Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple unveiled its device leasing programme, Orange struck a data centre JV deal and Amazon Leo plotted expansion.

Amazon Leo readies 5K satellites for D2D plan

What happened: Amazon Leo applied to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy up to 5,105 direct-to-device (D2D) satellites, advancing its ambition to deliver voice, messaging, data and emergency connectivity services to standard mobile devices.

Why it matters: In its FCC filing, Jeff Bezos-backed Amazon Leo explained its D2D system would communicate directly with existing mobile hardware using dedicated L-band and S-band spectrum links, potentially setting the stage to better compete against SpaceX’s Starlink service, among others.

“The newly filed application for Amazon’s next-generation LEO D2D constellation is massive,” said independent consultant Carlos Placido. “Although the system is planned to deploy 5,105 satellites beginning in 2028, the filing defines a total of 11,045 orbital positions.”

Amazon Leo readies 5K satellites for D2D plan

Apple lifts lid on US device leasing service

What happened: Apple fleshed out Apple Upgrade, a direct-to-consumer hardware leasing programme backed by Klarna Group, offering US customers monthly payment options across its iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, and iPad product lines.

Why it matters: Apple confirmed the programme offers dual tenure options per category. iPhone and Apple Watch plans offer 12- and 24-month lease terms starting at $17.99 and $11.99 per month, respectively. CEO and marketing director of PP Foresight Paolo Pescatore stated the arrangement responds to rising device prices and longer consumer ownership cycles by shifting focus from high upfront costs to manageable monthly payments, making premium devices feel more accessible and encouraging regular upgrades.

“However, this is more than another payment option,” he said. “It marks a significant shift from owning devices to accessing them through an ongoing leasing relationship. This gives Apple another way to stimulate demand without resorting to aggressive discounting, while keeping customers within its family of products and exerting greater control over the upgrade, trade-in and return cycle.”

On the consumer front, he explained lower monthly payments will be attractive, but the apparent flexibility carries important trade-offs. Customers do not own the product during the lease, AppleCare costs extra, damaged devices can incur charges, and upgrading or leaving early could require them to pay the remaining lease payments.

“The total cost and end-of-term choices must therefore be made crystal clear,” he said. “Otherwise, consumers could find themselves locked into a perpetual cycle of monthly payments without building any ownership or resale value.”

Apple lifts lid on US device leasing service

Orange plots data centre JV with global investor

What happened: Orange agreed a deal with global infrastructure investor Morrison to create a jointly controlled data centre company in France, a move designed to meet rising demand for AI services in the country.

Why it matters: Orange said the 50:50 JV will support the development of its existing French data centre portfolio and target 400MW of capacity, almost 10 times its current level. To boost the entity, the operator said it will contribute five major data centres across four campuses in France, along with its operational expertise and commercial reach. The duo anticipate an investment of around €3 billion, utilising Orange’s existing assets, while Morrison will make an equity contribution.

“Orange Business will leverage this platform for its customers to accelerate its trusted AI and trusted cloud business ambitions,” Orange CEO Christel Heydemann explained on an investor call. “The value creation for Orange will therefore materialise through revenue upsides and dividends inflows.”

Orange plots data centre JV with global investor

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Dell’Oro Group revealed mobile operators have spent 208% more on standalone (SA) 5G than they had on 4G core functions at the same point in the technology’s lifecycle.

The company stated the long-term outlook for SA 5G technology is good, despite forecasting growth in the core network sector to moderate over the next two years.

In a report, the company stated the substantial financial commitment on SA 5G highlights the inherent architectural complexity and the broader strategic value of next-generation core networks compared with LTE deployments.

Explaining the timing behind the investments, senior director Sian Morgan noted the sequential release of 3GPP standards created an initial offset between early 5G RAN spending and deployment of SA cores.

Despite those early delays, the technical sophistication of SA 5G “is driving cumulative vendor revenues much higher” than LTE evolved packet core achieved at an equivalent point in its deployment timeline.

Morgan said SA 5G revenue is yet to reach its peak because the majority of mobile operators worldwide have yet to make commercial services widely available to customers.

Dell’Oro noted near-term headwinds as memory shortages drive server prices up, prompting operators to scrutinise project costs.

Morgan predicts a return to double-digit revenue growth in 2028.

