Telefonica Germany migrates first mobile customers to Mavenir IMS on AWS
GERMANY 18 MAY

Telefonica Germany migrates first mobile customers to Mavenir IMS on AWS

Telefonica Germany has migrated the first 100,000 mobile customers to Mavenir's cloud-native IMS built on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. Mavenir said it expects to migrate a few million mobile customers to the new solution running on AWS Cloud this year, and complete migration next year. Mavenir and Telefonica Germany extended their contract in February, before moving to migrate the operator's 4G/5G voice services from Mavenir's virtualized IMS (vIMS) to Mavenir's cloud‑native IMS platform.

Megafon deploys 5G network for Nizhny-Novgorod fair
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 18 MAY

Megafon deploys 5G network for Nizhny-Novgorod fair

Russian operator Megafon said it deployed a 5G network in the commercial exhibition area in downtown of Nizhny-Novgorod. The conference Digital Industry for Industrial Russia takes place there. Details on which spectrum bands are used for the 5G network were not provided; commercial 5G services are not yet available in Russia.

Telefonica, Sony test ultra-fast 5G mmWave at Madrid venue
SPAIN 18 MAY

Telefonica, Sony test ultra-fast 5G mmWave at Madrid venue

Telefonica has teamed up with Sony to carry out a pilot of 5G-based broadcast technology at Madrid's Movistar Arena (formerly Palacio de los Deportes). The partners used the 26 GHz millimetre wave band to achieve significantly higher speeds and reliability than conventional 5G networks, supporting data-intensive professional uses alongside connectivity for thousands of attendees.

Soracom FY sales up 38% on higher recurring revenue
GLOBAL 18 MAY

Soracom FY sales up 38% on higher recurring revenue

Soracom has posted group turnover of JPY 12.4 billion (USD 78 million) for its fiscal year to end-March, an increase of 38.1 percent year-on-year. Sales growth accelerated from 13.4 percent in FY 2025, and Soracom said it finished well above estimates provided in February, which had been increased from its original projections. The share of recurring revenues reached 75 percent on a recurring turnover of JPY 9.3 billion, an increase of 41.7 percent year-on-year. Soracom is targeting a substantial revenue li

O2 Czechia installs smart parking bollards in downtown Brno
CZECH REPUBLIC 18 MAY

O2 Czechia installs smart parking bollards in downtown Brno

O2 Czech Republic runs 13 smart retractable bollards in downtown Brno. The system helps to regulate the entrance to the pedestrian zone and other sensitive places in the city centre, as well as facilitating the passage of first responder vehicles. Thanks to the use of 5G and C-ITS technologies, selected bollards can be activated automatically for authorised cars without the need for coordination by telephone.

Algeria sets early 2027 as launch target for 5G FWA
ALGERIA 18 MAY

Algeria sets early 2027 as launch target for 5G FWA

The Algerian government has set an early 2027 target to launch nationwide 5G fixed wireless access (FWA), Ecofin reported. This is intended to replace ageing 4G infrastructure and phase out the national copper network. It specifically targets areas where laying fibre optics is difficult or where copper networks are being retired. The project was presented by Algerie Telecom CEO Abdelghani Ait Said during a government meeting on upgrading telecom infrastructure.

Japan approves five applicants for 26 GHz 5G spectrum auction
JAPAN 18 MAY

Japan approves five applicants for 26 GHz 5G spectrum auction

Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications said it has approved five applicants to participate in a price-based allocation process for spectrum in the 26 GHz band intended to support 5G. The ministry said applications were accepted between 10 March and 9 April under guidelines covering the allocation process for 26 GHz spectrum for 5G systems. According to the ministry, five organisations submitted applications and all five were notified on 18 May that they had qualified to participate in the a

Japan's mobile subscribers pass 233 million as all four operators post full-year gains
JAPAN 18 MAY

Japan's mobile subscribers pass 233 million as all four operators post full-year gains

Japan's four mobile network operators collectively held approximately 233.1 million subscribers at the end of March 2026, according to figures published by the Telecommunications Carriers Association (TCA), with every operator recording net growth over the twelve-month period covered by the data. NTT Docomo remained the largest operator, ending the fiscal year with 93,076,400 subscribers, up from 91,592,800 at the start of the period in June 2025, a net addition of around 1.48 million connections. 

