The GSMA renewed calls to governments and regulators to make the full upper 6GHz band available for mobile, arguing the industry is ready to support large-scale deployments.

More than 60 operators, device manufacturers, chipset makers, network equipment providers and other industry players have backed the position, with the GSMA stating policymakers need to provide greater certainty around future spectrum availability.

According to the industry association, countries representing more than 80% of the global population now support mobile use of the band, which covers 6.425GHz to 7.125GHz. The frequencies have also been included in national spectrum roadmaps. In addition, the first spectrum assignments have already taken place, with further awards expected across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas as market demand evolves.

The GSMA urged policymakers to include the entire band in future spectrum plans and make it available for full-power macro-cell mobile services, arguing this will provide operators with the certainty needed to invest in future networks.

It noted upper 6GHz could add capacity in busy cities as mobile data traffic increases, supporting the evolution of 5G-Advanced and future 6G networks. The band could also support the 200-400MHz channel bandwidths expected in the 6G era.

GSMA director general Vivek Badrinath said the industry is “ready to put the upper 6 GHz spectrum to work for consumers and businesses around the world”, adding, “governments now have an important opportunity to turn international harmonisation into real-world connectivity”.

He argued that “timely, pro-investment spectrum decisions are needed to give operators the certainty to invest”, while arguing such policy moves could support national digital ambitions and inclusive mobile development.

Global effort
The GSMA’s latest call forms part of repeated efforts to secure upper 6GHz for mobile. Last year, the industry association praised guidance by the European Commission’s spectrum advisory group RSPG supporting up to 700MHz for mobile use.

Countries across the world are considering how best to use the 6GHz band. In January, UK regulator Ofcom proposed sharing the band between mobile and Wi-Fi, prompting the GSMA to warn the approach could constrain future mobile deployment.

Meanwhile, China approved regional 6GHz trials for 6G in May and earlier this month, Nokia and Optus tested the spectrum across several use cases.

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Industry associations the GSMA and TM Forum agreed a collaboration to aid adoption of practical AI systems across a range of use cases within the telecoms industry.

In a joint statement, GSMA director of AI initiatives Louis Powell and TM Forum EVP products and services Andy Tiller explained the organisations would work together to help create open AI models and frameworks able to meet the industry’s very specific needs.

“Networks underpin the cloud, device and edge capabilities on which AI depends,” the two argued.

“Yet telcos themselves have not fully captured the value of AI within their own operations”. 

“If the industry is to accelerate towards more autonomous, AI-native networks, it must align on shared assets, common standards and practical implementation pathways”.

The organisations address complementary areas towards the common goal. The GSMA is working on relevant models and agentic systems through the Open Telco AI initiative and TM Forum is focusing on frameworks and standards to align the industry and ensure interoperability.

They labelled the collaboration as being “about connecting the AI stack end-to-end, combining shared models, common frameworks and practical deployment pathways, with the trust required for critical network environments”.

Problem
Explaining the rationale for the closer ties between the organisations, Powell and Tiller argued adoption of AI is more complex in telecoms than other industries, but is a board-level priority in many organisations.

Among the difficulties cited is the multi-vendor nature of network architecture, with fragmented, siloed data and “very little tolerance for error”.

They also noted frontier AI models are not designed for operators and have not been trained on industry-specific data, leaving deployments limited to areas outside of the network layer such as customer experience.

Data published by GSMA Intelligence noted 16% of AI deployments target network use cases, despite networks accounting for 34% of opex.

The organisations believe the telecoms industry needs to “align to solve these challenges for itself, building AI approaches that reflect the complexity, economics and operational realities of the industry”.

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LIVE FROM MWC SHANGHAI 2026: Vivek Badrinath, director general of the GSMA (pictured), spotlighted humanoid robotics, the low-altitude economy and autonomous vehicles as three of the most promising markets emerging from Asia’s mobile ecosystem, as he underlined the importance of telco infrastructure in powering the continent’s future.

Badrinath declared the mobile industry had moved on from connecting people and businesses and now has a new opportunity “to connect and coordinate intelligent systems at scale”.

“Systems that sense, decide and act in the real world across our cities, infrastructure and economies.”

The first of his three big opportunities for Asia, robotics and embodied AI, is showcased by how robots are moving from production laboratories to the real economy.

“They are moving into our factories, our restaurants, our airports and, one day, our homes. And while the applications differ across sectors, they all depend on the same foundation: advanced connectivity.”

Badrinath highlighted demonstrations on show at MWC Shanghai this week including the Robot Football Challenge, along with recent Chinese operator developments as signs of the progress.

“In hospitality, China Mobile is developing robots that support order collection, preparation and delivery. In sectors like aviation and logistics, China Telecom is working with AgiBot on a new Robotics-as-a-Service model. And in chemical industries, China Unicom is showing how robots can inspect, diagnose and respond to hazards, taking on tasks that are too dangerous for humans alone.”