Dell’Oro forecast growth in the next five years to be fuelled by the EMEA region. It increased its expectations for 4G core revenue after gains in 2025 and identified AI as providing opportunities to boost efficiency, though warned over potentially higher costs.

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US chip company Marvell Technology committed to invest $250 million in India over the next three years, expanding its facility in Bangalore to drive next-generation technology development.

Marvell stated the pledge coincides with its 20th anniversary in the country, during which it focused on advancing the semiconductor ecosystem and engineering talent.

It established operations in Bangalore in 2006, a site which has since become the company’s second-largest R&D organisation worldwide.

Through the $250 million outlay, Marvell stated it plans to double headcount, scaling up its site in Bangalore and expanding its presence in Hyderabad. It expects the expansion to strengthen its global innovation network, supporting the design and development of advanced semiconductors for AI, cloud and data infrastructure applications.

Navin Bishnoi, VP and India country manager, said the nation plays a critical role in helping Marvell advance infrastructure technologies which power leading global hyperscale companies and cloud providers.

“As we celebrate 20 years in India, we remain committed to expanding R&D investments, strengthening the country’s semiconductor ecosystem and developing the next-generation of technology talent.”

India has made a big push around boosting its semiconductor sector in recent years.

Earlier this month, the government committed to invest around $20 billion to boost chip and smartphone production as part of a long-term goal to become 100% self-reliant.

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GSMA Intelligence estimated the cost of replacing equipment made by so-called high risk vendors (HRV) from telecoms networks in Europe will cost between €30 billion to €40 billion, based on data from operators representing almost half of the market.

In the study, independently commissioned and sponsored by seven operator groups, GSMA Intelligence put the cost of replacing mobile networks at €16 billion to €22 billion, equating to around €30 to €42 per mobile connection. This is driven by high exposure to HRV equipment and the cost of replacing equipment such as base stations.

Fixed network costs will hit up to €5 billion, representing the costs of fibre terminals, gateways and fixed wireless equipment. Transport networks, which includes optical switches, multiplexers and amplifiers will cost between €9 billion and €12 billion.

The figures cover only direct equipment replacement and exclude write-offs of existing assets, disruption cost, capacity constraints and broader impacts on future investment plans.

Higher prices
GSMA Intelligence further warned excluding HRV’s could reduce competitive pressure, leading to a 24% price increase in mobile network equipment, 19% in fixed network equipment and 10% in transport network equipment.

Higher prices would therefore raise operator investment costs by €8.5 billion between 2027 and 2030, with current budgets for mobile networks set at nearly €42 billion.

The European Commission outlined a proposal making it mandatory to “de-risk” European mobile telecoms networks from high-risk third party suppliers in January, as part of revisions to its Cybersecurity Act.

Over a five year period, it estimated phasing out equipment could lead to annual costs of €3.4 billion to €4.3 billion for operators, while investment in “trusted suppliers” could grow up to €2 billion per year.

Operators Deutsche Telekom, Fastweb, MEO, Orange, Telefonica, United Group and Vodafone Group took part in the GSMA Intelligence study, which was based on limited datasets provided by third parties.

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Ukraine operators Kyivstar, Lifecell and Vodafone switched on their latest open 5G pilot network in capital city Kyiv, the fourth location in the country and their largest 5G testbed to date.

The move follows earlier 5G pilots this year in the cities of Lviv and Kharkiv and the town of Borodyanka.

Borodyanka in particular suffered severe devastation during the Russian occupation in early 2022.

The country’s Ministry of Digital Transformation stated almost 1.5 million Ukrainians have already tested the country’s 5G networks, with peak download speeds of more than 1 Gb/s and averages of 600-700 Mb/s.

5G is operating in two frequency bands: 3500MHz (for high data transmission speeds) and 700MHz (to ensure wider coverage).

More than 300 base stations are supporting the pilot network in Kyiv. It is based on Non-Standalone 5G technology (a 5G RAN using a 4G core network).

The southern city of Odesa is expected to be the next testbed.

It is not clear when commercial 5G services will be activated in Ukraine by the country’s operators but a statement from the Ministry said “Our task now is to qualitatively test 5G technology in order to scale it across the country after the end of martial law.”

