During the period from April 7th to 13th, 2026, the following international news occurred:
1. China shifts 5G focus to monetization and enterprise growth
As China's 5G market approaches saturation, operators are shifting their focus from user growth to revenue monetization. Enterprise services, industrial internet, IoT, and premium user experience have become key drivers of high-value growth. Policy-supported administrative spectrum allocation and network sharing have reduced costs, helping operators increase ARPU through differentiated services.
2. ZTE targets 5G monetization shift with AI-driven service platform
At MWC 2026, ZTE launched an AI-driven "Telco Service Agent" platform that enables users to request 5G network performance guarantees using natural language. The platform integrates directly with the 5G core network to achieve end-to-end automation and dynamic resource allocation, helping operators shift from traditional connectivity services to a differentiated monetization model based on "experience as a service."
3. India's Vodafone Idea and BSNL eye infrastructure sharing to stay competitive
India's third-largest operator, Vodafone Idea, and state-owned BSNL are in talks to share towers, fiber, and spectrum to reduce capital expenditure, expand coverage, and accelerate 5G deployment. This move could help create a third competitive force against the market duopoly, but differences in corporate culture and operational models between the two companies remain a challenge for cooperation.
4. India's Tejas eyes 5G turnaround at home and abroad
With support from the Tata Group and the government, India's Tejas Networks is transitioning from 4G to 5G. Despite facing order fluctuations and losses, the company is increasing R&D investment, targeting BSNL's 5G upgrade at home and overseas markets. Tejas aims to compete with Ericsson and Nokia in the global RAN market through open standards and cost advantages.
5. Eurobites: Ericsson, Du extend themselves on FWA
Ericsson and UAE's du have successfully trialed 5G millimeter wave range extension technology, enhancing multi-gigabit speeds and coverage for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to support high-demand applications and residential coverage, contributing to the UAE's "Vision 2021" digital transformation. Other European news includes Telefónica's sale of its Mexican business.
6. Proximus claims first 5G SA network in Belgium
Belgian operator Proximus has launched the country's first 5G Standalone (5G SA) network, enabling end-to-end network slicing and VoNR capabilities. The initial rollout targets enterprise users, with nationwide coverage expected by the end of 2026. Currently, only 2.8% of 5G connections in Europe use SA architecture, making Belgium's deployment an important step in Europe's 5G evolution.
7. Open Interfaces, Smarter Networks: The O-RAN Advantage for Indoor Deployments
Through open interfaces, virtualized platforms, and RAN Intelligent Controllers (RICs), O-RAN offers flexible, efficient, and low-cost solutions for indoor network deployments. It reduces power consumption and space requirements, supports multi-vendor interoperability and dynamic resource allocation, and helps operators build upgradeable, sustainable future indoor wireless networks.
8. Cool heads, big plans – AT&T ties private 5G to AI grid
AT&T takes a pragmatic view of private 5G, noting that while it has not yet achieved expected revenue growth, it remains a critical capability for indoor enterprise coverage and data localization. The company is pursuing a dual-supplier strategy and promoting the integration of private 5G with edge AI and an "AI grid" as the next phase of IoT evolution, providing enterprises with network-centric AI capabilities.
9. SBA Communications is on the block – report
According to Bloomberg, US tower operator SBA Communications is considering a sale after receiving acquisition interest from a large infrastructure fund, with the company valued at approximately $37 billion. SBA had previously sued Dish Wireless over contract disputes, with similar lawsuits also involving multiple tower companies including American Tower.
10. NHL opens Verizon tech innovation lab
The National Hockey League (NHL) and Verizon have established a technology innovation lab at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, leveraging Verizon's private 5G network and cloud interconnect to provide low-latency, high-bandwidth real-time data analytics and digital workflow support for player performance, event operations, broadcasting, and fan experience.
11. T-Mobile US readies AI Live Translation trial
T-Mobile US is preparing to trial a real-time translation service based on its 5G Standalone core and agentic AI platform, supporting cross-operator and global roaming calls without relying on specific hardware or software. The service runs natively on the network core and has already attracted a large number of user registrations, with plans to further optimize using small language models in the future.
12. Nvidia-backed Marvell pitches one chip to rule the RAN
Nvidia-backed Marvell has proposed developing a universal custom chip for the 5G RAN market (excluding China) to replace single-vendor proprietary solutions. The move aims to balance performance and cost in response to competition from Intel CPUs and Nvidia GPUs. Currently, Ericsson remains committed to in-house development, while Nokia is transitioning to general-purpose hardware.
13. Samsung Networks boss wonders if AI-RAN is too hot to handle
Samsung Networks CEO Woojune Kim stated that Nvidia GPUs currently have excessively high power consumption and cost, making them difficult to deploy at scale in base stations. He believes GPUs are only valuable in hotspot areas such as stadiums, while suburban scenarios do not require their use. Samsung prefers general-purpose platforms such as Intel CPUs and notes that GPUs need to achieve low cost and low power consumption to be used in mobile networks.
14. Movistar set for rapid sale and integration, as Telefónica quits Mexico
OXIO is leading the acquisition of Telefónica's Mexican Movistar operations. The transaction is expected to receive regulatory approval within 4-9 months, followed by a SIM-free over-the-air migration of over 20 million users within four months. OXIO will leverage an AI-driven telecommunications-as-a-service cloud platform to achieve network optimization and new service monetization.