Low-altitude economy
The GSMA boss also picked up on a new layer of mobility emerging quickly in China, drones, UAVs and other low-altitude services.

He stated there are more than 3 million registered drones in China, with thousands in the air at any one time during peak periods.

In 2025, total flight time surpassed 45 million hours, a 70% increase on 2024.

“And with that scale comes a new set of opportunities: China Mobile, for example, is employing drones for site inspections in remote facilities, like power stations, solar farms and railways. At the same time, China Telecom is using them to monitor air quality and detect pollution in Nanjing. And China Unicom is advancing delivery use cases, including blood supply transport to hospitals in Anyang.”

“But with these developments also come new responsibilities. All three operators are building platforms to help monitor airspace, identify risks and support safer operations. What we are seeing is a new frontier of economic activity. And its success will depend on secure, intelligent and uninterrupted connectivity.”

On the road
The third area piquing Badrinath’s interest is how vehicles have become intelligent, software-defined platforms aware of their surroundings and connected to the world around them.

He said Chinese operators are driving this shift: “China Mobile is building an AI ecosystem that connects user devices, vehicles and smart home environments. China Telecom is integrating non-terrestrial networks into vehicles to support remote maintenance and emergency connectivity. And China Unicom is pioneering Vehicle-to-Everything capabilities, enabling hazard detection and vehicle-to-vehicle communications.”

“All of this points to a future where our vehicles are no longer standalone products, but vital parts of our connected world.”

Best yet to come
He issued a call to action that the future would not be built by operators alone.

“It will require continued collaboration between mobile operators, technology companies, industry partners and governments.”

“If we get that collaboration right, I’m confident the most transformative applications are still to come.”

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LIVE FROM MWC SHANGHAI 2026: The world’s largest mobile market now boasts the majority of its connections running over 5G, with the technology powering 55% of all connections since the end of last year.

The GSMA’s Mobile Economy China 2026 report – released on the eve of the show this week – predicts 5G will account for 61% of connections in the country by the end of this year and 88% by 2030.

The performance of 5G in China so far means the nation already accounts for over 40% of global 5G connections.

China surpassed 1 billion 5G connections in 2024, highlighting the rapid adoption of the technology since its launch five years ago.

“The influence of national policy should help sustain 5G’s momentum in China,” notes the report. “The Chinese government has made 5G a national priority as part of broader goals targeting digital transformation and making the economy internationally competitive. Such goals are directly integrated into the agendas and corporate strategies of operators and network vendors, boosting the supply side of the 5G market.”

The report adds that with 5G services now firmly established, the focus of Chinese operators and vendors is shifting to 5G-Advanced.

It claims 5G-Advanced is now commercialised across more than 330 mainland cities, surpassing 30 million users.

“China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom have all conducted early trials and deployments of the technology, focusing on unlocking new applications in areas such as autonomous vehicles, drones and extended reality (XR).”

Economic impact
As always, the latest GSMA report was keen to talk up mobile’s boost to China’s economy, driving growth across industries, creating jobs and boosting gross domestic product (GDP).

Mobile technologies and services now generate around 6.2% of China’s GDP – a contribution that amounts to $1.2 trillion of economic value added. By 2030, the report states this will rise to approximately $2 trillion, equivalent to 8.3% of GDP.

“Much of this will be driven by the improvements in productivity and efficiency brought about by the continued expansion of mobile services and the growing adoption of digital technologies, including 5G, IoT and AI.”

Usage gap
Surprisingly, there remains work to be done on ensuring everyone that lives within reach of a mobile network can access services. In fact, despite 91% internet connectivity across the country, a usage gap of 18% remains, representing millions of people yet to benefit fully from China’s digital economy. This approximate 250 million people not using mobile internet is mostly from the youngest and oldest age groups.

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The GSMA cautioned European regulations must be aligned to enable the infrastructure investments needed for the mobile industry to maintain steady growth in an already substantial contribution to GDP.

In a statement promoting the release of GSMA Intelligence’s latest regional Mobile Economy report issued ahead of the pending presidency of the European Union (EU) by the Republic of Ireland, the association reiterated concerns over network quality, 5G penetration and a gap in the funding required.

GSMA director general Vivek Badrinath noted the decisions taken during the six-month presidency and beyond “will ultimately determine how well we bolster the foundational role mobile technologies play in modern society”.

Improved mobile capabilities would also help determine “how well-equipped Europe’s digital ecosystem is to grow and compete with leading global markets”, he said.

GSMA Intelligence’s research indicates the mobile sector contributed €1.2 trillion to the EU’s GDP in 2025, up from €1 trillion in 2024.

