During the period from January 8th to 14th, 2026, the following international news occurred:
1. China ends November with 4.83 million 5G sites
Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that by the end of November 2025, the total number of 5G base stations in China reached 4.83 million. The number of 5G mobile phone users reached 1.19 billion, accounting for 65.3% of mobile phone users. In the first eleven months of 2025, telecommunications service revenue accumulated to 1.61 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 0.9%. Investment in network infrastructure continues to support the growth of data traffic, with construction of 5G, gigabit optical networks, and the Internet of Things progressing steadily. 5G-Advanced networks have been deployed in over 300 cities, supporting mobile data traffic growth and facilitating communication network upgrades.
2. India adds over 4,000 new 5G sites in December
By the end of December 2025, the total number of 5G base stations across India reached 518,854, with 4,112 new sites added that month, representing a slowdown in growth compared to the previous month. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab led in new deployments. Meanwhile, the state-owned operator BSNL plans to add approximately 23,000 new 4G sites, which can be upgraded to 5G in the future, and is exploring revenue-sharing models with private enterprises. Its 5G upgrade will fully adopt a domestic technology stack.
3. SoftBank, Ericsson and Qualcomm trial 5G and 5G-A
Japan's SoftBank, Ericsson, and Qualcomm jointly completed trials of 5G and 5G-Advanced low-latency technologies on a commercial 5G standalone network in Tokyo. The tests utilized features such as L4S and uplink preconfigured grants, achieving a reduction in wireless link latency of approximately 90% in a smart glasses XR streaming application scenario compared to scenarios without these technologies. The trial also used network slicing technology to isolate advanced 5G functions to test devices, demonstrating the potential for optimizing network performance for real-time applications like XR.
4. How India's telecom market quietly became a duopoly in 2025
In 2025, India's telecom market has quietly evolved into a duopoly dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Together they hold nearly 75% of the wireless market share and lead the development of 5G and FWA services, driving continuous ARPU growth. Vodafone Idea is experiencing user attrition and financial constraints, while BSNL has yet to launch commercial 5G. While this consolidation has stabilized the industry, it may also weaken user choice and intensify regulatory scrutiny over market power.
5. Can India run 'entirely on 5G' by end of 2026?
Although India's 5G network already covers 99.9% of districts with 394 million users, achieving "complete 5Gization" by the end of 2026 is unrealistic. 4G and 2G networks still provide critical coverage and voice fallback services, and a large number of feature phone users rely on traditional networks. The state-owned operator BSNL's 5G service has not yet launched. Additionally, 5G data traffic is expected to surpass 4G only in the first quarter of 2026. India still requires the coexistence of multiple generations of network technologies to meet diverse needs.
6. Airspan deal with Rakuten is a small boost for US open RAN
US Open RAN supplier Airspan, after completing bankruptcy restructuring, recently secured an order from Rakuten Mobile to supply radio units for approximately 5,000 outdoor macro sites in Japan. Airspan had previously received a $42.7 million grant from the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration for the R&D and testing of this RU. This deal is seen as a positive development for the US Open RAN industry, but Airspan still needs to secure larger-scale orders from traditional operators for long-term sustainability.
7. Telecom Italia and Fastweb+Vodafone to share 5G networks
Telecom Italia and Fastweb+Vodafone have reached a preliminary agreement to share their 5G Radio Access Networks, planning to co-build 15,500 sites covering ten regions with populations under 35,000 by the end of 2028. This move aims to avoid duplication of infrastructure and accelerate 5G deployment in low-density and underserved areas. The agreement is expected to be finalized in Q2 2026, pending regulatory approval. This marks another significant network collaboration in the Italian telecom market, following the joint network venture between WindTre and Iliad.
8. 1&1 hails 5G network momentum, but challenges beckon in 2026
German operator 1&1 achieved the regulatory targets of migrating all users to its own network and reaching 25% household coverage by the end of 2025, but its 5G network construction still faces challenges. Germany's regulatory authority is considering restarting the 5G spectrum allocation process due to the 2019 spectrum auction rules being ruled unlawful, creating uncertainty for the four major operators. Meanwhile, reports suggest that 1&1 and Telefónica are exploring closer cooperation or even a merger possibility, potentially changing the landscape of the German telecom market.
