China Mobile launches 6G smart application co-creation initiative
China Mobile launched a 6G smart application co-creation initiative at its Mobile Network Conference in Guangzhou on 6 November. Chief engineer Wang Xiaoyun said 6G will push uplink to Gbps levels, cut latency jitter to milliseconds and support dynamic grouping of agents, plus nearby computing and data services. The plan covers one 6G test facility, ten high-value scenario areas including networked robots and AI terminals, one hundred tasks and one thousand partners, backed by a RMB 1 billion research fund and a RMB 10 billion industry fund. Fewer than 30 months remain before the 6G standard freeze.
China Mobile tops 200,000 5G-A 3CC sites, unveils autonomic network white paper
China Mobile released its Autonomic Networks White Paper (2026 edition) on 6 November, outlining parallel evolution of terrestrial, space, international and converged networks. The operator has more than 3 million 5G base stations, with coverage above 97% of administrative villages and population, and over 200,000 sites running 5G-A three-carrier aggregation. Its fixed broadband network reaches more than 700 million households, including 580 million with gigabit capability, and it operates 17 submarine cables and more than 400 overseas PoPs. China Mobile said it will advance 10G PON demonstrations, direct-to-device satellite services and 6G trials.
Ericsson launches ISAC platform that can detect drones not connected to the network
Ericsson unveiled an Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) system for operators' 5G networks on 2 November, analysing reflected radio signals to detect and track micro drones kilometres away even when the targets are not connected to the network. The platform runs on existing sites, backhaul and spectrum and can pass tracking data to authorised security and command systems, with precise 3D positioning. Ericsson has committed USD 100 million to ISAC and plans sensing-only commercial pilots with selected customers in 2027, wider deployments in 2028 and integrated communication plus sensing as ISAC evolves toward 6G.
Telia and Ericsson begin upper 6GHz 6G outdoor trials in Sweden
Telia and Ericsson started outdoor 6G trials in Sweden on 2 November, using pre-standard equipment in the upper 6GHz band to assess coverage, signal performance, uplink capacity and reliability in one of the Nordic region's first over-the-air demonstrations of pre-standard 6G in that band. A memorandum of understanding expands their 6G research on AI, industrial automation, energy efficiency and network security, with autonomous transport, industrial robotics and critical-infrastructure monitoring as the first targets. Their NorthStar innovation programme aims to offer initial 6G capabilities to partners in 2029.
SpaceX taps Qualcomm to build Starlink Mobile's terrestrial 5G network
SpaceX has selected Qualcomm to supply radio and baseband technology for Starlink Mobile's US terrestrial 5G network, using Dragonwing QRU100 and QDU100 platforms with 64T64R massive MIMO radios. Deployment is due to start in 2027 across tens of thousands of sites, combining terrestrial infrastructure with satellite connectivity. Analysts said the deal shows SpaceX intends to build its own RAN, possibly along open architecture lines, but warned that limited spectrum and nationwide coverage remain the biggest challenges. SpaceX is in talks with tower companies for access to at least 80,000 sites.
VodafoneThree first to deploy Ericsson AIR 3266 massive MIMO in a live network
Ericsson said VodafoneThree has become the first operator to deploy its AIR 3266 massive MIMO radio in a live network, now in use in London as part of a 5G standalone upgrade that will see Ericsson equipment across more than 10,000 sites and the operator's core. The 16kg radio supports up to 400MHz of bandwidth, with at least 30% lower energy use and 50% less embodied carbon than earlier systems. VodafoneThree said the deployment advances its GBP 11 billion network investment and prepares it for AI-driven network optimisation.
Ethio Telecom and ZTE complete Ethiopia's first pre-commercial AI radio network
Ethio Telecom and ZTE completed Ethiopia's first pre-commercial AI-enabled radio access network on 4 November, combining FDD massive MIMO with ZTE's AIREngine intelligent beam scheduling. The companies said 4G capacity rose 11% and peak-hour user throughput improved 40% versus conventional networks without relying mainly on new sites. Ethio Telecom serves more than 90 million subscribers and is pursuing its Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028 strategy. Neither firm disclosed the number of sites involved, a commercial timeline or independently verified results.
1Finity launches AI-native vRAN stack running on shared Nvidia GPUs
1Finity, a Fujitsu company, launched a full-stack AI-native vRAN offering on 4 November that lets operators run 5G radio processing and enterprise AI workloads on shared Nvidia GPU infrastructure. The package combines its Open vRAN software and O-RAN radios with Nvidia AI Aerial, QCT and Supermicro servers, Armada orchestration and Aible no-code AI agents, supporting private 5G, GPU-as-a-Service and AI-as-a-Service business models. The company did not disclose cost savings or customer deployment figures.
Ericsson moves mmWave radio production from the US to Estonia
Ericsson has stopped making millimetre wave radios at its 5G smart factory in Lewisville, Texas, and consolidated production at its site in Estonia, Light Reading reported on 6 November. Ericsson described it as a production-footprint decision and not a discontinuation of its mmWave portfolio. The USD 150 million factory opened in 2020 with about 500 staff, and mmWave radios were its first products, with Verizon the first customer. Analysts said the move reflects cooling US demand for mmWave and frees capacity for other high-volume radios for the US market.
u-blox samples low-power Wi-Fi 6E module for constrained IoT devices
u-blox unveiled the Alma-W1 Wi-Fi module for power- and size-constrained IoT devices on 3 November, supporting Wi-Fi 6 and 6E alongside Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4 radios. It is built on Nordic Semiconductor's nRF7120 and nRF7120E chips and includes a neural processing unit so AI applications can run at the edge. Target uses include healthcare, smart home, industrial automation, robotics and drones. The company is supplying initial samples to a small group of customers and preparing to broaden sampling.
LoRa Alliance brings satellite LoRaWAN metering to Enlit Europe in Vienna
The LoRa Alliance will host a pavilion at Enlit Europe in Vienna on 10-12 November, focusing on utility digitalisation beyond metering, with members showcasing solutions built on the fourth-generation LoRa platform. Satellite LoRaWAN is emerging as the main coverage-gap fix: the satellite meter interface unit developed by Lacuna Space and ZENNER has the antenna integrated into the pit lid, is being trialled through 2026 with volume planned for 2027, and can switch between terrestrial and satellite networks for water and gas meters and network monitoring.