During the period from November 18th to 24th, 2025, the following international news occurred:
1. U Mobile to advance 5G deployment with new financing
Malaysian operator U Mobile has secured MYR 4.3 billion in syndicated financing to accelerate its 5G network construction. The funds will be primarily used for capital expenditure and working capital, with the goal of achieving 80% 5G population coverage in densely populated areas by the second half of 2026. The network will be equipped with 5G-Advanced capabilities from the outset, covering strategic sites such as airports and hospitals, which will contribute to Malaysia's digital economic development.
2. AT&T lights up EchoStar’s 3.45 GHz spectrum in record time
AT&T, through a short-term spectrum lease, has deployed the 3.45 GHz spectrum acquired from EchoStar to nearly 23,000 cell sites at a record pace, covering nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population. This spectrum had not been deployed by its previous holder, making the deployment process smoother. It has increased 5G mobile download speeds by 80% and Internet Air speeds by 55%. Meanwhile, AT&T is leveraging this network advantage to launch advertising campaigns.
3. Global RAN market reaches $8 billion in Q3: Omdia
According to Omdia data, global Radio Access Network market revenue reached USD 8 billion in the third quarter of 2025. Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia ranked top three globally; outside the Chinese market, Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia are leading. Japan is a global leader in open vRAN deployment, while most other Asia-Pacific countries are still in the pilot phase. Markets outside China are expected to see slight growth this year.
4. The convergence of AI, cloud and connectivity
Ericsson emphasizes the importance of an open, collaborative ecosystem for the next phase of 5G development. 5G is transitioning from enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) towards a programmable network to meet diverse service scenario demands. This transformation relies on the convergence of cloud, AI, and connectivity technologies, enhancing network efficiency through open interfaces, API data exposure, and AI applications. Examples include collaborating with AT&T to build an open platform and working with Bell Canada to achieve throughput and spectrum efficiency gains, thereby creating new revenue opportunities through industry co-creation.
5. Dell'Oro: Standalone 5G builds a bridge for 5G-Advanced
According to a Dell'Oro report, 12 operators globally have deployed 5G-Advanced, with dynamic network slicing emerging as one of the first core commercial services. 5G Standalone is a key foundation for progressing towards 5G-Advanced and 6G, with 72 operators worldwide having built 5G SA networks to date. Operators in China and across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are actively advancing their 5G-A commercialization processes.
6. SoftBank 7GHz trial shows promise for 6G
SoftBank's field trial of the 7 GHz band in Tokyo demonstrates that this candidate 6G spectrum can achieve wide-area coverage and stable communication in dense urban areas. The trial utilized Massive MIMO base stations, confirming good signal reception and communication quality both on main roads and in non-line-of-sight areas, providing important insights for future 6G network design.
7. Europe’s cloud-edge AI future – multi-network orchestration for Industry 4.0 sovereignty
To strengthen digital sovereignty, Europe is building a federated cloud-edge collaboration system through the IPCEI-CIS and 8RA programs. Reply Adeptic is leading the development of a three-layer orchestration platform that integrates private 5G, Wi-Fi, and other multi-network resources. This AI-driven platform manages the full lifecycle, leveraging intent-based automation and standardized adaptation to solve cross-vendor interoperability challenges. It empowers Industry 4.0 scenarios like smart manufacturing and autonomous driving, helping to build a self-reliant industrial network ecosystem.
8. What’s next for 5G mobile, AI, cybersecurity, and other innovations in 2026 (Reader Forum)
Spirent Communications predicts trends for 2026: 5G Standalone will become the foundation for operator service monetization; telecom operators will launch AI-as-a-Service and deploy edge GPU services; countries like China and South Korea will conduct pre-standard 6G trials; AI data center interconnects will shift to Ethernet architectures; and business continuity will evolve towards near-real-time automated resilience. These trends will reshape the development path of mobile communications and digitalization.
9. SoftBank shows 7GHz can power urban 6G coverage
Japanese operator SoftBank, in collaboration with Nokia, began outdoor trials of the 7 GHz band in Tokyo's Ginza district since June 2025, using three experimental Massive MIMO base stations to verify its potential for 6G applications. The tests showed that this band achieves coverage across main streets and side alleys in a bustling urban area, with a median SINR of 5.9 dB. Performance in open areas was close to that of the 3.9 GHz 5G band, providing key support for future 6G macro base station deployment and meeting the high data demands driven by AI.
10. What T-Mobile US’ F1 weekend reveals up close
T-Mobile US has renewed its contract as the exclusive 5G partner of F1, providing 5G broadcast innovations and immersive experiences for the US Grand Prix. Its 2.5 GHz spectrum and network slicing technology support race operations. Simultaneously, it launched a "Switching Made Easy" service enabling network transfers in 15 minutes, focused on expanding in the US rural market, and is preparing for future AI-driven network demands, advancing business growth across multiple dimensions.