9. FCC sets vote to 'supercharge' Wi-Fi for connected wearables
The Chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission announced that a vote will be held on January 29 to expand unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band, planning to add a new device category called "Geo-fenced Variable Power." GVP devices can operate at higher power outdoors, aimed at supporting applications such as AR/VR glasses, wearable devices, and short-range hotspots, using an integrated database to manage power and avoid interference with existing licensed services. Technology companies like Apple and Meta have expressed support, believing this move will drive innovation in next-generation wireless devices.
10. EchoStar-SpaceX deal will create spectrum 'dead zone,' warns Liberty LatAm
Regarding the EchoStar-SpaceX spectrum sale deal, Liberty Latin America has objected to the FCC, arguing that it will render the spectrum unusable for terrestrial 5G networks, leaving the spectrum resources it previously purchased from EchoStar for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands "stranded," creating a spectrum "dead zone." Other organizations, such as WIA, have requested EchoStar to ensure its subsidiary Dish Wireless fulfills its contractual obligations to infrastructure suppliers. Some organizations, while not opposing the deal, have also urged the FCC to carefully evaluate its impact on market competition.
11. Fragile Samsung deal with Marvell shows challenge for RAN chipmakers
Marvell, which supplies dedicated chips for Samsung's traditional RAN equipment, is facing challenges of high development costs and a limited market size. With the RAN market shrinking and Samsung's own sales declining, coupled with vendors like Nokia shifting to general-purpose processors, Marvell has raised doubts about the economic feasibility of continuing to invest in custom chips. Although Samsung claims its cooperation with Marvell is proceeding as usual, it has begun exploring alternatives, including in-house development. If Marvell withdraws, it will further squeeze the supply options for dedicated RAN chips.
12. 'Forced sale' of spectrum renders tower space 'unusable' – Dish Wireless
Dish Wireless, in its response to a lawsuit from American Tower Corporation, argued that due to its parent company EchoStar being "forced" to sell spectrum under FCC investigation pressure, it cannot continue to use tower space and should therefore be exempt from payment obligations under its long-term tower lease contracts. Dish contends that the FCC's regulatory actions constitute force majeure, making contract performance impossible or impracticable. American Tower Corporation maintains that the contracts remain valid and views the spectrum sale as EchoStar's voluntary business decision. Similar disputes also involve another tower company, Crown Castle.
13. Solace Power and NetComm announce first wireless, window-mounted 5G home solution
Solace Power and NetComm have collaborated to launch the world's first wirelessly powered, window-mounted outdoor 5G FWA customer premise equipment. The device combines Solace's "Through Glass Wireless Power" technology with NetComm's AurusLINK 5G CPE, eliminating the need for drilling, wiring, or external power sources. It supports about 98% of residential window glass types, aiming to address signal attenuation caused by modern window coatings indoors, enabling self-installation by users and thereby improving FWA deployment efficiency and performance. Operator evaluations are expected to begin in 2026.
14. Wi-Fi Alliance move brings Wi-Fi 7 features to 20 MHz-only devices
The Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced Wi-Fi 7 certification for devices supporting only 20 MHz bandwidth channels. This initiative aims to extend Wi-Fi 7's core features such as Multi-Link Operation, 4096-QAM modulation, and MU-MIMO to low-power devices like sensors, wearables, and industrial IoT terminals, enhancing their connection reliability, energy efficiency, and latency performance. This is expected to promote the adoption of Wi-Fi 7 in a broader range of IoT and consumer markets.
15. No one in the real world cares about 5G standalone
Although global 5G standalone connections surged to nearly 1.7 billion in 2025, accounting for 58% of total 5G users, operators have not been able to effectively monetize it in the consumer market. For example, BT in the UK offers 5G SA as a free add-on to existing plans without generating additional mobile service revenue. Industry insiders point out that the core value of SA lies in the enterprise market and capabilities like network slicing, but so far it has not spawned new high-revenue applications. Moreover, its advantages are not obvious compared to fiber and Wi-Fi, raising questions about the return on investment for 5G.