During the period from January 15th to 21th, 2026, the following international news occurred:
1. Chunghwa Telecom posts record revenue and profits in 2025
Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom achieved record-high results in 2025, with total revenue reaching NT$236.11 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.7%. Growth in mobile and fixed-line broadband subscribers along with 5G migration drove business development, with FTTx users reaching 3.93 million. ICT business became a key growth engine, with strong demand for cloud services and data centers. The company is also collaborating with Ericsson to advance 5G network modernization.
2. NEC exits 4G/5G base station market
Japan's NEC announced it will cease investment in the R&D of 4G/5G base station hardware, exiting the competitive market. Going forward, the company will focus on software, defense-specific equipment, and next-generation communication technologies, while continuing to provide support services for existing equipment. This decision stems from the global base station market being dominated by Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia amid intense competition.
3. Reliance Jio weighs 2.5% IPO in 2026
Reliance Jio Platforms is considering an initial public offering in 2026, planning to sell approximately 2.5% of its shares. Based on its current valuation, this could raise over $4 billion, potentially making it the largest IPO in India's history. The company's main business is telecommunications, accounting for about 75-80% of its revenue.
4. Viettel completes Vietnam’s first 5G-A trial
Vietnamese telecom operator Viettel recently announced the completion of the country's first 5G-Advanced network technology trial, achieving download speeds exceeding 7.3 Gbps, approximately six times faster than current 5G SA networks. The trial combined 2.6 GHz, C-band, and millimeter-wave spectrum. The company plans to begin commercial deployment of 5G-A networks in 2026, using its authorized 700 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands to alleviate network congestion during large events. Viettel currently has 30,000 5G base stations covering 90% of outdoor areas, with a target of 99% population coverage by 2030.
5. India expands midband as telcos push for more 6GHz
The Indian government has released the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025, expanding mid-band spectrum resources for 5G/6G and satellite communications, and identifying the 6425-7125 MHz band for IMT use. Telecom operators welcomed this move but continue to call for an additional allocation of 500 MHz of contiguous 6GHz spectrum (5925-6425 MHz) to meet future high-throughput application demands.
6. Kyivstar launches 5G pilot in Lviv as Ukraine pushes digital modernization amid war
Ukrainian mobile operator Kyivstar has launched a 5G pilot in the historic center of Lviv, as part of efforts to advance national digital modernization amidst the ongoing war. The pilot aims to assess 5G performance in an urban environment, with peak download speeds exceeding 2.4 Gbps during tests. The operator plans to extend the pilot to locations like Kharkiv and Borodyanka, but nationwide deployment will depend on the end of hostilities. Kyivstar also plans to introduce Open RAN technology and is collaborating with Starlink to develop direct-to-satellite services. The company has committed to investing $1 billion to rebuild digital infrastructure between 2023 and 2027.
7. Millicom weighs acquisition of Telefónica Chile
Latin American telecom operator Millicom (Tigo brand) is considering acquiring Telefónica's operations in Chile. Telefónica has been exiting non-core markets since 2019 to focus on Brazil, Germany, Spain, and the UK. Millicom has previously acquired Telefónica's businesses in Ecuador, Uruguay, and Colombia. The Chilean market currently has four mobile operators, and a transaction would maintain this structure, potentially aiding regulatory approval. Telefónica's Chilean subsidiary (Movistar brand) holds a 22.6% market share locally.
8. Vodafone puts money where mouth is with $15M Cohere investment
Vodafone recently invested $15 million in US software company Cohere Technologies. The company's Universal Spectrum Multiplier (USM) software can significantly enhance 5G network capacity. Previous tests indicated the technology can increase 5G capacity by 50% without adding spectrum or base stations, helping operators improve their return on investment.
9. Ericsson and Nokia cuts reflect the grisly state of 5G
Affected by weak 5G market demand and declining industry spending, Ericsson and Nokia continue to implement significant workforce reductions. Since 2017, the two companies have collectively cut over 36,000 positions, with further reductions planned recently. Despite improving productivity per employee through automation, revenue pressures are prompting them to streamline expenses, including R&D, reflecting the challenging state of the current 5G equipment market.
10. Boldyn to go totally tubular in 4G and 5G for London commuters
Neutral host provider Boldyn Networks announced plans to provide complete mobile network coverage across all 121 London Underground stations by the end of this year. Through shared infrastructure, the project will deliver 4G/5G services in tunnels and on platforms for the UK's three major mobile operators (BT/EE, Virgin Media O2, and VodafoneThree), aiming to significantly improve commuters' network experience.
11. Samsung completes first commercial call using vRAN
Samsung Electronics announced it has completed the industry's first commercial call test using a virtualized Radio Access Network powered by Intel Xeon 6700P-B processors on a US Tier-1 operator's live network. The test was based on a single Hewlett Packard Enterprise commercial server running Samsung's cloud-native vRAN software and the Wind River cloud platform. It aimed to validate the ability of a single-server architecture to meet carrier-grade performance and energy efficiency requirements in a live network environment, supporting operators' evolution towards software-driven and AI-ready networks.
12. AT&T on the connectivity strategy behind Mitsubishi’s 5G-enabled outlander
AT&T announced it will provide 5G connectivity support for the 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. The vehicle will dynamically select between 5G SA, NSA, or LTE networks based on network conditions to deliver a high-quality in-car experience. The company emphasized that 5G networks can support advanced applications like real-time navigation, HD streaming, and more reliable OTA updates. AT&T is adopting a hybrid strategy combining terrestrial networks with satellite communications to fill coverage gaps in remote areas.
13. FCC details plan to supercharge Wi-Fi
The US Federal Communications Commission recently detailed a proposal aimed at "supercharging" Wi-Fi performance. The proposal plans to introduce a new category of Geo-fenced Variable Power (GVP) devices in the 6 GHz band. Such devices could operate at higher power outdoors but would need to manage "keep-out zones" through a centralized geo-fencing system to avoid interfering with existing services like microwave links.
14. Crown Castle: Dish Wireless defaulted on tower payments
US tower company Crown Castle announced it has terminated its infrastructure agreement with Dish Wireless due to default on payments and will pursue recovery of over $3.5 billion in remaining amounts owed. The dispute originated after Dish's parent company, EchoStar, sold spectrum and claimed its original tower contracts became invalid due to force majeure. Both Crown Castle and another tower company, American Tower, have filed lawsuits regarding this matter.
15. Intel and Samsung add to pressure on purpose-built 5G
The collaboration between Intel and Samsung is increasing pressure on traditional purpose-built 5G equipment. Samsung announced that its virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) based on Intel's next-generation Granite Rapids (Xeon 6 SoC) processors has achieved commercial calls. This platform can run RAN and AI workloads on a single server, helping operators reduce hardware count, power consumption, and total cost of ownership. This enhances the potential of general-purpose processors to challenge dedicated chips in terms of performance and economics.