During the period from July 15th to 21th, 2025, the following international news occurred:
1. Vodafone Idea expands 5G footprint in India
Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) has announced the launch of 5G services in Mysuru, Karnataka—the state's second 5G-covered city after Bengaluru. As part of its strategic deployment across 17 key telecom circles, Vi recently upgraded Karnataka's 4G network by adding 900MHz/1800MHz/2.1GHz frequency bands, increasing capacity by 41%. The company plans phased 5G expansion to 23 cities including Ahmedabad and Kolkata, and adopt new Open RAN technology to reduce costs. It is also extending 4G coverage to enhance competitiveness and optimize user experience.
2. Kagan: Is Huawei on the path to new wireless and telecom growth?
At MWC Shanghai, Huawei outlined a new growth pathways for the wireless communication industry, focusing on AI, 6G, and live-streaming e-commerce. The company believes that the live-streaming industry may reach a scale of $330 billion by 2030. while promoting 5G-Advanced, FTTR (Fiber to the Room), and AI applications for SMEs. Rotating Chairman Xu Zhijun urged the industry to embrace 5G-A and AI innovation, emphasizing AI's potential to reshape wireless ecosystems. Analysts suggest AI may drive the next industry transformation amid slowing traditional wireless growth, requiring global telecom leaders to prioritize this strategic shift.
3. BT, Nokia slice public 5G to go with Ericsson private 5G at UK SailGP race
BT partnered with Nokia to deploy dual 5G Standalone (SA) network slicing for the first time at the Portsmouth Sail Grand Prix (July 19-20), supporting event operations, media transmission, and AR/VR spectator experiences. The public network slices will seamlessly roam with Ericsson's global private 5G network built for the competition, while integrating with Sony 4K cameras for broadcast testing. This marks BT's first implementation of concurrent multi-slicing at a single event, leveraging Nokia's technology to enhance performance.
4. Ericsson returns to profit in Q2 as Aduna expands to new markets
BT's latest research reveals that upgrading to 5G Standalone (SA) networks could generate £230 billion (approximately $309 billion) in economic value for the UK by 2035. The report highlights that AI/ML applications will contribute £88 billion, autonomous driving technologies in transportation sector will yield £45 billion, and improved 5G coverage in rural areas will create an additional £3 billion in economic benefits. BT has called on the government to reform spectrum allocation and infrastructure approval policies to accelerate network deployment and attract investment.
5. Arcep expands 5G trial window to the 4.0–4.2 GHz band
French telecom regulator Arcep has expanded the 5G trial frequency band from 3.8-4.0 GHz to the full 3.8-4.2 GHz range to meet enterprise demand for evaluating local mobile network projects. Since 2022, 175 trial licenses have been issued across industries like manufacturing and healthcare, with 90 projects still active as of June 2025. The agency is developing a long-term licensing framework for this frequency band, and has completed public consultations. Companies including Orange and Schneider Electric are conducting application tests for Industry 4.0, autonomous driving and other fields.
6. Ericsson and Liberty activate Costa Rica’s first 5G SA Network
Ericsson and Liberty Latin America have collaborated to deploy Central America's first 5G Standalone (SA) network in Costa Rica. The six-year project covers over 1,400 nationwide sites using Ericsson's dual-mode 5G core network and AIR 3255 radios, serving 3.7 million users with lower latency and enhanced reliability. The network will enable real-time data processing for healthcare, agriculture, and other industries while improving fixed wireless access capabilities. It is predicted that 5G could boost the country's GDP by 0.3-0.46%.
7. Rogers launches satellite-to-mobile service
Canadian operator Rogers has launched the country's first beta version of satellite-to-mobile messaging service, covering 5.4 million square kilometers of signal-free areas. The service, enabled via low-Earth orbit satellites, supports text messaging and emergency alerts, with free access during the testing period until October. Voice and data capabilities will be added in the future. Upon commercial launch, Ultimate plan subscribers will receive the service for free, while other users will pay a monthly fee of CAD 15. This technology significantly enhances communication and public safety capabilities in Canada's remote regions.
8. AT&T intros nationwide 5G RedCap for mid-tier IoT in the US
AT&T has announced nationwide 5G Reduced Capability (RedCap) coverage in the U.S., supporting over 200 million access points for mid-tier IoT applications. The technology can reduce device power consumption and costs, and is suitable for fields such as wearable devices, AR/VR and industrial sensors. AT&T has certified its first RedCap mobile hotspot device and partnered with multiple module suppliers. Concurrently, the company is phasing out its NB-IoT network, shifting to LTE-M and 5G RedCap technologies. Research firms project RedCap/eRedCap connections will reach nearly 1 billion by 2030, driving IoT innovation.
9. A tale of two speeds — Ookla delivers update on Europe’s 5G progress
Ookla's latest report shows a "two-speed" 5G landscape in Europe: Nordic and Southern European countries take the lead with 700MHz spectrum deployment, where Sweden (77.8%) and Denmark (83.9%) show the highest availability rates, while Belgium (11.9%) and Hungary (29.9%) lag significantly due to policy constraints. The EU's overall 5G connection time ratio reaches 44.5%, but 5G SA deployment is generally slow, with only Spain performing prominently. The report highlights that policy factors such as spectrum allocation and infrastructure regulations impact 5G advancement far more than geographic or demographic factors.
10. Vodafone turns street column into 5G site in Stuttgart
Vodafone Germany has transformed an advertising column at Stuttgart's Feuerseeplatz into a 5G base station—the city's first "5G advertising column." Utilizing Ericsson's embedded antenna technology with fiber backhaul, the site delivers 500 Mbps network speeds and a 400-meter coverage radius to enhance downtown mobile signals. The company plans to convert 100 advertising columns across the city, targeting high-foot-traffic areas like the Mercedes-Benz Museum. This approach innovatively leverages urban infrastructure for rapid 5G networks expansion while bypassing traditional base station deployment challenges.
11. Ofcom: 5G accounts for 28% of UK connections
The UK communications regulator Ofcom's latest report shows 5G connections now accounts for 28% of the country's mobile connections, a 9-percentage-point increase year-on-year. Urban 5G adoption reaches 29%, compared to 19% in rural areas. 5G Standalone (SA) technology currently represents 2% of connections, delivering 45% faster download speeds and lower latency than traditional 5G. Among operators, EE leads with 32% of 5G penetrations, while Three excels in 5G speed and latency performance. Although the deployment of 5G SA is still in its initial stage but has great potential in the future. The report projects it could contribute £88 billion to the UK economy by 2035.