The big story today is AT&T’s nationwide 5G capacity boost, followed closely by Nokia’s new three-year deal with Telecom Italia to enhance and extend its 5G network capabilities — two moves that underscore a global network reality: Traffic is rising, performance expectations are tightening, and user demand is becoming more distributed than ever. AT&T’s upgrades across mmWave and the mid-band spectrum it acquire from EchoStar, has reportedly boosted the carrier’s 5G download speeds by as much as 80%.
Timed ahead of holiday travel, the upgrade shows how U.S. operators are reinforcing their networks not just for seasonal spikes, but for a 2026 environment defined by higher device density, more edge workloads, and AI-driven services pushing more intelligence into the radio layer. It’s a reminder that the industry’s near-term priorities, like capacity, coverage, and spectral efficiency, are foundational to everything that comes next.
And in other news, the first signals of what’s next are emerging as 5G investment ramps: NTT DOCOMO’s latest 6G and AI research milestones — from sub-THz tests to intelligent network automation — show Japan leaning into early next-generation architectures as global discussions accelerate.
Ultimately, the industry is fortifying its foundations — expanding capacity, diversifying spectrum, strengthening enterprise pathways — and preparing for whatever lies beyond 5G.
Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Managing Editor
RCR Wireless News
RCR Top Stories
Cross-border P5G: China Mobile International is positioning itself as an enabler of cross-border private 5G deployments, helping Chinese enterprises build advanced industrial networks overseas while supporting global manufacturers.
RAN market hits $8B: Omdia data shows a $8 billion global RAN market in Q3, stable excluding-China growth and consistent top-vendor positions across all major regions.
Enterprise connectivity rebounds: Dell’Oro Group Industry Analyst Sian Morgan joins RCR on an episode of Unmuted for a wide-ranging discussion on Wi-Fi, private wireless, and where enterprise investments are really headed.
U Mobile locks major loan: U Mobile has secured a loan from four major banks in Malaysia to support its nationwide 5G rollout, targeting 80% population coverage by late 2026 and expanding ULTRA5G services.
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Beyond the Headlines
Telcos are not tech companies: Telcos face a structural reality check: They can’t morph into tech giants just by branding it. Their network assets obey physics, not software economies — so strategy must shift, not mimic cloud models.
The post-chip era: Wafer-scale processors promise “data-centres in a box,” but defect rates, heat, and cost still make them a niche for now. The post-chip era may be coming, but not quite yet.
A ‘scrappier’ Verizon: Verizon will cut 15,000 jobs and shift roughly 200 stores to franchise operations, marking the company’s largest single-round restructuring as it pushes for leaner, more efficient operations.
The neocloud shift: Neoclouds are reshaping the AI landscape with GPU-focused architectures and transparent pricing, but hyperscalers still dominate. ABI Research explains how these challenger clouds are emerging.
Software-defined private 5G: Globalstar’s XCOM RAN brings a software-defined approach to the IT/OT challenge in Industry 4.0, via an open RAN private 5G with licensed spectrum and satellite comms.
What We're Reading
AT&T boosts 5G capacity: AT&T is expanding 5G capacity across key cities and high-traffic corridors, upgrading mid-band and mmWave assets to improve speed, reliability, and congestion management.
Nokia wins TIM 5G deal: Nokia has secured a major three-year agreement with Telecom Italia to expand 5G coverage and capacity nationwide, supporting the telco’s network modernization and energy-efficient RAN upgrades.
Ookla WISP report card: Ookla’s new WISP report shows fixed wireless providers improving speeds and consistency, but lagging fiber rivals. Spectrum constraints and rural coverage gaps remain central obstacles.
NTT DOCOMO 6G/AI R&D update: NTT DOCOMO has unveiled new 6G and AI research milestones, including advanced sub-THz trials and intelligent network automation, highlighting Japan’s ambition to accelerate its next-gen connectivity.
Russian telecom vendor hacked: Hackers have breached Russian telecom vendor PROTEI, exposing surveillance and interception data used by government agencies. The leak raises major security and geopolitical concerns.
ADIA to sell half its Ooredoo stake: Abu Dhabi’s ADIA plans to divest half its Ooredoo stake, reshaping Gulf telecom investment dynamics as regional operators consolidate assets and pursue digital diversification.
Samsung invests domesticlly: Samsung and other major South Korean manufacturers have announced new domestic investments. Samsung will add a Pyeongtaek chip line to meet rising AI-driven demand over the next five years.
Zenture adds Momentum: Zenture has partnered with Momentum to enhance global telecom lifecycle management, combining automation, procurement, and service visibility into a unified platform.
Yettel Serbia acquires 5G spectrum: Yettel Serbia has invested more than $100 million to secure 700 MHz, 2.6 GHz, and 3.6 GHz spectrum, accelerating its 5G rollout and strengthening nationwide capacity.
$140M for AI-networking chips: Celero has secured $140 million from CapitalG and other investors to scale its AI-networking chips, aiming to overcome bandwidth bottlenecks in modern data centers.
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Industry Resources
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The journey to a fully autonomous network – The evolution of network automation and how Amdocs is leading the way
