Reuters reported the deal is worth about $10 billion dollars.

The vendor is now using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform portfolio and its Gemini AI large language models to power its own copilots, ensuring optimised performance, scale and reliability for customers. 

The expanded partnership unites Google Cloud’s advanced AI and infrastructure capabilities with Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Airs AI security platform to empower enterprises to securely develop and deploy AI offerings.

According to Palo Alto Networks’ state of cloud report released in December, enterprises are dramatically increasing their use of cloud infrastructure to support new AI applications and services. However, 99 per cent of the surveyed organisations experienced at least one attack on their AI infrastructure over the past year.

The two companies stated the newly announced agreement addresses these challenges by offering enhanced go-to-market strategies and building security into every aspect of the AI lifecycle.

Google Cloud president Matt Renner stated the “latest expansion of our partnership will ensure that our joint customers have access to the right solutions to secure their most critical AI infrastructure and develop new AI agents with security built in from the start”.

Palo Alto Networks previously had more than 75 joint integrations with Google Cloud and $2 billion in sales through Google Cloud Marketplace.

The post Palo Alto strikes multibillion dollar deal with Google Cloud appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The judge issued her finding yesterday (18 December) in a US federal court which stated T-Mobile’s Easy Switch programme “accessed AT&T’s protected computer systems without its authorisation”.

“T-Mobile’s unauthorised access allowed it to obtain over 100 fields of private customer data from AT&T’s servers for each affected customer and transmit that information back to T-Mobile’s servers in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act, the Comprehensive Computer DataAccess and Fraud Act, and the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act.”

The judge noted “AT&T has and will incur immediate, irreparable harm if a temporary restraining order is not issued”.

T-Mobile deployed a beta version of Easy Switch at the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix on 20 November.

Easy Switch is an AI tool which analyses current AT&T or Verizon accounts before recommending optimal T-Mobile plans.

AT&T sought a temporary restraining order to prevent T-Mobile from using the price comparison tool to access password-protected software without its permission. It implemented security measures to block the first version of Easy Access on 24 November.

After AT&T’s countermeasures, T-Mobile disabled the original Easy Switch on 26 November and replaced it with the current version.

On 5 December, T-Mobile’s counsel told AT&T it “does not intend to revert to the original version of Easy Switch”.

T-Mobile argues AT&T’s lawsuit is moot since it no longer uses the version of Easy Switch which scrapes customer data.

“The threat of harm remains despite T-Mobile’s deactivation of Easy Switch because, as T-Mobile represented on the record, it is T-Mobile’s intent to retain the ability to ‘use something very similar [to the Easy Switch tool] that does the same thing but might be tweaked a little bit differently in the future,’” the ruling stated.

The temporary restraining order will expire at the end of 28 days after it was issued unless AT&T and T-Mobile come to an agreement or by a court order.

The post Judge sides with AT&T in lawsuit against T-Mobile US appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Orange advances towards full ownership of Spanish JV

What happened: Orange signed a binding agreement to acquire the remaining 50 per cent stake in its Spanish JV MasOrange from partner Lorca for €4.3 billion, moving towards full ownership of the business.

Why it matters: The transaction follows an initial agreement reached at the end of October and is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, with completion expected in the first half of 2026. Orange said the deal would accelerate its strategy and strengthen its position in Spain, its second-largest European market. The operator added the deal “confirms its long-term industrial commitment” in the country and its “confidence in MasOrange and its management to create value for all stakeholders”. CFO Laurent Martinez said the acquisition “marks a decisive step in strengthening Orange’s leadership in Europe”, citing MasOrange’s scale of more than 30 million customers. MasOrange was created last year through a merger of Masmovil and Orange’s Spanish operation, following Lorca’s acquisition of Masmovil in 2020. Thomas Railhac, partner at Lorca backer Cinven, said the deal punctuates MasOrange’s “transformational growth story” of becoming Spain’s largest mobile operator, with its enterprise value rising from €5 billion to more than €20 billion.

