Vodafone

Vodafone Business has introduced 5G+ Local Slicing and a new Network Boost service, marking the first commercial, contract-backed 5G slicing offer for UK enterprises and a priority option for business traffic in high-demand areas. Enterprises are moving real-time operations, AI inference, and critical transactions onto mobile networks and need deterministic performance, not best-effort connectivity. By offering a dedicated, assured “lane” on its 5G Standalone (SA) network within defined local areas, Vodafone Business is addressing a long-standing performance and assurance gap that previously pushed many organizations toward private 4G/5G. Slices can be permanent or temporary and scaled as needs change.
The European Commission has approved Orange’s plan to acquire the remaining stake in MasOrange, signaling limited competitive impact and clearing the path for full control in Spain. Orange will purchase the roughly 50% it does not already own in MasOrange from the Lorca consortium for about €4.3 billion. MasOrange was created in 2024 by combining Orange Spain and MásMóvil, and the new deal converts the joint venture into a wholly owned Orange subsidiary. The Commission used its simplified merger review, indicating no structural change in market concentration. Closing is expected before July 2026, after which MasOrange will be integrated into Orange’s operations and financial reporting.
Mobile World Congress 2026 showcased major developments across AI-native networks, enterprise private 5G, device innovation, and early 6G research. This recap highlights 50 key announcements and trends shaping the future of global connectivity.
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, TIM, and Vodafone unveiled a live, pan‑European edge federation at MWC 2026, marking a practical step toward an interoperable edge cloud that spans national borders. The five largest European operators demonstrated the European Edge Continuum, a federated edge capability now running in lab and pre‑production environments. The initiative provides a single entry point to deploy and manage applications across multiple operators’ edge nodes, with automated placement, security controls, and mobility‑aware continuity. The platform draws on components developed under the IPCEI‑CIS program backed by the EU’s NextGenerationEU funds, and is positioned for industrialization and commercial rollout next.
Boldyn Networks is rolling out a neutral host 5G upgrade at Silverstone that shifts the circuit from seasonal stopgaps to a year-round, high-capacity mobile platform for fans, teams, and broadcasters. The architecture spans 25 locations, with 57 sectors engineered across 87 DAS zones to handle concentrated traffic and maintain performance under crowd pressure. The design anticipates surges in uplink and signaling, supports concurrent sessions at scale, and smooths throughput across hotspots. A permanent, multi-operator 5G foundation unlocks new revenue, better service metrics, and more efficient event delivery. When connectivity works, dwell time, spend, and satisfaction rise.
Ericsson is introducing an AI-first approach to building networks with the latest RAN hardware, engineered to meet AI-driven network demands, delivering greater uplink performance, improved TCO, and enhanced energy efficiency
Ericsson’s RAN software enhancements include AI-managed Beamforming, AI-powered Outdoor Positioning, and a best-in-class AI model for instant coverage prediction
New AI‑ready radios, featuring Ericsson Silicon with neural network accelerators, boost on‑site AI inference capabilities in Massive MIMO radios, enabling real‑time optimization and full stack, fully distributed AI
A German court has ordered Meta’s Edge Network Services to pay Deutsche Telekom roughly €30 million for network services tied to Meta traffic, reshaping leverage in Europe’s peering and interconnection market. The dispute centered on whether Meta’s subsidiary used Deutsche Telekom’s private interconnection and peering points under a valid, paid contract after an earlier agreement expired. The court sided with the operator, concluding that continued use of those private interconnection facilities created obligations to pay for services over a multi-year period covering traffic from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
With the Union Budget around the corner, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) is asking for a structural fix to spectrum pricing, statutory levies, and GST that is designed to restore sector health and accelerate digital infrastructure build-out. COAI’s agenda centers on spectrum affordability, regulatory levy rationalization, and GST reform to unlock liquidity frozen as input tax credit. COAI argues for spending the sizable unused corpus first, holding the DBN levy in abeyance, and trimming license fees to roughly 0.5–1% to cover administrative costs. Cutting GST on regulatory payments from 18% to 5% would reduce the pace of new ITC build-up and meaningfully ease liquidity pressure.
The European Commission’s Digital Networks Act (DNA) is a sweeping proposal to harmonize telecom rules, catalyze next‑generation investment, and turn 27 national markets into a functional single market for connectivity. The DNA is timed to underpin an AI‑driven economy that depends on fiber, 5G/6G, and low‑latency cloud‑edge fabrics spanning borders. Longer licence durations and more flexible sharing are intended to reduce renewal risk and unlock investment in 5G densification and 6G prep. Mandatory national plans to phase out copper between 2030 and 2035 will free OPEX and energy, but require careful migration of regulated wholesale products, vulnerable users, and critical services.
Mobile Private Networks (MPNs) have reached a critical juncture, evolving from niche deployments to scalable, production-ready solutions. Enterprises are now embracing MPN-as-a-Service, combining edge computing, AI-driven operations, and hybrid spectrum strategies to deliver low-latency, secure, and flexible connectivity. Discover how Wi-Fi integration, automation, and vendor-agnostic deployment models are accelerating MPN adoption across industries.
This article highlights the top 10 private 5G and LTE deployments transforming energy and utility operations globally. From U.S. electric utilities to offshore rigs and oilfields in Africa and Asia, these real-world examples show how private networks deliver secure, resilient communications that improve reliability, safety, and operational intelligence—laying the foundation for scalable grid modernization, edge analytics, and automation.
Orange has signed a binding agreement to buy Lorca’s remaining 50% stake in MasOrange for 4.25 billion euros in cash, targeting completion in the first half of 2026 subject to customary approvals. The agreement transitions MasOrange from a 50:50 joint venture to a wholly owned subsidiary of Orange, consolidating governance and simplifying decision-making across mobile, fixed, and converged operations in Spain. At closing, MasOrange is expected to be fully consolidated into Orange’s accounts, including MasOrange debt that Orange plans to refinance at or after completion, providing flexibility to optimize the capital structure and cost of capital.

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