Neutral Host

Large arenas now live or die on mobile performance: digital ticketing, cashless concessions, in-seat ordering, real-time replays, and social sharing all hinge on dense, resilient RF. With nearly 20,000 seats and a heavy calendar of sports and concerts, the Moda Center joins a cohort of tier-one venues investing in 5G as core infrastructure rather than a nice-to-have. American Tower’s role as a neutral host is noteworthy; it positions the venue to support multiple operators on a shared platform, spreading cost, accelerating carrier onboarding, and improving consistency across the “Rose Quarter,” including the adjacent Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum.
Boldyn Networks and O2 have upgraded AO Arena Manchester with a cutting-edge neutral host 5G DAS. Designed to support over a million annual attendees, the shared infrastructure enhances livestreaming, digital ticketing, and real-time services. The rollout delivers seamless mobile performance for fans, vendors, and staff, setting a new standard for large venue connectivity in the UK.
Telefónica reports €77 billion invested over ten years to expand sustainable, resilient connectivity, with SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) as the strategic anchor. The operator now serves nearly 350 million accesses, has passed 81.4 million premises with FTTH, and runs one of the largest ultra-broadband footprints globally, second in scale only to China. Spain is Telefónica’s showcase for fiber-led modernization. Dense FTTH has enabled a managed copper switch-off, which simplifies operations, cuts energy use, and improves service quality. The operator targets net zero by 2040 – ten years ahead of many international timelines—and reports a 52% reduction in CO2 emissions across the value chain from 2015 to 2024.
Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson have launched a national upskilling program to train 40,000 municipal and government employees in 5G, AI, IoT and automation, signaling a shift from network build to service delivery readiness. Malaysia’s 5G footprint is expanding and the country is positioning for AI-led growth by 2030. Infrastructure alone will not unlock outcomes. Cities and agencies need people who can specify, procure, secure and operate digital services at scale. This initiative targets the execution gap by training frontline staff and policy makers on how to translate connectivity into citizen services, operational efficiency and data-driven decisions.
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.
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’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.
India’s telecom usage is now predominantly indoors, and TRAI’s new property rating framework puts digital connectivity on par with core utilities. TRAI’s chairperson flagged a decisive shift: most mobile data is consumed inside homes, offices, malls, hospitals, and transit hubs. Connectivity inside buildings is moving from convenience to necessity. TRAI’s 2024 Regulations introduce a voluntary, performance-based star rating that assesses how ready a property is to deliver high-quality broadband and mobile connectivity. The framework encourages developers to embed Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) at design stage, aligns with Digital India and Smart Cities Mission, and invites ministries and agencies to incorporate DCI into guidelines, tenders, and training.
Kyndryls’ three-year, $2.25 billion plan signals an aggressive push to anchor AI-led infrastructure modernization in India’s digital economy and to scale delivery across regulated industries. The $2.25 billion commitment, anchored by the Bengaluru AI lab and tied to governance and skilling programs, should accelerate enterprise-grade AI and hybrid modernization across India. Expect more co-created reference architectures, deeper public-sector engagements, and tighter integration with network and cloud partners through 2026. For telecom and large enterprises, this is a timely opportunity to industrialize AI, modernize core platforms, and raise operational resilience provided programs are governed with clear metrics, strong security, and a pragmatic path from pilot to production.
Boldyn Networks and Virgin Media O2 have launched the UK’s first full RAN managed 5G service at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. Powered by JMA XRAN® and a neutral host architecture, the deployment transforms fan experience, reduces energy use by 60%, and boosts operational safety and efficiency—setting a new benchmark for smart stadiums across the UK.
Virgin Media O2 is partnering with neutral host provider Freshwave to strengthen mobile coverage across 22 Haven holiday parks, aligning seasonal demand with targeted network investment. The project is part of O2s Mobile Transformation Plan, a multi-year program focused on improving capacity and coverage where traffic spikes. The upgrades span popular UK staycation destinations, including coastal and rural parks where coverage can be patchy and demand is highly seasonal. Four parks are live now, with the remaining sites phased over the peak travel window to improve both outdoor and indoor experience for guests, staff, and nearby communities.
More than $14 billion has been invested across the CBRS stacklicenses, RAN, devices, infrastructure, sensors, and software. Over 420,000 CBRS radio nodes (CBSDs) are in service. The device ecosystem is broad: Apple and Samsung ship n48-capable handsets; industrial and FWA suppliers support n48 CPEs and routers; Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, JMA Wireless and others provide radio and DAS. This is not a pilot; it is production infrastructure. Refarming would force replacement or retuning of hundreds of thousands of base stations and millions of end devices, plus upgrades to SAS integrations and enterprise control planes.
Whitepaper
Telecom networks are facing unprecedented complexity with 5G, IoT, and cloud services. Traditional service assurance methods are becoming obsolete, making AI-driven, real-time analytics essential for competitive advantage. This independent industry whitepaper explores how DPUs, GPUs, and Generative AI (GenAI) are enabling predictive automation, reducing operational costs, and improving service quality....
Whitepaper
Explore the collaboration between Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, Ericsson, and Saab at the Aviation Innovation Hub. Discover how private 5G networks, real-time analytics, and sustainable innovations are shaping the "Airport of the Future" for a smarter, safer, and greener aviation industry....
Article & Insights
This article explores the deployment of 5G NR Transparent Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), detailing the architecture's advantages and challenges. It highlights how this "bent-pipe" NTN approach integrates ground-based gNodeB components with NGSO satellite constellations to expand global connectivity. Key challenges like moving beam management, interference mitigation, and latency are discussed, underscoring...

Partner Events

Explore Magazine

Promote your brand

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top