According to GSMA Intelligence, 4G accounts for 78 per cent of mobile connections in Ukraine, offering peak download speeds of 1Gb/s.

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Consumer use during off-grid travel was cited as a primary driver in early direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity adoption in Australia and New Zealand by Gartner analysts, who forecast more than 1.5 million connections on the service in 2027 across the nations.

The projected number of low Earth orbit (LEO) D2D connections next year would be up from an expected 673,000 in 2026. In 2025 the figure for the two countries stood at 251,000.

Gartner noted end user spending on the service last year was $5 million. This is expected to hit $23 million this year and reach $66 million in 2027.

The rise in use of the technology in the countries comes during a period of early rollouts and limited functionality, with initial launches restricted to specific handsets, areas and messaging.   

Gartner senior director analyst Khurram Shahzad highlighted early adoption was being driven by use for safety and in recreational pursuits by consumers, but enterprise demand was “steadily increasing for field operations in industries such as mining, agriculture, forestry and transportation” due to the need for continuous connectivity for operations and worker safety.

“Australia and New Zealand are among the early adopters of LEO D2D satellite communications due to the vast remoteness and persistent gaps in terrestrial mobile coverage in both countries,” Shahzad said.

“Adoption is accelerating rapidly as services move beyond early trials and into broader commercial availability, demonstrating how satellite connectivity can extend mobile coverage without the need for traditional infrastructure.”

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Viasat demonstrated what it claimed was the first satellite-enabled voice call integrated into a BMW Group vehicle, as the satellite operator targets a larger role for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity in connected cars.

Showcasing the technology during the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) Meeting Week in Munich, Germany, Viasat used a BMW iX3 Neue Klasse vehicle’s infotainment system to make the call.

The demonstration relied on Viasat’s L-band satellite network and used the NB-IoT protocol, a standards-based technology designed for lower-data-rate communications, to transmit voice.

Viasat used Qualcomm’s automotive connectivity platform, the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, and German IT research organisation Fraunhofer IIS’ NESC AI-based speech codec to support voice and audio transmission over the satellite network. The technology was integrated into the BMW vehicle’s architecture, allowing the call to be initiated and managed directly through the car interface.

According to Viasat, the trial demonstrated the potential of satellite connectivity to connect drivers and passengers in remote regions and support future automotive applications, including emergency communications, fleet management and messaging in areas with limited cellular availability.

Sandeep Moorthy, senior VP of advanced non-terrestrial solutions at Viasat, said the feat aims “to ensure consistent, resilient satellite capabilities for next-generation vehicles”, adding that “by bringing standards-based NTN to vehicles, we can integrate satellite voice and messaging and ultimately enable a future where drivers can remain connected, wherever the journey takes them”.

Viasat added that future releases could support more advanced services, including 5G New Radio (5G-NR) satellite capabilities, which could enable video streaming and improved interoperability between terrestrial and satellite networks.

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AST SpaceMobile shifted the timeline for reaching its target satellite constellation, moving the milestone from the end of 2026 into early 2027.

The delay was revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulatory filing tied to a $1 billion notes offering and follows a serious setback to one of its two main launch partners

The company stated based on its current expectations around launch availability, its campaign is now targeting approximately 45 BlueBird satellites in orbit by early 2027.

In May, the satellite player targeted approximately the same number of BlueBird satellites in orbit by the end of 2026 after previously projecting 45 to 60 of its next generation birds would launch this year.

In late 2024, AST SpaceMobile signed a multi-launch agreement with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. It previously relied on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets to launch its birds into orbit before attempting to branch out to the larger New Glenn models.

AST SpaceMobile previously predicted an orbital launch cadence of roughly every one to two months in 2026 through deals with multiple launch providers, but New Glenn is no longer an option for this year.

Its multi-provider strategy has been strained since April, when AST lost its BlueBird 7 satellite after a Blue Origin New Glenn launch failed to reach a sustainable orbit.

Analysts previously told Mobile World Live the setback was significant, since New Glenn had been AST’s best launch option for its oversized satellites, and rebuilding that capacity could take a year or more.

The loss of New Glenn as a near-term option appears to have factored into the newly disclosed timeline shift. In the filing, AST SpaceMobile said the timing of future BlueBird launches remains contingent on a number of factors, including completion of satellite assembly and testing, launch vehicle readiness, logistics, and other elements largely outside its control.