IMDA suspends review of proposed M1-Simba deal amid spectrum investigation
SINGAPORE 18 MAY

IMDA suspends review of proposed M1-Simba deal amid spectrum investigation

Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has suspended its assessment of the proposed consolidation between M1 and Simba pending the outcome of an investigation into the alleged unauthorised use of radio frequency spectrum by Simba. During the merger review process, IMDA said it learnt that Simba may have been using radio frequency bands that had not been assigned to the operator to provide mobile services. According to the regulator, this could constitute unauthorised use of spectrum in brea

Life Belarus expands 5G, LTE networks, implements HD Voice
BELARUS 15 MAY

Life Belarus expands 5G, LTE networks, implements HD Voice

Life Belarus said it deployed 135 new 5G and LTE base stations across the country in April. The coverage of its LTE-1800, LTE-800 and LTE-2600 networks has been expanded in 63 sites. Life Belarus boosted coverage of its 5G network in the cities of Minsk and Mogilyov and now provides 5G services on more than 1,100 base stations.

MaxLinear's Trinity platform aims to enhance automation of 5G mobile backhaul radios
GLOBAL 15 MAY

MaxLinear's Trinity platform aims to enhance automation of 5G mobile backhaul radios

MaxLinear has introduced a combined system-on-chip and API framework for 10 Gbps mobile backhaul radio equipment. MaxLinear's Trinity platform aims to reduce expenditure and power consumption compared with traditional application-specific chips (ASICs) and programmable logic devices (FGPAs), while enabling AI-driven link management through an API framework built to the Open Compute Project's Switch Abstraction Interface. Trinity pairs the existing MaxLinear URX850 system-on-chip with a purpose-built, cloud-

Beeline Russia launches 5G roaming, reports decline in roaming usage in UAE
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 15 MAY

Beeline Russia launches 5G roaming, reports decline in roaming usage in UAE

Russian operator Beeline said it has launched 5G roaming services, making them available in countries including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, China, Thailand, the UAE, Egypt and the US, among other countries.

UKRAINE 15 MAY

Vodafone Ukraine launches 5G roaming

Vodafone Ukraine has started providing 5G roaming services. The services have become available in 15 countries, the list includes Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Switzerland, France, Malta, Croatia, Luxembourg, Germany, Slovakia, Montenegro, Cyprus and New Zealand.

PANAMA 15 MAY

Panama to auction 5G spectrum this year

Panama's Cabinet Council has authorised telecommunications regulator Asep to proceed with a tender of 5G-compatible spectrum in the country before the end of the year. The watchdog said 755 MHz of frequencies are currently available in the 1.4 GHz, 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands, with the forthcoming auction also set to finally pave the way for the entry of a third mobile operator.

JAPAN 15 MAY

Tokyo seeks promoters for next-generation communications startup programme

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has opened applications for companies to act as development promoters under its Tokyo NEXT 5G Boosters Project, which supports startups developing products and services using 5G and next-generation communications technologies including Beyond 5G. The programme, launched in fiscal 2023, is aimed at supporting startups pursuing commercial deployment of products and services based on advanced communications technologies while increasing corporate value.

JAPAN 15 MAY

KDDI and Rakuten Mobile selected for NEDO post-5G energy project

KDDI and Rakuten Mobile said they have been selected for a Japanese government-backed NEDO research and development programme focused on optimising virtualised base stations and computing infrastructure to reduce power consumption in telecom networks and data centres. The companies said the project forms part of NEDO's post-5G information and communications systems development programme and will target simultaneous optimisation of virtualised radio access networks (vRAN) and computing platforms.

JAPAN 15 MAY

NTT demonstrates low-latency remote drone control over private 5G network

NTT, NTT-ME and NTT e-Drone Technology have demonstrated a remote drone operation system designed to reduce delay variation in wireless network segments and improve video stability for remote control applications. The operator said the trial used private 5G and Flet's VPN connectivity to establish a remote drone operation environment between Minamisoma City and Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture, approximately 60 km apart.