US halts technology trade talks with UK

What happened: The US suspended technology-related trade talks with the UK, halting progress on a bilateral “technology prosperity deal” agreed during US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain in September.

Why it matters: According to the BBC, Trump’s administration paused discussions last week amid frustration over the pace of wider trade negotiations as the US lobbies for concessions beyond the scope of the technology partnership. The agreement, designed to boost cooperation in areas including AI, quantum computing and nuclear energy, reportedly also included £31 billion in investments from US heavyweights including Microsoft, Nvidia and Google. Despite the setback, a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the publication the UK remains in “active conversations with US counterparts at all levels of government”, while cautioning that “negotiations of this kind are never straightforward”. Allie Renison, director of communications company SEC Newgate UK, told the BBC the impasse reflected the countries’ “slightly piecemeal approach” to trade deals. “Instead of having everything done at once, different areas are being linked to different parts,” she said, adding that concerns in other trade areas were feeding into technology talks. While questions remain over the pledged investments, Renison argued the disruption was unlikely to be more than “a bit of posturing in the wider negotiations”.

Ericsson, stc strike deal to drive digital in Saudi Arabia

What happened: Ericsson signed a five-year agreement with stc to support the development of Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure, with a focus on 5G hardware and software, cloud-native technologies and advanced AI capabilities.

Why it matters: Under the agreement, stc will use Ericsson’s latest portfolio to accelerate its 5G expansion and advance the rollout of standalone (SA) 5G, 5G-Advanced and massive MIMO. The operator said SA 5G features, including network slicing, will enable it to deliver differentiated connectivity across a range of consumer and enterprise use cases, supporting its aim to develop a “scalable, resilient and future-ready mobile network”. The partnership also aims to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 government programme, alongside longer-term readiness for 6G and self-optimising networks. Abdullah Alowini, supply chain VP at stc, said the agreement will help accelerate enterprise innovation and support the country’s ambition to “build a globally competitive digital economy”. Ericsson and stc have a long-standing partnership, which has included the rollout of one of the country’s first 5G networks in 2019. The deal also strengthens Ericsson’s presence in a strategically important market, following its announcement earlier this year its new Middle East and Africa headquarters will be in Riyadh.

The post Orange seals MasOrange deal; US, UK tech talks stall appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Free joins more that 60 partners using the platform, Nokia noted, which supports a “growing number of use cases spanning several industries, including banking, healthcare, automotive and entertainment”.

The platform provides a single interface for developers and enterprises to access capabilities across a number of operators. The vendor added it drew “inspiration from industry initiatives like GSMA Open Gateway and the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project”.

Free CEO Nicolas Thomas said the partnership with Nokia “helps us foster an environment where new APIs and services are being created to benefit our partners, customers and society at large”.

Supporting applications by providing access to network APIs has been a major industry drive in recent years, with the GSMA’s initiative drawing broad industry support since being launched at MWC23 Barcelona.

In 2024, a group of leading mobile operators joined forces with Nokia rival Ericsson to form Aduna, a company tasked with coordinating API efforts led by the Swedish vendor.

The post French operator Free, Nokia ink API pact appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Bloomberg reported investors including Oracle, private equity player Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi investment company MGX will take an 80.1 per cent stake in a new TikTok USDS joint venture, while ByteDance will retain 19.9 per cent.

The news outlet reported it had seen an internal memo from TikTok CEO Shou Chew, who revealed the deals had been signed and the transactions were expected to close on 22 January 2026.

Chew apparently added “there’s more work to be done before then”.

Should the deals close, TikTok will operate as an independent US joint venture, controlling data, content moderation and algorithm security, Chew added. It will be governed by a new seven-member US majority board of directors.

The deal is significant, potentially ending years of uncertainty around the future of TikTok in the US. President Donald Trump first began a campaign to have the social media app banned in 2020 due to security concerns given its Chinese ownership.