The updated timeline accompanied pricing details for AST SpaceMobile’s $1 billion offering of convertible senior notes due 2034, aimed at qualified institutional buyers, with an option for initial purchasers to acquire an additional $150 million.

Offering
Net proceeds are expected to reach roughly $983.6 million, or $1.13 billion if the option is fully exercised, after fees and expenses. The company stated it intends to use the funds to pursue growth initiatives and secure additional access to orbit, “including potential partnerships or acquisitions aimed at further vertically integrating its launch capabilities”.

Tim Farrar, president of TMF Associates, said on X the filing “makes it pretty clear they now intend to buy/invest in a launch provider,” calling it a “fascinating pivot” from expectations AST would direct more capital toward spectrum. He questioned which rocket companies might be available at the right price.

 “What launch provider is for sale that’s ready and able to launch 4,500kg satellites in the near term?”

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India committed to spend an additional INR1.9 trillion ($19.7 billion) on boosting chip and smartphone production in the country, accelerating an initiative first laid out five years ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has allocated around INR1.3 trillion to provide state aid for semiconductors and a INR625 billion outlay on smartphones.

The latest investment builds on the Semicon 1.0 initiative outlined in 2021 to invest around INR1 trillion on starting and establishing the country’s semiconductor sector.

In a statement, Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister for Electronics and Information Technology, explained under the refreshed Semicon 2.0, the nation would focus on ensuring chips are being designed in India that can meet all its needs, and by the end of the programme, “we will be 100% self-reliant”.

He added every major industry leader wants to establish a presence in the country “given the growing interest in India’s semiconductor programme”, pointing to partnerships already established with the US, Japan, the European Union (EU), Netherlands, Singapore and Germany.

The minister added the investment and incentives will be aimed at projects around chip design, fabrication of machinery, R&D and talent creation.

Under the Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme, Vaishnaw said it would create around 60,000 direct jobs, while it will look to incentivise domestic companies with Chinese suppliers currently dominating the market.

India’s semiconductor advancement adds to similar moves in the US, which has a funding programme in place worth $52 billion. The EU recently unveiled a revamp to its own Chips Act.

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Nokia promised significant hikes in spectral efficiency over the next two years as it launched an AI-native RAN platform which relies heavily on Nvidia systems.

The AI-RAN platform is already capable of boosting spectral efficiency by 20% and Nokia stated gains of 50% and 100% would be delivered in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

It hailed the platform as “one of the most significant shifts in radio network architecture in decades”. It hopes to deliver pilot deployments by the end of the year and commercial availability in 2027.

The platform uses Nokia’s anyRAN software so operators running other network vendor’s equipment today can use it, but the bulk of the services available through Nvidia’s systems are reserved for those already using the Finnish provider’s AirScale range.

A GPU-based AirScale capacity plug-in is pitched “as the most efficient path forward”, for example. It brings Nvidia compute capabilities into current networks, “preserving existing” investments and offering the option to employ chips from Marvell Technology.

Nokia also launched a standalone AI-RAN node employing GPUs which can run on 4G and 5G networks, with forward compatibility to likely 6G infrastructure.

Various configurations are available comprising a one-node deployment, clusters and as part of a single logical base station.

GPUs also form the heart of a commercial off-the-shelf server available from Nokia’s partners which it stated would tackle any supply chain worries.

The vendor followed in rival Ericsson’s footsteps by unveiling a subscription-based model enabling operators to access software-based upgrades to equipment without swapping hardware.

Nokia president and CEO Justin Hotard said AI-RAN “makes the network intelligent” and would help operators maximise the capabilities of their current infrastructure.

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, hailed the step as the dawn of a new era for the telecoms sector as the companies turn “RAN into a planet-scale AI computer”.

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Infrastructure provider Zayo revealed a planned CEO transition with former Verizon executive Sowmyanarayan Sampath (pictured) appointed as chief following the eventual retirement of Steve Smith.

Smith remains CEO until 31 August when he will retire. Sampath will take the reins on 1 September while Smith will remain on Zayo’s board following the handover.

During the transition period, Smith and Sampath will work closely with Zayo’s board and leadership team to ensure continuity for customers and stakeholders.

The company positions the leadership transition as a key element for its next phase of AI-driven growth.

