During the period from April 14th to 20th, 2026, the following international news occurred:
1. China telco earnings slump on tax hike, weak growth
Affected by an increase in the value-added tax rate (from 6% to 9%) and rising bad debts from government and enterprise customers, China's three major telecom operators saw net profits decline across the board in the first quarter: China Telecom fell 17.1%, China Unicom fell 16.9%, and China Mobile fell 4.2%. Growth in traditional businesses remains weak, and emerging businesses such as cloud and AI are unable to fully compensate. The market has become saturated.
2. U Business cuts cargo verification time by 90% in 5G-IoT trial
U Mobile's enterprise division, in collaboration with City-Link Express and Qualcomm, has completed a proof-of-concept for 5G-IoT tracking of high-value air cargo. Using Qualcomm Location Services and the 5G-IoT network, real-time location and multi-sensor status monitoring of cargo have been achieved, reducing logistics verification time by 90%, operational review time by 70%, and improving dispute resolution readiness by 50%.
3. Rakuten Symphony to test open RAN technology across seven countries
Rakuten Symphony has received approximately $56.5 million in funding from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to conduct large-scale trials of open RAN and RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) technology in seven countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Kuwait, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Approximately 100 base stations will be deployed in each country, aiming to address challenges such as uneven network access, geographical complexity, and disaster recovery.
4. Deutsche Telekom’s move for T-Mobile is a valuation play, say analysts
Analysts believe that Deutsche Telekom's pursuit of full ownership of T-Mobile US is primarily driven by structural simplification and valuation considerations, rather than gaining control. T-Mobile US contributes nearly two-thirds of the group's revenue, and full ownership would optimise governance and capital allocation. However, full ownership of a US telecom operator by a foreign entity may face political and regulatory hurdles.
5. Ericsson, the best a RAN can get, still lacks a growth story
Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm has successfully turned around the mobile networks business, but diversification efforts have faltered. Vonage, acquired in 2022, and Cradlepoint, acquired in 2020, have seen declining performance, and the enterprise division has posted consecutive losses. The company remains overly dependent on the North American market (41% of sales) and a "flat" RAN market, lacking growth drivers. 6G is not expected to bring an investment peak similar to 5G.
6. Deutsche Telekom flirting with T-Mobile takeover – report
According to a Bloomberg report, Deutsche Telekom is considering a full merger with T-Mobile US, using a new holding company to simplify its structure and create a multinational telecom group. Deutsche Telekom currently holds a 53% stake in T-Mobile. The transaction would face regulatory reviews in both Germany and the US, as well as approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Both parties declined to comment.
7. Deutsche Telekom adds video calling to 5G+ offering
Deutsche Telekom has extended its 5G network slicing service, 5G+ Ultra, to video calling scenarios, using its standalone 5G core and L4S technology to optimise video call stability in congested environments such as concerts and stadiums. The service is now available free of charge to MagentaMobil users, currently supporting only Apple's FaceTime, having previously been focused on cloud gaming. Network slicing tests have shown a 73% reduction in the impact of packet loss.
8. Verizon details World Cup 2026 network strategy
Verizon has deployed a network expansion plan for the 2026 World Cup, using 5G, C-band, and millimetre wave spectrum to increase bandwidth by three to five times across 11 US stadiums, with data volume per match expected to exceed 50 TB. Network slicing will support applications such as referee cameras and public safety, and post-tournament infrastructure will remain in place long-term, benefiting local businesses and residents.
9. América Móvil plans $7bn annual capex for 2026
América Móvil plans to maintain annual capital expenditures of approximately $7 billion in 2026 and for the next several years. First-quarter net profit rose 25.1% to 23.4 billion pesos, with 3 million new postpaid subscribers. The company is evaluating partnerships with Starlink and others, expecting to commercialise direct-to-cell satellite services around 2027. Detailed investment guidance will be provided at its Investor Day in May.
10. Midco reveals mobile pricing and packaging
US broadband operator Midco has officially launched its mobile service, Midco Mobile, covering approximately 1.2 million households across five states including Kansas. Plans include an unlimited plan at $30 per month (including 30 GB of high-speed data) and a pay-per-gigabyte plan at $15/GB, both requiring bundling with home broadband. The service runs on AT&T's network and is supported by MVNE partner Telgoo5.