In September this year, Trump signed an executive order to split off TikTok from ByteDance, allowing US investors to hold a majority stake in the new entity.

CNBC reported at the time the trio of companies that have now been named as investors would take a 15 per cent stake each in the entity.

Chinese regulators have, however, not confirmed they will sign off on the deals, added Bloomberg.

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Mobile World Live (MWL) surveyed several industry analysts for their perspectives on what worked in 2025, what did not and where AI is headed in 2026.

This AI panel of experts includes AvidThink founder and principal Roy Chua, Scott Raynovich, founder and principal analyst at research company Futuriom, Appledore founder and principal analyst Patrick Kelly, and Matt Walker, chief analyst at MTN Consulting.

MWL: Is the much talked about AI bubble real or imagined?

Walker: “Most definitely this is a bubble and has been for several quarters. It hasn’t popped because people keep raising the stakes and nobody is willing to back away and pursue a different strategy. Unless they are forced to, as Chinese companies are due to supply chain constraints. That may be a hidden blessing.”

Chua: “There’s definitely a valuation bubble for specific AI companies”.  He noted OpenAI went from $300 billion valuation in March to $500 billion in October this year. “Since the end of 2022, AI-related equities have driven 75 per cent to 80 per cent of the S&P 500’s earnings and total performance. The Bank of England is worried, and even Sam Altman admits investors are ‘overexcited’.

“Nevertheless, the underlying technology demand is very real. Hyperscalers can’t get GPUs fast enough, and the infrastructure buildout looks like the 1990s internet boom again. Over five to ten years, AI will likely have more impact than the internet or mobile but expect some painful corrections along the way.”

Raynovich: “Somewhat yes. The near-term value as expressed in financial markets is overexuberant, but its long-term impact will definitely be profound.”

MWL: 2025 was supposed to be the year of agentic AI, or, more granularly AI agents. Did it live up to the hype?

Kelly: “Early deployments demonstrate that AI agents can deliver measurable improvements when applied to well-defined domains such as RAN optimisation, transport anomaly detection, and fibre fault resolution.

“However, widescale adoption remains constrained. Appledore Research finds that the primary barrier is not model performance but data accessibility and quality. Fragmented data across OSS, network domains, and IT systems limits an agent’s ability to reason accurately and act confidently.”

Raynovich: “I give it a C+. It’s definitely going to be a long-lived technology but there are many things to work out on the compliance and security side.”

Chua: “Not quite, but that’s okay. The ‘year of the agent’ delivered more of a reality check than a revolution. While many organisations experimented with agents, only 17 per cent reached full deployment, per PwC’s Agent AI survey in 2025.

“However, AI agents are rapidly improving, and the state-of-the-art as represented by coding agents has progressed tremendously through 2025.  In general, agents worked great in bounded domains. And we’re seeing them across most telco OSS and BSS systems performing limited tasks well.”

MWL: What are the roadblocks for large-scale AI deployments?

Walker: “It depends on what kind of AI. With generative AI, the predictive, probabilistic nature of the models means that results are different every time they are run.”

“That is a big roadblock for an industry used to certainty and five-nines of reliability.”

Raynovich: “Security, data privacy, governance, and sovereignty.”

Chua: “Data, talent and culture. Few business leaders think their data maturity can support AI at scale, and many we talk to say data management can’t keep pace. We keep hearing that telcos are sitting on decades of siloed systems that don’t talk to each other.”

“The talent gap is brutal, and telcos have a hard time finding the ‘purple squirrels’ who understand both AI and telco. The hyperscalers and model builders are outbidding everyone for pure AI talent.

“Then there’s cultural resistance. At TM Forum’s DTW, industry leaders called it the primary hurdle to network automation. Fix the foundations first, or you’re just doing AI theatre.”

MWL: Are operators deploying AI to make money or save money?

Chua: “Save money. Telco survival demands it. As I shared, the GSMA confirms 75 percent to 80 per cent of deployments target cost reduction.