Sampath brings more than two decades of large-scale digital infrastructure experience to his new role, most recently as CEO of Verizon Consumer Group.

After joining the company in 2014, he was viewed as former Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg’s likely successor after holding several key executive positions. Last year the mobile operator’s board of directors picked former PayPal chief Schulman to replace Vestberg to boost the company’s finances and subscribers.

Prior to his last position, he served as the CEO of Verizon Business starting in 2022.

He was also Chief Product Officer for the Consumer and Enterprise businesses and CFO at Verizon Media Group.

Sampath was president of Global Enterprise, where he spearheaded the commercial launch of Verizon’s 5G networks and multi-access edge computing (MEC) solutions.

He stated Zayo’s physical network footprint arrives at a moment when the global economy demands significant bandwidth capacity.

“As AI workloads, distributed applications, dense GPU clusters, and hyperscale environments change where capacity is needed, and as large enterprises manage increasingly complex connectivity needs, the network is the ultimate constraint, and Zayo is built to solve this,” he said, noting the company already connects more data centres in the US than any other provider.

During Smith’s tenure, Zayo more than tripled its planned fibre expansion, with projects now spanning more than 15,000 route miles, while advancing automation, internal AI adoption and network service improvements.

He also oversaw the acquisition of Crown Castle’s fibre and small cell assets, adding approximately 90,000 route miles and 40,000 on-net enterprise locations to Zayo’s network.

“Leading Zayo has been a privilege, and I’m deeply proud of what our team has built as we prepare the Company for the next generation of digital infrastructure,” Smith stated, adding he is confident Sampath is the right leader for Zayo’s next chapter and looks forward to supporting him from the board.

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UK operator Virgin Media O2 announced plans to begin its 2G network switch-off in Summer 2029, joining rivals BT and VodafoneThree in setting a date to wind down the legacy technology.

Its timeline is similar to that of the country’s other operators, with BT expecting to begin deactivating 2G in May 2029 and VodafoneThree set to turn off its last sites in Spring 2030.

All three operators have signed a voluntary government charter for retirement of the technology. Commitments in that document include undertaking a gradual process starting in trial areas, thorough testing, and work to aid migration of IoT devices supporting “life critical services” which are currently tied to 2G.  

VMO2 noted decommissioning 2G would mean it could switch resources to 4G and 5G, having turned off 3G in 2025.

Advantages cited include redeployment of spectrum resources, cutting energy consumption and generally upping service levels for customers.

The operator reports its 2G network currently carries less than 0.5% of all data used by its customers.

VMO2 CTO Jeanie York said “having recently switched off our 3G network and signed up to the government 2G switch-off charter, we know exactly how to do this responsibly and without disrupting customers. While most customers won’t need to take any action at all, some businesses might need to start planning for this now”.

“We will communicate with customers directly and ensure we support everyone as this essential upgrade takes place.”

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Ericsson unveiled product upgrades and introduced defined business strategies intended to aid operators in their efforts to up network autonomy.

The announcements from the vendor’s Cloud Software and Services division were made at DTW Ignite 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark today (23 June).

Its main product upgrade is for the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform, which is being expanded from being RAN-centric to support core networks. This, it noted, creates a “unified RAN and core network automation” system for operators.

Ericsson promoted the move as accelerating operator autonomous network transformation and aiding efforts to streamline operations, cut costs and “deliver a more resilient and higher performing core network”.

The vendor asserted the “major expansion” makes it the first to introduce the ability to run core-specific automation applications (cApps).

Ericsson is in the process of developing use cases which will become cApps. The initial batch will cover network use cases for resiliency and performance, and service-oriented iterations to provide premium customer experiences.

In another product-specific upgrade, Ericsson announced a data streaming capability in its Network Manager product for online, low-latency, closed-loop automation.

Operator aid.
The company’s second major announcement was the release of “OSS/BSS business value pathways,” strategies it believes provide guidance to help operators achieve automation aims.  

It stated the pathways are part of wider support for network transformation and commercialisation of AI capabilities.

They are said to provide “actionable routes to assured outcomes” and have been created from the vendor’s engagements with global operators, and its own expertise and product range.

Ericsson head of Solution Area BSS and OSS Mats Karlsson said “autonomous network transformation needs to happen now, at speed and at scale, but barriers and complexity present a challenge”.

