3GPP

Gartner Projects $1.5T AI Spend by 2025

Gartner: $1.5T AI Spend by 2025
Gartner’s latest outlook points to global AI spend hitting roughly $1.5 trillion in 2025 and exceeding $2 trillion in 2026, signaling a multi-year investment cycle that will reshape infrastructure, devices, and networks. This is not a short-lived hype curve; it is a capital plan. Hyperscalers are pouring money into data centers built around AI-optimized servers and accelerators, while device makers push on-device AI into smartphones and PCs at scale. For telecom and enterprise IT leaders, the message is clear: capacity, latency, and data gravity will dictate where value lands. Spending is broad-based. AI services and software are growing fast, but the heavy lift is in hardware and cloud infrastructure.

FCC Spectrum: Protect CBRS and 6 GHz

FCC Spectrum: Protect CBRS and 6 GHz
With the FCC under pressure to deliver 300 MHz of auctionable spectrum, a group of Senate Republicans is urging the agency to preserve the shared 3.5 GHz CBRS band and the unlicensed 6 GHz band that underpin private 5G and next‑gen Wi‑Fi. Ten Senate Republicans, including five members of the Senate Commerce Committee, sent a letter urging the FCC to ensure existing operations in the 6 GHz and Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) bands continue “without disruption.” NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth called for preserving 6 GHz for Wi‑Fi, a stance applauded by NCTA as a recognition that unlicensed spectrum is an economic engine.

Space42 and Viasat’s Equatys NTN D2D on Largest MSS Spectrum

Equatys NTN D2D on Largest MSS Spectrum
Space42 and Viasat plan to form Equatys, a joint venture designed to deliver standards-based Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity to smartphones and IoT devices over a unified satellite–terrestrial network. The partners intend to launch a 3GPP Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) platform that integrates with 5G networks and works with unmodified handsets and IoT modules. The companies say Equatys will aggregate well over 100 MHz of harmonized Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spectrum already assigned across more than 160 markets, describing it as the largest coordinated block available for this purpose. Equatys positions itself as a neutral “space tower” operator that multiple licensed service providers can share.

Nokia and Deutsche Bahn launch 1900 MHz 5G FRMCS rail network

Nokia and Deutsche Bahn launch 1900 MHz 5G FRMCS rail network
Nokia and Deutsche Bahn have activated a commercial-grade 5G Standalone network on the 1900 MHz band to validate Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) operations on live tracks. The partners have launched a 5G SA deployment using the 1900 MHz (n101) spectrum band on DB’s digital railway test field in the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), Germany. The network is built with Nokia AirScale radio equipment and an optimized, cloud-native 5G core, and it operates on moving trains on outdoor tracks. The setup includes built-in failover, self-healing, and real-time monitoring to sustain service continuity in mission-critical environments.

EchoStar pivots to satellite & NTN growth

EchoStar has reset its strategy after regulator-driven spectrum sales, trading long-cycle infrastructure bets for an asset-light, capital-rich posture focused on satcom growth. Federal Communications Commission scrutiny over spectrum utilization forced EchoStar to accelerate decisions it had hoped to phase over time. Complaints from rivals spurred investigations into whether the company was meeting buildout and use obligations. Even if EchoStar prevailed in court, the process risked tying up key licenses and stalling its direct-to-device (D2D) ambitions. The company opted to monetize holdings and remove uncertainty rather than fight a prolonged, value-destructive battle.

6G full‑spectrum photonic chip achieves 100 Gbps

6G full‑spectrum photonic chip achieves 100 Gbps
A research team in China and Hong Kong has demonstrated a thumbnail-sized 6G transceiver chip that spans nine radio bands from 0.5 to roughly 110 GHz and achieved triple‑digit Gbps data rates in the lab. Scientists led by Peking University and City University of Hong Kong reported an “all-frequency” 6G prototype fabricated on thin‑film lithium niobate, integrating functions that today require multiple RF front‑ends into a single 1.7 x 11 mm die. The device covers sub‑6 GHz, microwave, mmWave, and sub‑THz bands and demonstrated over 100 Gbps throughput under controlled conditions.