“But the pivot is starting. Deutsche Telekom is building a €1 billion ‘AI Factory’ with Nvidia. SK Telecom is pushing GPU-as-a-service, and T-Mobile US is using AI-powered switching tools to poach competitors’ customers. I think the path is clear: Save first to fund the revenue experiments.”

Walker: “So far it is mostly about cost and time saving. Hopefully next year we will start seeing more revenue growth examples.”

Raynovich: “The initial lift will come on the savings side. The operators that can efficiently connect data centres will see lift on the revenue side as well.”

MWL: Which US operator had the most success deploying AI this year?

Walker: “I would say that T-Mobile US deserves some recognition given the DT group leadership.”

Chua: “Probably T-Mobile, given their much lauded OpenAI-powered IntentCX platform. The T-Life app’s ‘Easy Switch’ feature completes carrier switching in 15 minutes using AI-recommended plans. These efforts are likely contributing to T-Mobile’s continued postpaid net adds that outpace the competition.”

MWL: Which vendor ruled the AI roost in 2025?

Chua: “Nvidia, obviously. They own 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the AI accelerator market. And they are spreading excess cash to give them visibility and influence over the data centre, application, and telco markets. For example, the $1 billion infusion into Nokia and the partnership for 6G AI-RAN help bolster their telecom position.

“Broadcom is also notable for its custom ASICs for Alphabet and Meta, as well as an OpenAI deal that represents 10GW of AI accelerators between 2026 and 2029.”

Raynovich: “Ciena had an epic year.”

Walker: “Ciena is a strong contender. Even if there is an AI bubble, all of these new AI data centres and factories need fibre connectivity, and Ciena is a leader in the space. It has a strong relationship with Meta, for example.

“Plus, Ciena continues to be a leading player in optics/IP in the telco market.”

MWL: What’s next for AI vendors, enterprises and operators?

Raynovich: “We believe the next phase of growth in AI is implementing AI at the edge, implementing new AI-focused data sovereignty and security solutions, and helping enterprises manage their data and AI applications.”

Chua: “Physical AI and edge intelligence. The next killer apps are robots, drones, and autonomous systems that need real-time network connectivity because they can’t process everything on-device.

“Telcos may own the beachfront property for supporting edge intelligence, but they should be cautious given past failings in MEC.

“Sovereign AI clouds are becoming real products. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and others are wrapping Nvidia compute in national flags for regulated industries. Operators who figure this out could evolve into AI infrastructure providers, but the path will prove treacherous for all save the nimblest of telcos.”

Walker: “Not anytime soon, outside of attention-grabbing trials that don’t scale,” when asked about mass deployments of physical AI for robots or edge devices next year.

The post Analysis: Was AI overhyped or successful in 2025? appeared first on Mobile World Live.

China’s top tech giants, led by e-commerce giant Alibaba, earmarked at least CNY380 billion ($54 billion) in compute power and AI infrastructure this year.

While both countries are investing huge sums to emerge as a leader in the segment, they have vastly different goals.

Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei last month pointed out the US is exploring artificial general intelligence (AGI) and artificial superintelligence to solve big issues, such as “what it means to be human”.

This is clearly demonstrated by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s bold ambition, outlined in July, to bring “personal superintelligence” to billions of users. It has allocated to up $27 billion to AI compute this year.

Real-world applications
In contrast, Ren said China is studying the adoption of AI in real-world scenarios, aiming to create more value and drive growth, with a focus on improving industrial efficiency, safety and profitability.

The CEO said the key technical requirement for AI is having sufficient electricity and a well-developed information network, two areas where China has a significant advantage over the US. “China has excellent power generation and grid transmission systems, and its communication network is the most advanced in the world.”

He told a gathering of students last month at its Lianqiu Lake Campus AI’s sensing and control capabilities will depend on data transmitted across thousands of kilometres, which will require advanced networks.

Leonardo Dinic, an adviser on geopolitics and international business, highlighted in an article in China-US Focus that while both countries’ AI strategies are globally ambitious, there are clear differences. 

