Subco is partnering with Firmus to extend the SMAP subsea cable to Tasmania.

Telecom has a capacity glut – so stop moaning about AI traffic

The industry is constantly being warned about traffic growth, and yet research and telco behavior shows networks have all the capacity they need.

EchoStar delays $183M interest payment as it waits to cash in on AT&T deal

EchoStar said it is not making an interest payment due today as it waits to be paid for its pending spectrum sale to AT&T. EchoStar has a 30-day grace period to make the payment.

Optimum attempts to scale its big debt wall

Tied to a plan to manage a pile of debt, Optimum is pursuing a series of transactions, including moving its East footprint and Lightpath unit into a new, operationally independent subsidiary.

Starlink's business sweet spot is smaller than the hype suggests

New Recon Analytics data shows where Starlink actually wins with business customers.

The Divide: Gigi Sohn on how to defeat opponents of public broadband

This week: Gigi Sohn discusses how 'dark money' defeated a public broadband plan in Longmeadow, Mass., why anti-muni-broadband efforts work in some towns but not others and why grassroots buy-in is key to public broadband success.

Eurobites: Connect Europe suggests EU is overreaching on copper shutdown

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Poland outperforms its same-size rivals; SoftBank invests in French AI infrastructure; T-Systems combines with Scheer Group on sovereign automation.

Uber to deliver e& $100M for Careem stake

UAE operator e& struck a deal with Uber to sell 12.5% of its stake in digital platform provider Careem Technologies for $100 million, leaving it with a 37.5% shareholding which the taxi app giant has an option to acquire the rest of. The post Uber to deliver e& $100M for Careem stake appeared first on Mobile World Live

Greenwatch: Is natural gas becoming AI's dirty secret?

In a roundup of telecom sustainability news, we look at the latest on AI's hunger for fossil fuels, telecom's green energy moves, progress on energy efficiency, and satellites' environmental issues.

Community Fibre is flying high in the UK's crowded altnet sector

With plans to extend its fiber footprint to around 2 million premises and launch a mobile offer, Community Fibre looks like a rare 'altnet' success story in the UK.

Indonesia's new SIM rule: facial biometrics mandatory from July 1

Indonesia's mandate requiring facial biometrics for new SIM registrations tightens the screws on digital frauds perpetrated by unverified mobile phone numbers.

AI is going to transform our networks

Today's networks built for streaming and data won't suffice for the demands of the AI inference network.

Blue Origin's 'New Glenn' rocket explodes during prelaunch test

In a big setback for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, its heavy-duty New Glenn rocket exploded during a prelaunch test Thursday. 'We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test,' Blue Origin said.

Boldyn lobs MLS ground into digital era

Boldyn Networks’ US CCO Jason Caliento said the company is making good on pledges to boost the digital experience offered at Major League Soccer venues after equipping a new stadium in the city of Miami with various connectivity technologies. The post Boldyn lobs MLS ground into digital era appeared first on Mobile Wor

Taara CEO: Our free-space optics links go where fiber won't

Google Moonshot offshoot Taara started with middle-mile photonics links but is now looking to connect data centers and, someday, individual locations.

The AI-enabled network is here. The pitch is stuck in traffic

AT&T and Comcast explained the AI-era network last week at Network X. The harder conversation, the one with customers, is still a ways down the road.

Beyond IPO: India's Jio bets on 5G monetization, AI and tech export

Jio's annual report offers clues about the Indian telco's post-IPO strategy, highlighting 5G, AI infra, fixed broadband and technology exports as growth engines.

US pay-TV sheds 2M subscribers in Q1

US pay-TV providers lost about 2.03 million subs in Q1 2026, a slight improvement from a year-ago loss of 2.17 million, says MoffettNathanson. Virtual MVPDs, a category that includes YouTube TV, lost 948,00 in the typically weak period.

The Buildout: Comcast connects Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River Valley

This week in broadband builds: Comcast connects customers in Pennsylvania; Charter grows footprint in Missouri, Florida and Ohio; Brightspeed goes live in Johnson County, Arkansas – and more.

Amazon Leo satellite network coming to Taiwan through Far EasTone partnership

Far EasTone hopes to overcome all regulatory obstacles in time to launch its low-Earth orbit satellite (LEO) services by the first half of 2027.

Eurobites: French telecom investment continues to fall

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: AI out of control in Belgium; Kyivstar appoints new CFO; big NATO win for UK basestation firm.

Mediacom DOCSIS upgrades pave path to 5-Gig speeds

Mediacom is using a mix of 1.2GHz capacity upgrades, an upstream-enhancing 'high-split' and the use of a distributed access architecture to enable 5-Gig downstream speeds on its DOCSIS 3.1 network.

Subsea cable threats real and illusory

Global data traffic flows remain uninterrupted despite conflicts, but UK spy chief warns of growing nation-state threats.

EU risks US ire with limits on 2GHz satellite spectrum

European Commission proposal for 2GHz band leaves opening for US players like Starlink and Amazon but keeps most of the spectrum for EU operators.

Eurobites: Sovcloud tsunami gathers momentum

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telenor IoT hooks up with Sateliot for 5G satellite assist; Monzo bank goes MVNO with VMO2; UK government vs. Mittal.

AT&T, Comcast and Charter top Opensignal's fixed broadband study

Opensignal's latest fixed broadband study gives high marks to AT&T's upload speeds, Charter's reliability, and Comcast's consistent quality, download speed and video streaming performance.