KT data breach exposes IMSI, payments at risk

KT data breach exposes IMSI, payments at risk
KT disclosed that IMSI information for 5,561 subscribers may have been exposed in connection with a wave of fraudulent mobile payments starting August 27, concentrated in parts of southwestern Seoul. As of midweek, authorities tallied 278 unauthorized transactions totaling roughly 170 million won. KT reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Korea Internet & Security Agency, notified impacted users, and pledged compensation. A government special team has begun a coordinated probe, and the science minister publicly pressed KT to cooperate fully and restore trust.

Could Starlink Replace Your Cellphone Carrier with direct-to-device and EcoStar spectrum?

Could Starlink Replace Your Cellphone Carrier with direct-to-device and EcoStar spectrum?
SpaceX’s $17 billion purchase of EchoStar spectrum signals a deliberate push to blend satellite and mobile connectivity at consumer scale. SpaceX is acquiring EchoStar’s AWS-4 and H-Block licenses, adding roughly 1.9–2.0 GHz spectrum into its portfolio for direct-to-device (D2D) service in the U.S. Owning licensed spectrum lets SpaceX widen capabilities beyond roaming-style add-ons, potentially toward a branded service that spans home broadband and handset connectivity. A two-year window for first compatible handsets is a realistic baseline. Analysts broadly expect Starlink to expand via partnerships: wholesale arrangements to MNOs for satellite fallback, and potentially an MVNO to bring a Starlink-branded phone plan to market.

Small Cells Forecast 2030: 61M Shipments, Neutral Host & 5G SA

LA28 selects T‑Mobile 5G as Official Telecom Provider
The Small Cell Forum’s 2025 Market Forecast points to a market shifting from experimentation to scaled deployment, with enterprise demand and new business models driving a faster cadence. SCF forecasts cumulative small-cell shipments to reach 61 million units by 2030, supporting an installed base of roughly 54.4–54.5 million radio units and annual vendor/integrator revenues of about USD 4.23 billion. Indoor enterprise deployments continue to dominate, representing about 60% of rollouts in 2023–2024. SCF expects 5G SA small cells to grow at a 56% CAGR through 2030, with two-thirds of enterprise small cells co-located with edge compute by 2030.

Thailand NBTC frees 4.8 GHz for private 5G in factories

What Are Private 5G Networks? Benefits, Use Cases & How They Work
Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) plans to allocate 100 MHz in the 4.8 GHz range to factories and industrial estate operators to deploy non-public 5G networks under a private network operator (PNO) framework. The spectrum is to be granted on request and used solely for internal, non-commercial operations. Mobile operators may bid for PNO rights but cannot use this spectrum for public mobile service. The 4.8 GHz range sits within 3GPP Band n79, which means a relatively deep device and radio ecosystem that can lower total cost of ownership and accelerate time-to-deploy.

Nokia unveils defense-grade private 5G for tactical comms

Nokia launches defense-grade private 5G for tactical comms
The launch includes a hardened 5G smartphone and a portable, secure radio platform built to form and extend tactical networks in austere environments. The Mission-Safe Phone and the upgraded Banshee 5G Tactical Radio signal that 3GPP-based private wireless is mature enough for deployed operations, not just demonstrations. The Banshee refresh integrates 5G connectivity into a rugged, portable “network in a box” designed for fast setup, hardening, and easy transport. By pairing a purpose-built handset with a ruggedized, rapidly deployable radio hub, Nokia is selling an interoperable stack instead of point products.

Ericsson and depa extend 5G industrial innovation in Thailand

Ericsson and depa extend 5G industrial innovation in Thailand
Ericsson and Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) have extended their 5G cooperation for two more years to accelerate industrial digitalization under the Thailand 4.0 agenda. The updated memorandum of understanding renews a public–private framework that began in 2022 and centers on applied 5G innovation for manufacturers, logistics providers, energy firms, and smart city programs. A focal point remains the 5G Innovation and Experience Studio (5GIX Studio) in Thailand Digital Valley, Chonburi, which functions as a testbed and service hub for advanced wireless trials, spectrum sharing scenarios, and industry-grade applications.
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