He suggested the US “explicitly promotes the export” of end-to-end AI technology, covering hardware, models, software, applications and standards to allies and firm geopolitical partners, to prevent competing adversaries from free-riding on innovation. 

Meanwhile, China is positioning itself as a partner for Global South nations by emphasising “open technology exchange, cross-border cooperation”, which is less conditioned by each actor’s political alignment, Dinic noted.

Lagging in AI chips
Despite restricted access to the most advanced AI chips, Chinese AI companies, demonstrated by start-up DeepSeek introducing its R1 model in January, are keeping up with US leaders in many categories.

TrendForce analyst Frank Kung told Mobile World Live Chinese AI suppliers have adopted an approach of using a larger number of chips compared with US-based GPUs, such as Nvidia’s. 

He explained: “This entails disadvantages such as higher costs and a much larger data centre footprint when assembling equivalent systems, but it is also a breakthrough strategy that they are effectively compelled to pursue.”

The country’s AI suppliers face disadvantages in upstream supply, such as wafer fabrication and high-bandwidth availability, as well as in process technology, Kung added. 

As a result, their development path is mainly focused on two directions.

First, they adopt a server-cluster approach: while individual chips may underperform compared with leading alternatives, system-level performance is achieved by aggregating a larger number of chips.

Second, they place greater emphasis on AI inference applications. Although their capabilities in large-scale LLM training may be less competitive, they aim to compensate by developing more diversified AI application scenarios, he noted.

The pod advantage
Huawei rotating chair Eric Xu acknowledged at the chip level, the performance of an individual AI Huawei chip is not as good as Nvidia’s, “but at a super pod level, we can deliver the most powerful systems in the market”.

In September, he detailed the company’s roadmap for AI computing platforms, with plans to release the world’s most powerful single system in Q4 2026 and then double the performance with a new launch a year later.

Looking ahead, talk of an AI bubble rages on not only in the US but globally, with downside risks coming from over-investment (possibly repeating Meta’s metaverse overreach) to a lack of electricity to power data centres in some locations.

From a global perspective, Kung noted the major source of uncertainty stems from geopolitical risks. “An unstable political and economic environment – such as export controls, bans or tariffs – could lead enterprises to adopt a more cautious stance, increasing the risk of tightened procurement spending and slower adoption.”

Ren earlier suggested the development of AI will take decades, even centuries, advising “don’t worry.”

Such a “long march” view leaves plenty of time for shares of AI companies to soar to new peaks and for the market to sustain a wrenching correction, and the two countries to continue to battle for the claim of AI champion.

The post AI feature: Chinese practicality vs US idealism  appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The 40-page report stated: “The real tragedy here was the duration of the Triple Zero call outage and the failure of Optus and its contractors to deal immediately with the warning signals they received. At Optus and Nokia, the necessary processes were in place, but their requirements were not performed properly.”

Optus chair John Arthur detailed in a response to the report: “I have made it clear the Optus failures were unacceptable. The board is taking further action in relation to individual accountabilities flowing from the incident, which will extend from financial penalties through to termination in appropriate cases.”

He added sharing the report “underscores our commitment to being open” about what occurred, and it will assist the broader industry in tackling the challenges facing the sector.

The report highlighted a number of key issues. The first was “the very poor management and performance within networks [department] and its contractor Nokia. Process was not followed, and incorrect procedures were selected. Checks were inadequate, controls avoided and alerts given insufficient attention.”

It noted “there appeared to be reticence in seeking more experienced advice within networks and a focus on speed and getting the task done, rather than an emphasis on doing things properly. This behaviour must be rectified to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated.”

The second problem was at the call centre. “Instructions to operators did not recognise that they may be the first alert channel for Triple Zero difficulties.”

The review acknowledged Optus is moving part of its call centre back to Australia and operating that service locally 24/7, which it noted will improve call centre response.