PAKISTAN 15 MAY

Zong opens 5G service activation desk at Allama Iqbal Airport

Zong and the Pakistan Airports Authority have opened a dedicated 5G Customer Facilitation Desk at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore to provide travelers with connectivity services. This follows a similar launch at the Islamabad airport. Located within the terminal, the desk helps both domestic and international passengers with SIM card activations and technical support.

CANADA 14 MAY

Rogers upgrades 5G+ network in Toronto, Vancouver for World Cup

Rogers Communications has upgraded its 5G+ network in Vancouver and Toronto ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup. It has completed a CAD 22 million network investment in Toronto to boost connectivity for fans attending the event. This includes boosting the in-stadium wireless network at BMO Field, equal to adding 16 cell towers in downtown Toronto; and installing extra network infrastructure outside the stadium, fan zone areas across the city, and transportation hubs and hotels - including Union Station, Pearso

GLOBAL 14 MAY

Ericsson launches 5G WAN adapter with satellite failover and slicing features

Ericsson has introduced an enhanced 5G WAN adapter, the Cradlepoint W2255, enabling enterprise-grade failover in wired networks with 5G slicing support and non-terrestrial access as an additional back-up. Cradlepoint W2255 plugs into the client's existing router and end devices via dual-mode 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports. The embedded cellular modem is built to the 3GPP's Release-17 5G specification, with subscriber activation via dual SIM slots and embedded capacity for two eSIMs. The product is designed for plu

GLOBAL 14 MAY

Telit Cinterion, Swift Navigation launch Skylark Dx positioning bundle for GNSS modules

Telit Cinterion and GNSS accuracy specialist Swift Navigation announced an expanded partnership to bundle the latter's Skylark Precise Positioning Service with Telit Cinterion's dual-frequency GNSS modules and its NExT cellular IoT service. With this integrated IoT positioning solution, Telit Cinterion customers are expected to benefit from having a unified source for hardware, connectivity and Skylark Dx correction data in sub-meter standard positioning use cases. The bundled solution can be procured immed

MONTENEGRO 14 MAY

Crnogorski Telekom named fastest mobile network in Montenegro by Ookla

Crnogorski Telekom has received the Ookla Speedtest Award for having the fastest mobile network in Montenegro during Q3-Q4 2025. The analysis, derived from 69,248 tests by 7,909 unique users, showed Crnogorski Telekom achieved the highest Speed Score, with download speeds 15 percent faster than its closest competitor and more than double that of the third-ranked operator.

BELARUS 14 MAY

Life Belarus adds 5G smartphone check on website

Life Belarus has introduced a 5G check for customers to see if their smartphones are compatible with its new 5G network. They can enter the IMEI of the smartphone into a special field on the website and receive an instant result. 

LUXEMBOURG 14 MAY

Luxembourg's Post Telecom loses market share in fixed and mobile services in 2025

Luxembourg's incumbent Post has shared details of its performance in the telecom and ICT sector as part of the publication of its 2025 annual report. Revenue growth related to fixed and mobile services slowed from 2024 in an environment described as highly competitive. In terms of market share, subsidiary Post Telecom lost ground in both the fixed and mobile segments compared with 2024, while strengthening its position in the TV market. Still the dominant player, the operator saw its market share decline fr

Just In

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18 MAY 15:01

MTS launches marketplace for industrial IoT solutions

18 MAY 14:59

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18 MAY 14:57

Georgian mobile operators book 9% higher sales in Q1

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Background

18 MAY 00:31

The week in telecom: US operators mount rural satellite challenge, Cisco cashes in on AI boom

11 MAY 00:53

The week in telecom: Lumen, NTT turn to data centre market to revive growth, Hutchison exits UK

3 MAY 23:05

The week in telecoms: big tech faces costs of AI boom and Wi-Fi market consolidates

27 APR 14:33

Virgin Media O2: from coax to fibre and 80% coverage in 2028