“The new telco-specific pathways will help CSPs re-draw how they approach their network and IT evolution, helping them to focus on achieving specified outcomes as they accelerate the creation and monetisation of new services, improve overall efficiency and provide customers of all types with ever-improving differentiated experiences”.

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Nvidia and telecom partners including SoftBank Corp and NTT Data plan to demonstrate a stack of data, models, simulation tools and secure runtimes at DTW Ignite 2026, aimed at helping operators move from task-based automation to fully autonomous network operations.

The company argues while generative AI has delivered strong returns in network management, customer care and back-office automation, most of the impact has been limited to speeding up predetermined steps while humans still correlate insights and direct next actions.

Nvidia’s claims automation is now “the launchpad to autonomy” rather than the end goal, with AI agents expected to proactively monitor for problems and coordinate changes across network, IT and business systems while keeping humans in control of policy.

Nvidia cites figures showing 54% of telecom operators view data-related issues as their biggest obstacle to building telecom-specific AI models, largely because the most valuable network and customer data is too sensitive to use directly for training.

SoftBank Corp is tackling the problem by using Nvidia’s NeMo Safe Synthesizer and NeMo Anonymizer tools to generate privacy-preserving synthetic datasets which mirror the structure of real network performance and configuration datasets.

Those datasets are being used to fine-tune its Large Telecom Model (LTM) and build specialised network agents.

On the runtime side, Nvidia stated its NemoClaw blueprints and OpenShell secure runtime are designed to give long-running agents policy-based guardrails and sandboxed access to telecom systems, allowing operators to expand agent responsibilities while keeping behaviour auditable and governed.

NTT Data is applying Nvidia’s open Nemotron models alongside NemoClaw to build agents which track long-term network performance trends and escalate anomalies to specialised research agents for deeper telemetry analysis.

Other partners building on the same framework include: AdaptKey, which is piloting self-healing 5G agents with operators; ServiceNow, which is bringing its Project Arc incident-response tooling to telecom network operations centres; and Tata Consultancy Services, which is developing a multi-fidelity AI sensor architecture for faster anomaly detection.

Simulation is the third pillar of the effort, intended to let agents test recommendations in near-real-time digital environments before acting on live systems.

Software company Forsk stated its GPU-accelerated radio propagation model now achieves ray-tracing-level accuracy up to 200 times faster than CPU-only systems, while Viavi Solutions reports order-of-magnitude gains in RAN simulation throughput after shifting workloads to Nvidia’s RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell GPUs.

KDDI and KDDI Research, working with Nvidia, Keysight and Samsung Research America, are building a high-fidelity RAN digital twin aimed at the 6G era, allowing multiple autonomous agents to simulate scenarios for future radio conditions and traffic shifts.

The TM Forum’s DTW Ignite conference runs 23–25 June 2026 in Copenhagen.

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Eutelsat continued to make waves in maritime connectivity, renewing an agreement with specialist provider AST Networks involving its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite fleet.

AST Networks already accesses Eutelsat’s LEO birds for its maritime services, so the latest multi-year deal looks to expand on the arrangement by literally growing the amount of satellite capacity used.

It continues a recent run of maritime contracts Eutelsat secured for its OneWeb unit.

The LEO option forms part of a broader connectivity service AST Networks provides to shipping industry customers which Eutelsat stated are increasingly seeking set-ups with high-level performance, resilience and global coverage.

Shipping companies employ such connectivity for staff wellbeing along with operation of their vessels and the running of digital services.

Eutelsat stated the renewed deal is in the multi-million-dollar range. VP of Aero and Maritime Connectivity Thierry Polycarpe said the agreement highlights “the growing demand for LEO-enabled connectivity across the maritime sector”, along with the company’s ability to integrate with hybrid set-ups.

AST Networks CTO Lukasz Latosinski said LEO brings the required level of reliability and low-latency.

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Mavenir unveiled an Agentic Service Assurance Framework designed to automate complex network operations across multiple domains while allowing operators to retain existing infrastructure.

The vendor stated the TM Forum-compliant, multi-agent system combines an intent orchestrator with a layered agentic ecosystem to help detect, diagnose, recommend and resolve network faults faster.