The internal investigation was ordered following a failure of its emergency call network on 18 September that was linked to two deaths.

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The operator noted the debentures, issued by subsidiary Vodafone Idea Telecom Infrastructure, were oversubscribed by a diverse group of investors, including non-banking financial companies, overseas portfolio investors and alternative investment funds.

CEO Abhijit Kishore stated the capital strengthens its momentum as it continues “to scale our network and enhance services”, adding the fundraising “reinforces investor confidence in our strategy and long-term vision”.

He noted it is holding discussions with banks about raising long-term debt to support capex.

The government is considering offering a moratorium on interest on its INR830 billion adjusted gross revenue (AGR) levies and reassessing its outstanding liabilities.

Vodafone Idea is the third-largest mobile player in India with 197 million subscribers at end-September, down from about 261 million in Q3 2020.

The post Vodafone Idea raises $367M to fund growth appeared first on Mobile World Live.

US-based Kodiak AI offers an autonomous driver-as-a-service capability, using its AI-powered virtual driver for long-haul, industrial, and defence trucking applications. Its system enables continuous, driverless operations, supported by AI.

The company’s assisted autonomy capability is enabled by Verizon partner Vay Technology, a provider of automotive-grade remote driving technology.

Assisted autonomy enables remote human assistance in low-speed or clearly defined situations, with low latency across long distances in remote areas.

Use cases for the partnership include over-the-air software updates, remote fleet management and remote assistance for Kodiak’s long-haul trucking and industrial operations.

Kodiak AI is using Verizon Business’ 5G telematics and its ThingSpace IoT platform to manage the massive amount of date generated from its driverless trucks.

The collaboration also leverages Verizon’s 5G and LTE networks to provision Kodiak’s advanced data capabilities.

The post Verizon drives data for autonomous truck company appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Deployments of the AIR 3255 Massive MIMO antenna-integrated radios began earlier this month. They cover the 4.5GHz band.

Ericsson explained the latest radios are compatible with Docomo’s existing 3.7GHz Massive MIMO equipment, a pairing it stated would boost the flexibility and reliability of the operator’s network.

Masafumi Masuda, SVP and general manager of Docomo’s RAN design department, said the AIR 3255 equipment would help it “maintain and improve network quality” at a time of growing demand.

The Ericsson equipment advances Docomo’s overall Massive MIMO rollout, the executive said.

Docomo might be seeking customer experience improvements, but Ericsson emphasised the equipment would also improve its operational metrics through reductions in power consumption and weight.

It stated the AIR 3255 equipment weighs 13kg, 20 per cent less than its previous generation. Power consumption is cut by 25 per cent and embodied CO2 footprint by 20 per cent.

The post Ericsson handles Docomo Massive MIMO deployment appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Vittal is currently MD and vice chair, the latter responsibility he assumed in October 2024 when the company announced what it described as a structured succession process.

He was previously MD and CEO, leading the company’s operations in India for more than a decade.

In its statement confirming final details of the upcoming change, the company explained Vittal would now oversee Bharti Airtel and its subsidiaries, while also being “responsible for driving group synergies in the areas of digital and technology, network strategy, procurement and talent”.

The executive is also charged with group strategy and “futureproofing the organisation for the next evolution of its development”.

Sharma is to become CEO and MD of Bharti Airtel India after spending more than a year as CEO designate, working alongside Vittal to prepare for the handover.    

Another upcoming change at the company involves the CFO of its India operation, Soumen Ray, moving to lead the financial office at group level.

Ray’s old job will be taken by financial controller Akhil Garg.

The post Airtel board rubber stamps leadership changes appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The PAVE360 Automotive technology targets production of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with a host of integrated systems Siemens stated removes the need for manufacturers to design their own digital twins.

It is pitching the set-up as a tonic for rising complexity in vehicle hardware and software.

PAVE360 Automotive mirrors real-world vehicle hardware to promote the development of automated driver assistance systems, autonomous driving and infotainment equipment.