It forecast the sum could reach €1.6 trillion in 2030, 8.2% of overall GDP compared with 6.1% in 2025.

The industry accounted for 1.3 million direct and 1.1 million indirect jobs at end-2025.

But the GSMA reiterated 5G accounted for 43% of mobile connections at end-2025 and highlighted a potential €270 billion shortfall in future funding needs.

Backing
Politicians and lobbyists said they recognise the importance of mobile connectivity to the Republic of Ireland and Europe as a whole.

The nation’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said creating conditions which “allow Europe’s digital ecosystem to truly thrive is a high agenda item” during its EU presidency.

He highlighted the importance of getting politicians and industry players together to “ensure opportunities are not missed to drive European competitiveness and growth”.

Nicola Cooke, director of lobby group Ibec’s Telecommunications Industry Ireland, noted the sector is at “an important crossroads” due to pending digital networks and cybersecurity legislation, and vowed to step up efforts to advance investment “in this vital national infrastructure”.

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GSMA warned 810 million women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) still do not use mobile internet, flagging slow progress in closing the digital gender gap.

In its latest Mobile Gender Gap Report 2026, the industry association found that in comparison, 595 million men in the same markets are not connected to mobile internet. Indeed, women in LMICs were 12% less likely than men to use mobile internet, leaving 200 million fewer women online.

Smartphone ownership remains a major barrier, as women in LMICs are 13% less likely than men to own a smartphone, equivalent to around 210 million fewer female owners.

The report found awareness of mobile internet is high and almost equal among men and women, but adoption continues to be held back by handset affordability, literacy and digital skills gaps. Even after women are connected, usage remains restricted due to safety and security concerns, data affordability and poor connectivity.

GSMA explained women are disproportionately affected due to social norms and structural inequalities, including lower education and income.

The report found the divide most acute in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where mobile internet adoption stands at 26% and 25% respectively. The regions together also account for more than two-thirds of the 810 million unconnected women.

Women in rural areas continue to face a sharper divide, with the report stating the gender gap is typically two to three times wider outside urban areas. The disparity is particularly pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

Looking ahead, the industry association estimated closing the mobile internet adoption gap in LMICs between 2023 and 2030 could add $1.3 trillion to GDP. Meanwhile, narrowing the wider mobile ownership and usage gap could generate $230 billion in additional revenue for the mobile industry.

It called for coordinated action on handset and data affordability, digital skills, safety, services designed for women and wider structural inequalities.

Claire Sibthorpe, head of digital inclusion at GSMA, said “much more is needed to address the persistent and significant gender gaps in mobile internet adoption and use”. She warned AI and other emerging technologies are “creating greater digital divides and inequities”, making digital inclusion increasingly urgent.

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Ao completar 10 anos, a tecnologia eSIM não conseguiu o efeito previsto no mercado. Há uma nova era dos cartões eletrónicos de comunicação a começar, segundo a GSMA.

The post eSIM não cumpriu promessas nas redes móveis mas pode ter um “renascimento” em novas áreas appeared first on Tek Notícias.

The GSMA and a group of aviation, security and connectivity companies called for industry alignment on drone identification, tracking and connection in a bid to build safer airspaces.

In a Joint Requirements Statement developed through the GSMA’s Fusion initiative, contributors including Ericsson, Nokia, Viasat, NextNav and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre set out the role of mobile networks in supporting drone operations. The organisations urged operators, regulators, aviation stakeholders and governments to integrate telecom capabilities in future drone and airspace policy.

The group stated mobile networks could support drone identity, authentication, geolocation, real-time telemetry assurance, prioritised connectivity and cross-border interoperability. It also pointed to non-terrestrial networks as a key resilience tool for drone operations, especially in areas beyond traditional coverage for remote, maritime, disaster recovery and national security related missions.

Programmable network capabilities and APIs, including GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA-aligned frameworks, were also tipped as tools to support aviation safety, security and efficiency requirements.

The group emphasised the importance of electronic conspicuity, the identification and visibility of drones and aircraft to airspace users and authorities through real-time data sharing. It highlighted the growing importance of drone tracking as governments and regulators step up the deployment of flights beyond the visual line of sight, drone first responder programmes and autonomous aircraft.

A lack of early coordination could leave the sector with fragmented national approaches before global drone frameworks are established, the group warned.

Barney Stinton, GSMA Fusion market development lead for aviation, said the drone market is “scaling far faster than many of today’s airspace and identification frameworks were originally designed for”, adding the statement is “an important signal from industry that mobile networks have a major role to play in supporting safe, trusted and interoperable drone operations at scale”.

He explained the goal is “not to replace existing aviation systems but to bring together aviation, government and telecom industries early enough to avoid fragmentation”.

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