Private Network
Intelligence
Intelligence Journeys
Utilities Private Broadband Planning
Start New Project →
AI Use Case Planning for Utilities
Start New Project →

Spectrum

KDDI Starlink on iPhone: Direct-to-Cell Satellite Data

KDDI Starlink on iPhone: Direct-to-Cell Satellite Data
KDDI’s move to enable satellite data on recent iPhones via “au Starlink Direct” is a meaningful step toward resilient, nationwide connectivity that blends terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. KDDI now supports satellite data communication on all models of iPhone 13 through iPhone 17, plus iPhone Air—21 models in total, so consumers and field teams can use essential apps when they are outside cellular coverage. The satellite layer augments KDDI’s 5G/4G LTE footprint; combined, the operator aims to cover virtually all of Japan’s geography, not just its population centers. Notably, the service is available to au subscribers and customers of other carriers.

SoftBank 5G HAPS payload delivers 6-cell coverage

SoftBank 5G HAPS payload delivers 6-cell coverage
SoftBank has validated a multi‑cell, end‑to‑end 5G link via a high‑altitude platform payload, marking a concrete step toward stratospheric coverage that works with standard smartphones. In a June field trial over Hachijō Island, Japan, SoftBank mounted a newly developed payload on a light aircraft at 3,000 meters to emulate a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) operating around 20 kilometers. The system stitched a millimeter‑wave feeder link at 26 GHz from a ground gateway to the aircraft with a sub‑2 GHz service link at 1.7 GHz from the aircraft to handsets, completing an end‑to‑end path through the 5G core.

Private 5G Manufacturing Modernization in America

Private 5G Manufacturing Modernization in America
Manufacturers and wireless providers are shifting 5G from promising pilots to scaled, revenue‑relevant deployments across American factories. A joint report from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and CTIA underscores a clear inflection point: commercial 5G, industrial AI and edge computing are maturing together. With 3GPP Release 16/17 capabilities such as URLLC, time‑sensitive networking integration, network slicing and non‑public networks, 5G is increasingly able to support time‑critical control, quality inspection and safety systems at scale. Production use cases are expanding and delivering measurable benefits. The message is consistent: companies that operationalize 5G alongside AI and automation will capture disproportionate productivity and resiliency advantages.

RANsemi wins Tidal Wave deal for industrial private 5G

RANsemi wins Tidal Wave deal for industrial private 5G
Tidal Wave Technologies has selected UK-based RANsemi to supply AI-enhanced Open RAN small cells for next-generation industrial private 5G networks across India. The companies will integrate RANsemi’s small cell platform into private 5G systems targeted at harsh, safety-critical environments. Initial focus areas include open-cast coal mines, large port terminals, and complex logistics hubs. The goal is to deliver resilient, low-latency connectivity for automation, remote operations, and worker safety. The partnership will be showcased at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 with a live demonstration of integrated small cells and edge intelligence.

Argentina 2.3 GHz Spectrum for Private Networks

Argentina 2.3 GHz Spectrum for Private Networks
Argentina’s regulator ENACOM has created a new licensing framework and reserved spectrum to let enterprises run stand-alone private mobile networks across critical industries. ENACOM has designated the 2300–2400 MHz band for Private Wireless Broadband Systems, a category designed for on-premise, non-public LTE/5G networks serving operational technology and enterprise applications rather than consumer subscribers. The framework supports high-throughput, low-latency, and massive IoT use cases, enabling enhanced video, automation, and machine communications across industrial campuses and field operations; 2.3 GHz maps to widely supported 3GPP Band 40 (LTE TDD) and NR n40, giving enterprises access to a mature device and radio ecosystem.

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.

DCC sends satellite spectrum plan back to TRAI

Unleashing the Power of 5G and Satellite | Meeting the Demands of a Connected World
India’s Digital Communications Commission has sent most of TRAI’s satellite spectrum recommendations back for review, signaling a tougher stance on pricing, compliance, and market safeguards. TRAI recommended that satellite internet providers pay 4% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum usage charges, an additional Rs 500 per urban subscriber per year, and a minimum annual spectrum fee of Rs 3,500 per MHz when the AGR-linked payout falls short. At its September 16 meeting, the DCC—comprising senior DoT officials and representatives from finance, IT, and NITI Aayog—reviewed the satcom framework and withheld approval on most elements.

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.
TECKNEXUS PRIVATE NETWORKS
Congratulations to the 2026 Award Winners
Explore the Winners →

Partner Hubs

AI Agent for Telecom Competitive Intelligence

Telco AI Agent Leadership

Telco AI Agent Leadership Landscape - Network Equipment Vendors
Network Equipment Vendor Report
How are Amdocs, Salesforce, Comarch, Totogi, Qvantel, Oracle and other OSS/BSS vendors deploying telecom AI agents?
OSS/BSS Vendor Report
How are Amdocs, Salesforce, Comarch, Totogi, Qvantel, Oracle and other OSS/BSS vendors deploying telecom AI agents?
System Integrator Report
Scroll to Top