Siemens Digital Industries Software president and CEO Tony Hemmelgarn said the technology would enable automotive manufacturers to access “the digital twin technologies needed to move beyond incremental innovation” by adopting a “software-defined approach to product development”.

The software provides virtual reference designs for ADAS, automated driving and infotainment. Siemens also pitched benefits of improved cloud collaboration by employing a single digital twin across multiple teams, along with a modular approach to software and external hardware.

Digital twins are designed to be connected with physical hardware and tests using real vehicles.

Siemens highlighted an integration of Arm Zena Compute Subsystem, which it stated would promote use by automotive companies.

The post Siemens readies automotive digital twin software appeared first on Mobile World Live.

UPC Slovaquie dessert plus de 600 000 foyers dans 80 villes, avec un réseau de fibre optique autorisant un débit allant jusqu’à 2,5 Gbit/s.

Le prix de la transaction correspond à environ sept fois le BAIIA (bénéfice avant intérêts, impôts et amortissements) ajusté estimé d’UPC Slovaquie pour 2025, précise Liberty Global dans un communiqué.

O2 Slovaquie appartient au groupe e& PPF Telecom. Selon les estimations de GSMA Intelligence au troisième trimestre, l’opérateur mobile venait en seconde position sur le marché slovaque derrière la filiale locale d’Orange.

La vente reste soumise à l’approbation des autorités réglementaires.

Cette cession s’inscrit dans la poursuite de la stratégie de révision des actifs de Liberty Global. En août, le directeur général Mike Fries avait indiqué que le groupe étudiait différentes opérations, après la scission de l’opérateur suisse Sunrise l’an dernier.

The post Liberty Global cède UPC Slovakia pour 95 millions d’euros appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Chief product officer Scott Lawrence detailed the debut of its 5G Network Slice, Enhanced Internet service in an article, explaining it provides enterprise-grade internet with 45Mb/s on the uplink and 200Mb/s down, priority access during congestion and no data caps.

Lawrence highlighted service level agreements based on the consistent connectivity provided by FWA, along with low latency for cloud applications and large file transfers.

He pitched the service as ideal for AI-centric workloads which require constant data ingestion.

Businesses handling AI inference, computer vision and machine learning stand to benefit from constant, high-capacity data ingestion from edge to cloud, Lawrence stated.

“If you work in an industry now inundated with AI-generated data or invested in highly automated, AI-optimised dataflow from edge to cloud or among multiple worksites, you now have a convenient, wireless internet solution with the two-way transport capacity and reliability to underpin your operation.”

Verticals cited as likely targets include media and entertainment, construction, distribution and healthcare. 

Lawrence stated the FWA service is suitable for businesses of all sizes, with remote management through the Verizon Business Internet Portal.

The service is available in select areas throughout the US, with availability expanding on a rolling basis. It adds to a video calling service launched in December 2024 and an emergency services option deployed in April.

The post Verizon extends 5G network slicing portfolio appeared first on Mobile World Live.

UPC Slovakia is one of the country’s largest providers of TV, broadband and fixed services, reaching more than 600,000 households in 80 cities. Its fibre network supports broadband speeds of up to 2.5Gbps.

The price equates to around seven times UPC Slovakia’s estimated 2025 adjusted EBITDA, Liberty Global noted in a statement on the sale.

O2 Slovakia is part of e& PPF Telecom Group. GSMA Intelligence estimated mobile connection numbers for Q3 place it as the second largest mobile operator in the market, behind Orange’s local operation.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval.

For Liberty Global, the move comes as it continues to review its assets. In August, CEO Mike Fries signalled the company was exploring deals, following the spin-off of Swiss operator Sunrise last year.

The post Liberty Global offloads UPC Slovakia in €95M deal appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The Mobile Software Competition Act came into force today (18 December), targeting the provision of choices in browser, smartphone app distribution and related areas.

In Apple’s statement, it explained new options had been created for developers to distribute apps on alternative marketplaces and process payments outside of its own in-app purchasing system.