Asian telecom giants partner on Philippine smart city blueprint

Globe Telecom and Ayala Corporation have joined forces with KDDI and Mitsubishi Corporation to conduct a joint study on 'Intelligent City' initiatives in Makati City, Philippines.

VodafoneThree shrank workforce as it leaned into Ericsson and Nokia

Combined headcount for Vodafone and Three appears to have fallen 12% since before the merger, Vodafone's just-published annual report shows.

CMI pursues new Central Asia gateway to Hong Kong submarine cables

China Mobile International is planning a new route to connect Central Asia's land-based cables to Hong Kong's subsea cable network.

Starlink could reach 100M subs by 2034 – forecast

Starlink could hit 100 million customers by 2034 as it continues to beef up capacity, New Street Research estimates in a report on SpaceX's broadband business. Starlink currently has about 10.3 million subs worldwide.

Broadband alliance report offers pros of bulk billing

The Bulk Broadband Alliance released a study seeking to demonstrate to policymakers the consumer benefits of bulk billing arrangements for multi-dwelling units, claiming they provide significant cost savings and more competition.

Eurobites: Telenor restructures to get less complicated, more 'country-centric'

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Starlink and Amazon may get European spectrum next year; O2's satellite D2D service reaches iPhone users; euNetworks teams up with Adtran for 'quantum-safe' offering.

Airtel network-slicing push in India gets unlikely backing from rival Jio

Jio has backed Airtel's Priority Postpaid service, signaling industry-wide support for 5G network slicing as operators seek new monetization avenues.

Starlink shines where Europe's terrestrial broadband lags – Ookla

Starlink has established itself as a viable alternative for home broadband in gaps left uncovered by Europe's terrestrial networks, according to Ookla.

AI emerging as top driver of overall Internet traffic growth – study

AI is poised to boost consumer-driven traffic by about 6.6x by the mid-2030s and reshape infrastructure requirements, Cisco found in its first WAN-focused AI report.

Xiaomi flags premium push as shipments slide

Xiaomi confirmed analyst accounts of a 19% year-on-year drop in smartphone shipments in Q1 as it released results stating an associated fall in revenue was partly offset by an increased average selling price driven by a focus on premium devices. The post Xiaomi flags premium push as shipments slide appeared first on Mo

Nebraska to reopen BEAD bids after providers drop out

Nebraska, which touted its first BEAD-funded activation this month, is reopening its BEAD bidding portal after some companies reportedly dropped from the program.

Ericsson scores Canada 5G development exclusive

Canada’s government picked Ericsson to help turn 5G into its de-facto technology for public safety and defence purposes through the Advanced Wireless Communications Innovation Network (AWIN) platform. The post Ericsson scores Canada 5G development exclusive appeared first on Mobile World Live.

SoftBank joins sovereign AI race

Japanese telco SoftBank enters the sovereign AI race with planned AI data center cloud in what is the latest move into enterprise AI by Asian telcos.

Eurobites: European smartphone market grows 2% in Q1 – but trouble lies ahead

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia Finland demos quantum encryption with QMill; CityFibre 're-scopes' Project Gigabit plans; Deutsche Telekom plans in-store silent hour.

Huawei touts chip design breakthrough as answer to US sanctions

China's Huawei is feeling chipper about a new way of designing semiconductors that could free it from the constraints imposed by US restrictions.

Cambodia's Cellcard accelerates 5G rollout with over 500 basestations

Cellcard said that it is on track to reach 1,000 5G sites by the end of July as the Cambodian operator accelerates its rollout.

Trump Mobile confirms customer data exposure

Trump Mobile reportedly acknowledged sensitive customer information was left exposed and publicly accessible on the open internet as the company began shipping devices earlier in May. The post Trump Mobile confirms customer data exposure appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The Buildout: Ethos Broadband connects student homes in rural New Mexico

This week: Ethos Broadband wraps FWA build in Chimayo, New Mexico; TWN connects Hidalgo County students; WOW grows in South Carolina; Shentel connects Campbell County, Virginia; Comcast comes to Leon County, Florida – and more.

Eurobites: Deutsche Telekom, SAP land government's sovereign AI gig

Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Vodafone offers faster uploads in Germany; network energy consumption in France; UK police have had it with social media.

Bharti linked with increased BT stake

Reuters reported Bharti Enterprises is seeking the backing of UK authorities to potentially up its shareholding in BT Group from just below 25% to nearer 30%. The post Bharti linked with increased BT stake appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The fight against AI begins, but telecom has already given up

Repeated warnings AI will cause mass joblessness, and a growing distaste for AI slop and brain enfeeblement, are generating a backlash – outside telecom.

AI and Agentic AI and the Impact on Wide Area Networks

AT&T, T-Mobile show AI in RAN with Ericsson sans GPUs

AT&T and T-Mobile test AI in RAN with Ericsson's AI-native link adaptation feature for better spectrum efficiency and performance, all without GPUs.

Digital Edge locks in $575M to fuel APAC data center growth

Digital Edge has secured holding company financing with a feature that allows it to convert the loan into a sustainability-linked loan (SLL) once relevant and ambitious sustainability performance targets have been agreed upon.

AT&T launches simplified (and changeable) 'Build-A-Plan' for wireless

Starting at $15 per month, AT&T's new 'Build-A-Plan' wireless option presents a simplified approach that opens up the prepaid segment, says Recon Analytics' Roger Entner.

Singtel ready to sell Optus minority stake

Optus posted a full-year loss after incurring AU$409 million (US$291.3 million) in fines and other remedial costs, with its parent Singtel now pondering a minority stake sale.