China Mobile and Qualcomm complete world-first U6G 6G prototype pairing test
China Mobile and Qualcomm announced on 20 September that they had completed the world's first pairing test between a 6G prototype base station and terminal prototype in the U6G band (6425-7125MHz) that complies with the latest 3GPP definitions, using the 6G open innovation trial platform. The test put a 400MHz downlink and 200MHz uplink ultra-wide channel, a 128-channel massive MIMO base station and a 6G terminal prototype into a single end-to-end link, marking 6G's move from research into systematic verification. The MIIT's 15th Five-Year Plan for ICT calls for the timely launch of 6G commercial service and cumulative information infrastructure investment of RMB 3.8 trillion by 2030; the industry expects commercial 6G around 2030.
Verizon seeks 4GHz trial spectrum to test 6G sensing use cases
Verizon has applied to the FCC for a one-year experimental licence to deploy a private network built on Ericsson equipment in the 4.8-4.9GHz band around its Los Angeles lab, within a five-kilometre radius, to demonstrate 5G-Advanced use cases such as object sensing as a precursor to 6G ISAC integration; Samsung equipment is also part of the application. The band sits within the 4GHz prime midband that the NTIA has identified for commercial repurposing. Verizon also added nine new members to its 6G Innovation Forum this week, including AWS, Intel and Nvidia, and applied to join the NTIA's Mission 6G 28 programme, targeting a 6G showcase at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Japan's four mobile operators team up to explore 28GHz mmWave 5G expansion
SoftBank, KDDI, NTT Docomo and Rakuten Mobile have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly explore ways to extend 28GHz millimetre-wave 5G coverage. mmWave can deliver solid high-speed connectivity over short distances, but it is easily degraded by physical obstacles and base stations cannot be deployed in sufficient numbers quickly enough, a challenge common to the industry. The four will study repeater equipment and shared base station architectures under a "transcending the boundaries" collaboration model, under which each operator can keep deploying its own mmWave gear while exploring effective forms of shared access to widen coverage at lower cost.
VodafoneThree and Ericsson switch on upgraded cloud-native 5G core
UK operator VodafoneThree and Ericsson have activated the operator's upgraded cloud-native 5G core network, a significant milestone in their SEK 12.5 billion (USD 1.3 billion) project. Ericsson is the sole vendor for the operator's core and holds a "significant majority" of its RAN share. The new core will underpin the SuperMobile slicing service launched earlier this month and forms the second phase of an GBP 11 billion network investment programme after the merger, following the integration of the two radio networks earlier this year, laying the foundation for slicing and AI-related service capabilities.
AT&T's Cricket launches 5G Home Internet FWA service
Cricket Wireless, AT&T's prepaid subsidiary, has launched Cricket 5G Home Internet, a fixed wireless access service running on the AT&T 5G network with unlimited data at USD 45 per month standalone. New customers can bundle wireless and home internet for USD 75 per month, while existing Cricket Wireless users can add home internet for USD 45 and save USD 15 monthly when bundling. The service carries no annual contract and all taxes are included in the monthly price, with self-setup in minutes through the myCricket app, taking AT&T's FWA push down into the prepaid market and sharpening price competition.
FCC chair targets over USD 100 billion from spectrum auctions
US FCC chair Brendan Carr has indicated the agency expects to raise more than USD 100 billion from a series of planned spectrum auctions over the next two years. The FCC voted two months ago to auction 160MHz of upper C-band spectrum by July 2027, and Carr outlined plans for three further auctions after that, with a goal of completing them all by end-2028. He said interest in spectrum now extends well beyond telecoms operators and that the upcoming auctions would generate fresh competition. The FCC is also preparing to release spectrum for the satellite industry and to modernise ultra-wideband rules, after kicking off its first auction in four years with 200 licences in June.
LTE Cat 1 bis dominates cellular IoT module shipments, up 15% in H1
Data from IoT Analytics shows cellular IoT module shipments rose 15% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, accelerating in the second quarter, even as memory component shortages hammered the smartphone sector. LTE Cat 1 bis dominated the market; RedCap and eRedCap modules are only just moving from roadmap into volume; and NB-IoT continues to slip from its peak in the first quarter of 2024. China remains the largest shipment market, while India posted the swiftest growth. Analysts cautioned that it is hard to tell whether the performance reflects genuine underlying demand or orders pulled forward by longer lead times and higher component costs.
Nokia expands AI-RAN programme to eight global operators
Nokia has expanded its AI-RAN programme to eight additional operators worldwide, combining Nokia anyRAN software with the NVIDIA Aerial RAN Computer and reporting spectral-efficiency improvements above earlier expectations. The programme brings AI inference into the radio access network for network optimisation and new services. The expansion marks a shift for AI-RAN from isolated trials towards larger-scale, multi-operator deployment.
Wi-Fi 8 commercial race heats up: Asus router ships, TP-Link launches in APAC
Asus's ROG Rapture GT-BN98 has become the first Wi-Fi 8 router sold in stores worldwide, launching in Canada on 4 September and arriving in France at the end of the month for EUR 899.99, with quad-band aggregate speeds of 30Gbps; the ZenWiFi BN12 mesh system follows in October. TP-Link launched its Wi-Fi 8 line at its APAC summit over the same period, claiming 30% higher throughput, 24% better interference handling and 15% stronger mesh performance than Wi-Fi 7, with the Archer 8 Ultra and Deco 8 Ultra already open for pre-order. Wi-Fi 8 targets stability in congested environments rather than peak speed, with the standard expected to be finalised in 2028.
Xplore connects first fibre customers in Newfoundland and Labrador
Canadian rural broadband operator Xplore has connected its first fibre internet customers in Newfoundland and Labrador, marking a new phase in its CAD 181 million fibre expansion, which includes CAD 92 million from the federal and provincial governments, and will bring high-speed fibre to 27,785 households and businesses across the province. The multi-year build will connect communities in phases, supporting remote work, online learning and digital healthcare. Xplore has previously advanced fibre and 5G builds in Alberta, Prince Edward Island and other provinces.
Semtech LoRa devices boost precision monitoring on Australian avocado farms
ICT International and Definium Technologies have deployed a sensor network based on Semtech LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN protocol on a large avocado farm in New South Wales, Australia. Soil moisture, sap flow and vapour-pressure deficit sensors plus weather stations monitor moisture movement inside the plants, matching the data to periods of excess fruit drop so growers can respond quickly and improve yields while cutting waste. The approach is said to be applicable to row cropping, vineyards, smart cities and mining; LoRaWAN networks have been deployed in 100 countries.