During the period from August 19th to 25th, 2025, the following international news occurred:
1. Türk Telekom gets ready for 5G launch
Türk Telekom announced that 54% of its LTE base stations have been fiberized, laying the groundwork for 5G deployment. The company reported Q2 revenue of 50.4 billion lira (~$1.23 billion), with mobile subscribers reaching 28.5 million and a record net addition of 810,000 postpaid users in a single quarter. It expects to renew its 25-year concession this year and participate in Turkey’s upcoming 5G spectrum auction.
2. U Mobile lights up Malaysia's second 5G network
Malaysia’s U Mobile officially launched the country’s second 5G network, ULTRA5G, initially covering Kuala Lumpur’s Berjaya Times Square and the Penang Bridge. It plans to cover 80% of densely populated areas—including airports, hotels, and other high-traffic locations—by the second half of 2026. The network uses Huawei and ZTE equipment, breaking Digital Nasional Berhad’s (DNB) monopoly and ushering in a new era of 5G competition in Malaysia.
3. DT announces 5G cloud gaming team up with Nvidia
Deutsche Telekom partnered with NVIDIA to launch a 5G cloud gaming service based on GeForce NOW, leveraging 5G standalone architecture and network slicing to reduce latency. The service supports over 2,300 games, requires a MagentaMobil plan, and is compatible with devices like Samsung Galaxy. NVIDIA will upgrade the platform with Blackwell architecture in September to enhance graphics and responsiveness. This collaboration is Europe’s first optimized mobile cloud gaming service, targeting Germany’s 24.6 million mobile gamers.
4. 5G on Terraces, AI Below "Dragon’s Backbone": Carbon-Silicon Integration Empowers Rural Revitalization
Guangxi’s Longji Terraces in Guilin have undergone a digital transformation over two decades. China Mobile’s Guilin branch overcame topographic challenges to build over 500 4G/5G base stations, achieving full 5G coverage and enabling "5G + Smart Tourism" initiatives like "Cloud Tour of Longji" slow livestreams. Villagers’ per capita income increased nearly 300-fold, with household income averaging nearly ¥200,000. The area also established an AI research center below the terraces, blending agriculture and technology with China Mobile’s 5G support to explore tech-driven rural revitalization and future education, embodying "carbon-silicon integration."
5. BSNL to get capex push for network expansion
India’s Department of Telecommunications plans to allocate an additional ₹470 billion (~$5.38 billion) in capital expenditure to state-owned BSNL for network expansion. Over the past year, BSNL invested ₹250 billion to deploy 100,000 4G base stations, its highest annual capex. User ARPU ranges from ₹40–175, below private competitors. The company aims to launch 5G deployment after stabilizing its 4G network.
6. DNB gets capital injection by Malaysian carriers
Malaysia’s three major operators—CelcomDigi, Maxis, and YTL Power—injected an additional RM350 million (~$82.8 million) into national 5G wholesaler DNB, bringing total investments to over RM1 billion. The funds will support DNB’s operations and 5G deployment amid competition from U Mobile’s second network. DNB may require more funding, and Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance plans to sell its 41.67% stake by November 2025.
7. Telefonica reportedly renews 5G core deal with Huawei
Spain’s El País reported that Telefónica renewed a 5G core network management contract with Huawei, entrusting the vendor to manage its residential 5G core until 2030. The contract was signed in December 2024. Despite Telefónica’s earlier claims of reducing Huawei dependency and EU pressure to restrict "high-risk" vendors, Spain has not banned Huawei equipment. Currently, Ericsson manages the control plane of Telefónica’s 5G core, while the user plane is split between Nokia (enterprise customers) and Huawei (over 15 million residential users). Cost was a key factor in its choice of Huawei.
8. Maxis, China Mobile partner to launch MVNO in Malaysia
Malaysia’s Maxis signed an agreement with China Mobile International (CMI) to launch CMI’s MVNO service, CMLink, in Malaysia. The service will operate on Maxis’ nationwide 4G and 5G networks, targeting students and professionals traveling between China and Malaysia with features like multi-number SIM cards and cross-border data sharing. This marks CMI’s first MVNO launch in Malaysia, stemming from a 5G MoU signed in 2024. Maxis recently also partnered with Huawei to advance 5G-Advanced R&D.
9. SoftBank develops new AI architecture for 5G networks
Japan’s SoftBank developed a Transformer-based AI architecture for wireless RAN, achieving a 30% increase in 5G uplink throughput and reducing processing latency to 338 microseconds. The technology runs on GPUs, significantly outperforming traditional non-AI methods, and supports continuous upgrades via software updates. SoftBank stated that high-performance AI and GPUs are critical for 5G-Advanced and 6G, accelerating commercial deployment.
10. Bharti Hexacom shareholders approve tower sale to Indus
Shareholders of India’s Bharti Hexacom approved the sale of 3,400 telecom towers to Indus Towers for ₹11.34 billion. The deal is part of Indus Towers’ broader ₹33.087 billion acquisition plan, including 12,700 towers from Bharti Airtel. Minority shareholder TCIL initially blocked the transaction over valuation disputes, but 88.28% of shareholders ultimately voted in favor.