Catherine Sbeglia Nin
In Spain, MasOrange has fired the opening shot in the battle for 5G Standalone voice, launching the country’s first VoNR service to deliver sharper audio, lower latency, and more capacity. In China, Alibaba’s AI chips are powering a $390 million China Unicom data center, staking a claim in the global silicon wars. Korea joins the fray as SK Telecom partners exclusively with OpenAI, positioning itself as a key provider of consumer AI services.
Looking ahead, analyst Vish Nandlall dissects the 6G ecosystem battleground, arguing the real fights will unfold in standards, spectrum, and trust — not just physical layers. On the enterprise side, Kelly Hill explores digital trust, warning that while AI adoption surges, users are increasingly willing to pay for safe and transparent environments.
Other stories include: U.S. regulators have settled a long-running spectrum fight by holding the line on 6 GHz for Wi-Fi; Kigen highlights the uneven battles of eSIM innovation in IoT, operators face a forced rethink of core strategies following Affirmed Networks’ sunset, and Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly curating a “secret list” of elite AI talent — a reminder that the race for brains may be as decisive as the race for spectrum. From new architectures to new alliances, these stories capture a sector at once consolidating and branching out.
Whether it’s 5G, 6G, AI, or IoT, the through-line is clear: The stakes for trust, talent, and technology have never been higher.
Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Managing Editor
RCR Wireless News
RCR Top 5
Spain’s first VoNR offering: MasOrange has become the first Spanish operator to launch VoNR, a 5G Standalone–based voice service, promising higher audio quality, lower latency, and improved capacity in busy urban environments.
Alibaba chips power China Unicom: Alibaba has secured China Unicom as a major customer for its AI chips, with the operator’s $390 million Qinghai data center now powered by tens of thousands of locally developed processors.
SKT becomes OpenAI’s Korean partner: SK Telecom has become OpenAI’s exclusive B2C partner in Korea, launching a ChatGPT Plus promotion while expanding AI infrastructure and partnerships.
The 6G ecosystem battleground: As 3G–5G saturate markets, the 6G era’s real battles will unfold in standards, spectrum, trust, and ecosystem value. This article from analyst Vish Nandlall reveals who’s innovating — and who may dominate.
AI, trust, and paying a premium: Enterprises want to adopt AI, but the unexpected risks and consequences are becoming clearer. It is also becoming clear that people who can, will pay for an online environment they can trust.
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Beyond the Headlines
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 model.
Sponsored U.S. holds 6 GHz for Wi-Fi: U.S. policy still preserves the full 1200 megahertz of 6 GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi. No reallocation to cellular. This stability fuels Wi-Fi 6E/7’s momentum in speed, capacity, and innovation.
Cellular IoT finds its groove: Kigen’s webinar on smart metering explores how eSIM is reshaping IoT and highlights uneven innovation, standardization, and commercialization, while showing how eSIM delivers flexibility and simplicity.
Transitioning from Affirmed Networks: With 5G adoption surging, operators need agile, scalable cores. Affirmed Networks’ platform shutdown brings challenges and opportunities, pushing telecoms to modernize their strategies.
Zuckerberg’s ‘secret list’: Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg is compiling a “secret list” of elite AI talent — signaling how top CEOs are tracking researchers and creators, shaping industry power, future careers, and the global AI race.
What We're Reading
Pessimism, optimism and Cloudflare’s CEO: Cloudflare’s co-founder and CEO gets into the history of the internet, digital security, and three possible outcomes for the future of the internet: Nihilistic, Black Mirror, and OTT marketplace.
Gaza hit by telecoms blackout: Internet and phone networks across Gaza go dark as Israeli tanks push into strategic city neighborhoods. Power shuts down, tanks advance, residents fear escalation and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Charter challenge fails, AT&T prevails: After a Charter challenge, BBB’s National Advertising Division ruled AT&T substantiated its “AT&T Guarantee” in ads, which promise relief for customers facing internet or wireless outages.
Declining service in Cameroon: Cameroonian regulators have moved on shrinking telecom quality: MTN and Orange have been urged to explain frequent outages, slow internet, and call failures.
Japanese carriers raise rates: Japanese telecom carriers are quietly raising mobile plan prices after years of government-led rate cuts. As costs soar, carriers are improving network quality and bundling services to ease the transition.
Bouygues, Crédit Mutuel extend tie-up: Bouygues Telecom and French banking group, Crédit Mutuel, have extended their partnership to 2030, rolling out fiber and 5G through 4,000 branches to deliver affordable telecom solutions.
NATO taps 5G: NATO’s Antonio Calderon outlined how a multinational 5G initiative is laying groundwork for interoperable military-civilian communications, boosting security, interoperability, and future-proof connectivity.
AI reshapes software testing: Applause’s 2025 State of Digital Quality report finds AI reshaping functional testing, while human oversight remains crucial, with teams prioritizing early feedback, defect prevention, and stronger quality metrics.
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