Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Enhanced connectivity is stretching in every direction — underground, pole-to-pole, across national markets, and into Europe’s broader technology ambitions.
In mining, Newmont has emerged as both the world’s largest gold producer and a surprising pioneer in industrial private 5G. Partnering with Ericsson, it has designed a scalable model for private networks that can be deployed across its global portfolio, transforming safety, automation, and productivity at some of the world’s most challenging sites. “We needed more, and we needed it everywhere,” Newmont’s Networks Director Chris Twaddle says of 5G in an exclusive conversation with RCR‘s James Blackman.
At the other extreme, Iridium Communications and Deutsche Telekom are linking terrestrial and satellite networks to provide “pole-to-pole” IoT coverage. Their forthcoming integration of Iridium’s 5G non-terrestrial service with DT’s global IoT footprint promises seamless NB-IoT roaming for logistics, agriculture, emergency response, and utilities — even in remote or extreme environments.
In other news: Virgin Media O2 is accelerating its standalone 5G buildout, now reaching 70% of the U.K. population across 500 towns and cities; Google is deepening its U.K. footprint with a £5 billion data center in Waltham Cross to bolster AI infrastructure, run on clean energy secured through Shell, and support both job creation and digital skills training; and in the policy sphere, Europe is weighing how to advance “AI sovereignty.” Analyst Vish Nandlall warns that calculated moves toward independence in AI infrastructure and governance will shape the region’s competitiveness but also test its ability to balance regulation with innovation.
Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Managing Editor
RCR Wireless News
RCR Top 5
Flagship 5G mine: Newmont is the world’s leading gold company, and the leading industrial private 5G operator in the mining sector. Here, its networks director, Chris Twaddle, gives a blow-by-blow account of how it developed a private 5G mod\el.
‘Pole-to-pole’ IoT: Iridium and DT have partnered to deliver pole-to-pole IoT coverage by combining Iridium’s 5G non-terrestrial network with DT’s terrestrial infrastructure, enabling global NB-IoT roaming.
O2 boosts 5G SA: Virgin Media O2 has extended its 5G SA network to 500 U.K. towns and cities, now covering 70% of the population and paving the way for new digital applications and services.
Google’s £5bn UK bet: Google has opened a new £5 billion data center in Waltham Cross, boosting U.K. AI capacity, securing clean energy with Shell, and supporting job creation and digital skills across the country.
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Beyond the Headlines
Capex stabilizes, not collapses: Global telecom capex has steadied after years of decline, Dell’Oro Group reports as spending shifts toward capacity, efficiency and automation with capital intensity forecast to normalize at 15% by 2029.
Operators advancing on 5G-Advanced: These six global operators are pushing forward with key 5G-Advanced priorities — multi-carrier operations, multicast, advanced MIMO, NTN integration, and RedCap.
Key trends in private 5G: Private 5G is evolving: Enterprises want simpler, lower-cost deployments with automation, lighter cores, clearly defined KPIs, and use cases beyond manufacturing to deliver faster ROI and more satisfied teams.
Open API challenges in telecom: As telcos open up cloud-native networks, they must navigate issues around complex API/aggregator chains, delivering promised network capabilities, and ensuring security and reliable performance.
Timing & synchronization testing: In dynamic 5G and Open RAN networks, precise timing in the field is critical: Lab assumptions break down, synchronization errors ripple, and testing for timing accuracy becomes essential.
What We're Reading
MediaTek hits 2nm milestone: MediaTek, in partnership with TSMC, has developed an N2P-process SoC using 2nm tech — promising 18% more performance, 36% less power, and higher logic density. Chips expected late 2026.
Nokia hires Intel exec: Nokia taps Intel AI/data center head Justin Hotard as incoming CEO—signalling a sharper push into AI, data center infrastructure, and cloud-scale operations as markets demand more than just telecom hardware.
Pharma AI goes west: After pharma firms Merck and AstraZeneca both scrapped big R&D plans for U.K. investments in AI factories, the U.K.’s own GSK has announced it will invest $30B in the U.S. instead.
Securing AI everywhere: U.S.-based CrowdStrike’s acquisition of cybersecurity startup Pangea sends a the message that security must evolve with AI itself. CrowdStrike is positioning AI trust and governance as foundationional.
Cognizant on SLMs: Global IT services outfit Cognizant talks small language models as cost-efficient, domain-specific, and secure alternatives to LLMs for faster and better enterprise AI to drive measurable ROI and accelerate digital change.
Agentic AI in banks: Seventy percent of banks are deploying or piloting agentic AI for fraud detection, security, and customer service — rendered as an advanced assistant, requiring human oversight.
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