Mavenir positioned the framework as a step toward higher operator productivity and autonomous network operations.

The vendor said network operations across 5G, cloud-native and IP domains are becoming increasingly fragmented and expensive to manage at scale. Traditional assurance systems can identify alarms but often struggle to determine root causes, while the retirement of experienced engineers risks taking years of institutional knowledge out of operations teams.

Multi-vendor environments add another layer of complexity by creating data silos which individual tools cannot easily correlate, according to Mavenir.

At the heart of the framework is Mavenir’s Intent Ops engine, which observes how network operations centre teams work, learns patterns behind successful issue resolution and converts those workflows into repeatable automation templates with explainability and guardrails.

The company explained the workflows are validated against a human baseline before running autonomously, with vetted automations published to an expanding orchestration catalogue.

The framework supports cross-domain monitoring, correlation and root-cause analysis, with closed-loop remediation built on Mavenir products.

It also connects with existing OSS AI agents through the agent-to-agent protocol defined in TM Forum’s IG1453, which Mavenir stated enables operators to preserve prior technology investments while extending automation across the network stack.

Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli told Mobile World Live the foundation AI agents are designed to automate 60% to 75% of routine network operations work, to help operators lower costs, improve service quality and reduce the need to train staff on repetitive tasks.

“In a way, you have a kind of personal assistant always watching you, but this personal assistant is for the network,” he said.

Mavenir did not say when it will be available but a representative stated the initial release is being trialled in customer deployments and future feature releases will be delivered through software upgrades.

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Rakuten Symphony CMO Geoff Hollingworth (pictured) told Mobile World Live (MWL) operators need to conduct a frank assessment about the type of business they want to pursue during an interview in which he predicted a greater number of non-traditional players would soon rattle the market.

Speaking as the company launched a report outlining its vision for how to push growth in the telecoms industry, the executive argued there is a “business model problem” rather than a technology one, with a need to “address how we make money”.

Estimating 95% of enquiries to the software and platform company had the end goal of cutting costs, Hollingworth noted this is due to operators not knowing “what else to do” and not believing the promise “future technologies” such as 6G would bring the cash in.

However, telecoms players “do understand we need to get operating costs down”, with companies set to “keep laying-off people to make sure we maintain a better margin and free cash flow”.

“You cannot reduce yourself out of a hole,” Hollingworth added. “That’s the problem the industry has, but there hasn’t been enough discussion on how” to drive growth.

Change.
In its report, the company offers three main strategies operators can pursue: being a “good utility business” with a cost structure more akin to other players in the field; building a wider offering including links to products and services offered by partners or affiliates; or becoming a platform provider, moving beyond basic wholesale to provide rounded capabilities to third parties focusing on specific market segments.

“All operators should decide what they want to be, then be really good at that,” the executive told MWL, noting there is a good business to be had in any of the three options if operators commit to one. However, he emphasised the status quo is not working.

“The industry hasn’t changed very much in the years its existed, it still measures itself on ARPU and churn. They are the two metrics everyone reports. Those two are great when you’re in a growth market, not a saturated one because suddenly every customer you take is from” someone else.

“Then what happens is you have a price driven landscape with no differentiation and no loyalty at all. You end up buying subs by offering a lower price to get the numbers up, while competitors are doing the same to you”.  

Inability to generate the desired returns from the traditional telecoms market is a factor regularly cited by industry commentators and often acknowledged by operators in arguments calling for regulatory changes and more business-friendly policies.

I don’t think Elon Musk has put 10,000 satellites in the sky to be a support act to existing MNOs and business models

Geoff Hollingworth, CMO Rakuten Symphony

However, the Rakuten executive pointed to an increased urgency to address the situation due to the threat of emerging players.

Highlighting the MVNO launched in the UK by financial technology company Revolut as an example, he predicted more companies which “really focus on customer segments” would move into the market alongside potential future competitors using eSIM platforms or satellite connectivity.

“The reality is going to be the competitive landscape is going to become a lot more crowded for traditional operators,” Hollingworth said, speculating within this “I don’t think Elon Musk has put 10,000 satellites in the sky to be a support act to existing MNOs and business models”.

“I would advise anyone in the industry to at least consider he has some self-serving interest there and he’s not going to play by the traditional rules”.

