A new report from Nvidia makes it clear that AI spending in telecom is accelerating, with the vast majority of operators reporting revenue gains or cost reductions from AI deployments and nearly nine in 10 planning to increase AI investment in 2026. Network automation remains a central focus, as carriers look to translate AI pilots into measurable operational impact.
But the bigger story is how the industry is moving beyond generative AI productivity tools toward agentic systems designed to take action across networks, IT systems, and customer workflows. That shift is reflected in a new partnership between Ericsson and Mistral AI, which targets legacy code migration, AI-assisted 6G research, and autonomous agents to support complex engineering processes.
As Chetan Sharma, CEO of Chetan Sharma Consulting, put it: “Generative AI delivered fast productivity gains, but agentic AI is where telecoms begin to see structural ROI.”
Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Managing Editor
RCR Wireless News
RCR Top Stories
Telco AI spending spike: Nvidia has released its annual “State of AI in Telecommunications” report, highlighting one major point: Telcos are spending more on AI.
Telecom beyond gen AI: Telecom’s AI strategy is evolving from productivity tools to autonomous agents. A new partnership between Ericsson and Mistral AI fits right in, targeting code migration, network automation, and faster decision-making.
India AI Impact Summit: The final day of the India AI Impact Summit mixed protest and policy, as Sam Altman urged urgent global AI regulation, democratization and international oversight amid soaring infrastructure pledges.
Samsung deepens Canada footprint: Samsung will deploy a cloud-native 5G NSA and LTE core Gateway for Videotron, extending their RAN partnership and reinforcing Samsung’s position in Canada’s evolving telecom infrastructure market.
Humain gains SpaceX equity: Humain has invested $3 billion in xAI’s Series E round ahead of its acquisition by SpaceX, converting its stake into SpaceX equity and expanding a 500 MW AI infrastructure partnership in Saudi Arabia.
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Beyond the Headlines
Network APIs need AI agents: Telefónica’s Alex Harmand says agentic AI protocols could move Open Gateway beyond static APIs, enabling intent-driven fraud prevention workflows if governance, trust, and privacy controls are addressed.
6G Isn’t the answer: One of the most persistent challenges in mobile networks remains unresolved: Reliable indoor connectivity. Is 6G the answer? According to Helium Mobile’s Mario Di Dio, it’s not — but Wi-Fi offload might be.
Swift satellite approval: The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee has passed a bipartisan bill to allow speedy approval of satellites and other space applications by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Telco cloud lessons: Telefónica Germany CTIO Mallik Rao says cloud-native networking demands more than new technology — it requires cultural disruption, legacy shakeups, and scaling public cloud workloads from core to edge.
Building global smartphones: Moving beyond regional SKUs could reshape mobile radio design, certification models, and global user experience, as device makers push toward truly global and interoperable smartphones.
What We're Reading
SA 5G for IoT: AT&T and Cisco are launching a 5G Standalone-native IoT platform that integrates AT&T’s nationwide 5G SA core with Cisco’s mobility services, enabling scalable network slicing and performance for enterprise IoT.
AI DC backlash in NJ: New Jersey lawmakers are raising alarms that the rapid growth of AI data centers could strain electricity supply and drive up residents’ power bills, as facilities operate around the clock and demand more energy.
U.S. pressure on Iran telecom: The U.S. government is imposing visa restrictions on 18 Iranian officials and telecom leaders in an effort to pressure Tehran, targeting figures the State Department views as harmful to U.S. interests.
MIMO tech for 6G: Samsung Electronics, with partners KT and Keysight, has verified eXtreme multiple-input multiple-output (X-MIMO) technology in the 7 GHz band — a key candidate frequency for future 6G networks.
Telstra’s “eye-watering” profit: Telstra has reported an 8% increase in profit to $1.21 billion for the first half of the financial year, supported by solid performance in its mobile business and workforce reductions.
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