MIIT accelerates phase-2 6G trials, 5G base stations reach 5.1 million
On July 20, China's MIIT announced it has approved 6GHz band trial licenses and is accelerating phase-2 6G technology tests. As of end-June, China had 5.102 million 5G base stations, 32.86 million 10G PON ports, 5G-A networks covering 330+ cities, and intelligent computing power reaching 2,185 EFLOPS, up 177% year-on-year.
China to accelerate next-gen communications network with space-air-ground-sea coverage
On July 21, MIIT outlined plans for a next-generation communications network with four key shifts: expanding connectivity from people to machines and embodied AI; extending coverage from terrestrial to integrated space-air-ground-sea domains; achieving deterministic performance; and evolving from pure transmission to converged communications, sensing, computing, intelligence and security.
AT&T and Ericsson use standard 5G towers to detect drones
On July 24, AT&T and Ericsson developed a drone detection system using 5G network sensing on standard base stations. The system tracks unconnected drones by analyzing RF signature changes without requiring additional radar equipment, targeting low-altitude security monitoring at airports and critical infrastructure.
FCC approves upper C-band auction rules, eyes 2.7GHz band
On July 23, the FCC formally approved rules for the upper C-band spectrum auction and added the 2.7GHz band to future planning. The upper C-band is a critical mid-band resource for 5G and future 6G, with the auction scheduled for July 2027.
Rakuten Mobile expands O-RAN deployment with 1Finity radios
On July 21, Rakuten Mobile announced expanded O-RAN deployment using 1Finity radio equipment to strengthen network performance over the next two years. As the world's first fully virtualized cloud-native mobile network operator, Rakuten continues advancing the multi-vendor Open RAN ecosystem.
US spectrum supercycle begins: multiple band auctions ahead
On July 24, analysts noted the US is entering a spectrum supercycle. Beyond the July 2027 upper C-band auction, the FCC plans a 2.7GHz auction in 2028. Spectrum availability in the coming years will be several times that of the past five years.
Zain KSA launches Saudi Arabia's first commercial 5G-A network
On July 24, Saudi operator Zain KSA commenced rollout of the kingdom's first commercial 5G-Advanced network, launching initially in Riyadh and Jeddah. The milestone marks 5G-A commercialization in the Middle East.
Viettel becomes Qualcomm's first global 6G Early Access partner
On July 24, Vietnamese telco Viettel announced it has become Qualcomm's first global partner for the 6G Early Access program, expanding collaboration across 6G, AI, data center technologies and advanced digital products.
Logicalis launches Ireland's first enterprise Private 5G service
On July 23, Logicalis launched Ireland's first enterprise Private 5G service with an 8 million euro investment. Following ComReg's opening of dedicated enterprise 5G spectrum, Logicalis became Ireland's first digital infrastructure specialist capable of designing, deploying and managing private 5G networks at scale.
Vodafone Albania and Nokia demo 5G network slicing with intelligent scheduling
On July 21, Vodafone Albania and Nokia demonstrated AI-driven 5G network slicing on a 5G SA network, enabling dynamic creation of dedicated slices that autonomously optimize resource allocation based on traffic levels and weather data for emergencies, large events and demand spikes.
LoRa industry enters golden window: 23 Chinese provinces issue policies, global devices hit 125M
In July, industry data showed LoRaWAN entering a scaled deployment surge. 23 Chinese provincial-level regions have issued dedicated LoRa implementation plans. Global LoRaWAN deployments reached 125 million devices with 25% CAGR. The LoRa Alliance's 2026-2028 roadmap focuses on cross-network migration and satellite discovery enhancements.