11. Verizon powers reality show with private 5G, edge AI
Fox Entertainment, in partnership with Verizon, has used private 5G and edge AI technology to solve connectivity and post-production challenges during the filming of the second season of "Extracted". Private 5G provides zero-latency, high-bandwidth coverage in remote areas, while edge AI uses computer vision to automatically identify and tag over 100,000 hours of footage, improving production efficiency. This model can be extended to large-scale events, concerts, and other scenarios.
12. Research finds SIM-based intelligence reduces churn
Research conducted by Chetan Sharma Consulting for Simphonic has found that SIM-based, on-device quality of experience telemetry data can fill blind spots in network operations and maintenance. Analysis of 4,679 real-world events showed that 40.5% of negative experiences (loss of connectivity, call failures, etc.) are not captured by traditional KPIs, and 59.4% occur in users' home locations. The study introduces the Customer Experience Index (CEI) to predict churn risk, helping operators automate interventions and optimise capital expenditure.
13. AT&T convergence strategy resonates in Q1
AT&T's first-quarter earnings showed 292,000 new fibre subscribers and 292,000 new fixed wireless access (Internet Air) subscribers, for a total of 584,000 new broadband subscribers, a first-quarter record. Wireless postpaid phone net additions were 294,000, beating expectations. Approximately 42% of home internet subscribers also choose AT&T wireless services, with the convergence strategy effectively reducing churn. The company is accelerating its exit from inefficient copper networks.
14. Verizon adds slicing on SA 5G devices for first responders
Verizon has extended its Frontline network slicing to compatible laptops, tablets, and smartphones, providing dedicated 5G standalone connectivity for emergency responders. The slice ensures critical communication performance is unaffected by public traffic in congested environments and requires devices to support 5G SA. T-Mobile US and AT&T have previously deployed similar technologies in the public safety sector.
15. AI-native 6G will converge connectivity, compute and sensing
Qualcomm is designing 6G as an end-to-end intelligent platform that converges connectivity, compute, sensing, and AI, enabling new applications such as integrated sensing and communications, digital twins, physical AI, and personal agents. 6G is no longer just a generational upgrade but the construction of an AI-driven reasoning architecture connecting the cloud, network edge, and intelligent devices, with commercialisation expected by the end of 2029.
16. For 6G spectrum allocation, the clock is ticking
Qualcomm is calling for the United States to allocate at least 600 MHz of full-power mid-band spectrum for 6G commercialisation by 2029 to address the surge in traffic driven by AI, XR, and mobile video. Spectrum planning requires global coordination, with the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference being a key milestone. Challenges to spectrum availability currently exist in bands such as 2.7-2.9 GHz and 4.4-4.9 GHz.
17. The 6G experience — always-on, ambient AI
Qualcomm believes that in the 6G era, smartphones will evolve into AI orchestrators, supporting multi-device, always-on ambient intelligence experiences. By converging connectivity, compute, and sensing, 6G will enable new interactions such as natural language and video input, requiring greater uplink capacity and spectrum resources. Pre-commercial devices are expected around 2028, with early network deployments beginning in 2029.
18. Qualcomm sees 6G ISAC as both a network efficiency tool and a new service platform
Qualcomm sees Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) in 6G as capable of using existing base station hardware to achieve environmental awareness, improve spectrum and energy efficiency, and support new services such as drone detection and digital twins. By sharing waveforms and processing resources, ISAC can achieve network energy savings of more than 20% and device energy savings of more than 50% without increasing latency, becoming a new revenue source for operators.
19. Qualcomm is working to turn 6G ambition into commercial reality
Qualcomm is driving 6G commercialisation by 2029, with 2026 being a key year for system alignment with partners including Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung. The company has already conducted prototype validation of base stations and devices, supporting 400 MHz bandwidth and uplink coverage enhancement, using an AI-native design. Pre-commercial demonstrations are expected in 2028, with global deployment from 2029 onwards.