Wireless Networks

During the World Broadband Association (WBBA) Broadband Development Congress (BDC) event in Paris, on 14^th October 2025, the “AI for NET5.5G and NET5.5G for AI” whitepaper was published by Network Technology Working Group (WG4).

Over 160 operators worldwide have published AI strategies, and research from the GSMA indicates that there are three key ways in which AI integration is helping them increase revenue and improve efficiencies: monetizing traditional services, expanding new services, and improving O&M efficiency.

Ericsson has announced that Malaysia’s Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) has become the first mobile operator in the world to be officially validated by TM Forum for achieving Level 4 autonomy in service assurance on its 5G network.

At the 11th global Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF 2025), Huawei's President of the Optical Access Domain, Feng Zhishan, officially launched an Intelligent ONT at the F5.5G All-Optical Summit.

Technology giant Ericsson and operator e& Egypt say they have extended their long-standing partnership through a four-year agreement focused on modernising and expanding e& Egypt’s network to enhance 5G readiness through what is described as an ambitious cloud-native transformation programme.

Wireless solutions company Comba Telecom Limited, and Nedaa Professional Communication Corporation, a provider of mission-critical communications and secure technology platforms, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing next-generation telecommunications solutions in the UAE and beyond.

IHS Brazil, part of the IHS Towers group, announced on Wednesday it has signed a new site agreement with TIM S.A. that further extends the two companies’ partnership in the Brazilian market.

Ukrainian telco Kyivstar announced on Tuesday that it has postponed the planned shutdown of its 3G network in Chernihiv due to increased shelling and power outages in the city.

Private 5G continues to make steady inroads into the Indian market. Advanced 5G infrastructure specialist Tidal Wave Technologies and mission-critical communication solutions provider Consort Digital say they have successfully completed a pilot project for 5G-based mission-critical communications for the first time at a mine in India.

Independent tower operator IHS Brazil said on Thursday it has collaborated with Brazil’s three largest mobile operators – Claro, Vivo and TIM – to provide 4G and 5G coverage to Ilha do Combu ahead of the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 30) in Belém.

This week sees yet another 5G private network launch, in this case through a collaboration between Polish operator Plus, tech giant Ericsson and digital product engineering services company GlobalLogic.

Operator e& UAE says it has enabled a technology called Reduced Capability (RedCap) on its 5G standalone (5GSA) network, activating a smartwatch as the first live RedCap use case in the UAE.

Ericsson said on Monday that MTN South Africa has successfully completed its core network modernisation project that will give its mobile infrastructure reduced latency, enhanced data throughput and a better overall user experience.

Indian state-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Tata Consultancy Services, the Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and Tejas Networks unveiled on Saturday India’s first indigenously developed 4G stack.

NLT Telecom, a Brazilian operator focused in IoT, floLIVE, a provider of connectivity and network services, and TNS, which provides connectivity solutions and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), have announced a partnership to promote the use of eSIMs with the new SGP.32 standard from the operator association the GSMA in the Latin American Internet of Things (IoT) market.

The São Paulo Subway, one of Latin America's largest subway transportation operators, which operates in the most populous city in Brazil, has implemented a new P25 (two-way radio) land mobile radio (LMR) communication system from Motorola Solutions.

Ericsson announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with Zain Bahrain to supply RAN gear to the operator’s network capacity and enhance coverage of its 4G and 5G networks.

Airtel Zambia and tower company IHS Zambia are making good time on their plan with the Zambian government to expand network reach in Zambia, with 52 new telecoms towers expected to be up and running by the end of this month.

Thailand is the latest country to announce plans to offer spectrum for private use by factories and businesses.

Malaysian 5G network provider U Mobile says it has signed on government-owned telecoms infrastructure provider Sacofa as a strategic fibre backhaul partner to accelerate the rollout of its 5G network in Sarawak.

Vodafone Fiji and Digicel Fiji launched their respective 5G services on Monday, just days after officially receiving 5G spectrum licences from Fiji’s Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications.

Open RAN (O-RAN) has long been touted as a disruptive technology in mobile infrastructure with the concept of splitting the RAN into three components, encouraging a more modular architecture that claims to improve operator bottom lines.

Connectivity solutions provider iBASIS has acquired Telstra International’s wholesale voice, mobile, and messaging customer contracts in a move to expand its footprint across the Asia-Pacific.

Bharti Airtel-controlled telecoms tower firm Indus Towers revealed on Tuesday it is making plans to expand operations outside of India into select international emerging markets – particularly countries in Africa where Airtel currently operates.

PLDT announced on Tuesday it has deployed free-space optics technology from Google Taara in three remote locations in the Philippines as an alternative to terrestrial and subsea fibre optic cables.

5G finally arrived in Bangladesh on Monday after telcos Robi Axiata and Grameenphone reportedly launched 5G services within a few hours of each other, and 18 months after receiving licences to streamline 5G rollouts.

Smart Communications, the wireless subsidiary of PLDT, announced on Friday it has launched 5G Standalone in Iloilo City in the region of Western Visayas, which it says marks the beginning of a broader nationwide rollout of 5G SA across the Philippines.

Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is to launch the country’s first-ever 191 Emergency Location Service (ELS), a strategic collaboration between the Patrol and Special Operations Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, leading mobile operator AIS, and global technology giant Google. As its name suggests, the service will automatically provide precise location data from callers.

Thai telco True Corp said on Tuesday it has deployed an AI-powered solution for monitoring and managing base station signals to enhance the performance and stability of its networks along the Thai-Cambodian border.

Malaysian telco U Mobile on Monday officially launched Ultra5G – its standalone 5G network – in two locations with an initial focus on delivering 5G experiences in indoor environments.

Operator Airtel Congo has announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Wing Wah, a private oil company under Congolese law and a subsidiary of the Chinese Southernpec group, for the deployment of a private telecom network at the country's Banga Kayo oil site.

ZTE announced on Thursday that China Mobile Pakistan (CMPak), which operates under the brand Zong 4G, is the first operator to commercially launch its high-power 8T8R ultra-broadband radio (UBR) and digital intelligent antenna (DIA) solution.