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Rakuten Symphony appointed former Telefonica CTIO Enrique Blanco (pictured) as a strategic adviser, charging the experienced executive with helping guide the company’s technology and support its ongoing expansion across global markets.

Blanco was global CTIO at Telefonica from 2017 until 2025, having previously been CTO at the group. Towards the end of his stint at the operator he was a vocal supporter of the move to open and virtualised network infrastructure.

Rakuten highlighted the expert brought decades of experience in the telecoms industry, which would help it in a drive to accelerate operator network modernisation.  

Part of the remit of the newly created role is to support adoption of AI-driven operations in the sector, with the ultimate aim of improving end user experience and achieving long term growth.

The vendor noted Blanco joins at a time when operators are upping investments in infrastructure and intelligence while being under pressure to improve returns and deliver better customer experiences.

These trends, it believes, are driving interest in software-based networks, automation and open ecosystems.

Rakuten Symphony president Sharad Sriwastawa said Blanco’s “insights and expertise will accelerate our work with like-minded service providers that want to build better networks for the future of connectivity. His experience will enable us to provide even greater support to operators as they move beyond network modernisation and embrace AI-driven business transformation”.

Blanco added: “The industry has made significant progress over the past decade as we’ve advanced to 5G and beyond, but operators still face many of the same challenges around complexity, cost and speed of innovation.”

Noting Rakuten’s willingness to “rethink” how networks are built and operated, he noted “open architectures, automation and cloud-native technologies give operators more flexibility to adapt their businesses and respond to changing customer expectations. I’m looking forward to helping shape that next stage of the industry’s evolution”.

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SpaceX has agreed to acquire startup Cursor in a $60 billion deal, the latest move in Elon Musk’s push to close the gap with rivals on AI-powered coding tools.

A regulatory filing today (16 June) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed Cursor investors will receive SpaceX stock based on the implied $60 billion equity value of the startup.

The transaction, which converts an earlier option into a binding merger agreement, is expected to close in Q3. After gaining regulatory approvals, Cursor will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SpaceX. The filing was signed by SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen.

The deal came a week after SpaceX completed the largest initial public offering in history.

Bloomberg reported the Cursor acquisition is central to SpaceX’s ambitions for its AI business.

The news outlet noted Musk has publicly acknowledged xAI, which is now part of SpaceX’s operations, trails rivals including Anthropic and OpenAI on coding capabilities.

Bloomberg also reported SpaceX’s AI unit has been hit by internal turmoil, with dozens of departures across engineering and data training and ongoing difficulty recruiting top talent, prompting Elon Musk to bring in leadership from Starlink to steady the business.

It also noted US-based Cursor, whose AI coding assistant launched in 2023, has become one of the fastest-growing coding startups by helping developers write and debug software through chatbot prompts.

Before SpaceX moved to acquire the company, Cursor was reportedly in talks for a funding round that would have valued it at more than $50 billion, according to Bloomberg.

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The TM Forum added satellite to an existing framework for digital networks in recognition of forecasts space-based connectivity is poised to become a significant earner over the next 10 years.

Companies including Rakuten Group, Huawei and Netcracker Technology are joined by operators Telekom Deutschland and Vodacom Group among the initial members of the Open Digital Architecture (ODA) for Satellite initiative.

The standards organisation stated the full potential of satellite for services including IoT and direct-to-device connectivity is being held back by various incompatibilities between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, highlighting billing systems and requirements for specialised devices as examples.

Dr Ryan van den Bergh, managing executive for group technology strategy, architecture, spectrum and assurance at Vodacom, said “greater interoperability and simpler integration” are needed to capitalise on the “significant opportunities” to use satellite connectivity as a complement to ground-based networks.

The TM Forum’s existing ODA covers digitalisation measures spanning automation and intelligence. It stated the satellite element adds standard frameworks, operating models and governance for companies working in the terrestrial and non-terrestrial sectors.

It expects the architecture to lay the groundwork for “seamless multi-orbit service delivery” along with speeding integration and boosting the overall value of space and land-based infrastructure.

Willie Stegmann, the body’s EVP for composable IT and ecosystems, said ODA for Satellite is “a call to action” for the telecoms industry.

The group is “overcoming challenges and unlocking avenues for growth…before operating models, customer ownership and value chains are defined elsewhere”.

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