The smartphone vendor’s argument against apps being downloaded from outside of its own store frequently centres on safety and security fears.

In this case, it claimed the new requirements in Japan for “alternative app marketplaces and app payments open new avenues for malware, fraud and scams, and privacy and security risks”.

However, it noted its work with regulators to introduce protections including an authorisation process for app marketplaces to ensure iOS is the “most secure mobile platform available in Japan”.

For in-app payments, Apple stated it is sharing tools to open the way for developers to offer alternatives.

The company also updated its business terms related to iOS apps in the country.

Google moves
In an update on its rules in Japan, Google noted it is extending a policy already in place for alternative billing systems in non-gaming apps to cover any which offer digital content purchases.

It is also providing the means for developers to add an option for users to make purchases with either Google Play Billing or the developer’s website.

Along with noting changes making it easier to switch search engine or browser, Google stated it already complied with many other parts of Japan’s newly-enforced regulations, including the ability to install third-party app stores on Android devices.

The post Apple, Google alter app policies in Japan appeared first on Mobile World Live.

A court approval earlier this week cleared the way for the $2.4 billion acquisition to be wrapped up today (18 December), opening access to Alphawave Semi’s custom silicon, connectivity products and chiplets.

Qualcomm explained Alphawave Semi’s work is foundational in next-generation services in fields including data centres, networking and storage, and AI.

Amon said the addition of Alphawave Semi’s technologies would “strengthen our platforms and optimise performance for next-generation AI data centres”.

Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU is used in various Snapdragon platforms and the Hexagon NPU is dedicated to AI.

Amon previously explained Alphawave Semi would contribute to Qualcomm targets involving the performance and efficiency of its CPU and NPU processors.

Qualcomm originally expected to conclude the deal in the opening three months of 2026.

Alphawave Semi co-founder and CEO Tony Pialis is now set to lead Qualcomm’s data centre business.

He predicted the pair would “help shape the future of data centre innovation” by employing Alphawave Semi’s high-speed connectivity tech and custom silicon.

The post Qualcomm wraps Alphawave Semi buy appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The pending mandatory introduction of V16 GPS-enabled beacons proved one the main catalysts for growth in Telefonica Tech’s connected device numbers, which stood at 17 million at end-November.

It stated the figure is market leading in Spain.

Telefonica Tech highlighted a bumper Q3 contributed to the growth, with 3 million SIMs connected for a total of 12.3 million lines. It explained it is at the forefront of the digital transformation of road safety, as Spain does away with traditional hazard warning triangles in place of the connected beacons from the beginning of 2026.

The operator stated it is responsible for connecting more than 70 per cent of V16 beacons certified by Spain’s road traffic authority.

Other elements fuelling the rise in IoT devices connected by Telefonica Tech include demand from healthcare, industry and utilities.

It highlighted smart water meters and predictive maintenance functions in the aquatic sector, along with real-time monitoring tasks in the gas industry as drivers.

In social healthcare, it is deploying sensors in the homes of elderly or vulnerable people to alert carers of any problems.

Telefonica Tech also pointed to its provision of IoT services in the industrial sector which pave the way for robotics, digital twins, dedicated communications and computer vision.

The post Telefonica Tech clocks domestic IoT gains appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Azcue takes the title of chief financial and corporate development officer. The company’s group controller and planning director Ernesto Gardelliano will assume the role of chief strategy and control officer.

Telefonica explained combining finance leadership with corporate development would enable it to face “upcoming challenges with a more global and cohesive vision”.

Azcue was credited with extensive experience in M&A and has been on the operator’s executive committee since the start of 2025.

Abasolo is set to leave after more than 20 years with the company: she was appointed CFO in 2017.

The move is the latest in a shake-up at the operator group driven by CEO Marc Murtra during his first year at the helm.

Telefonica noted the latest changes reinforce a “commitment to excellence and innovation, evolving its operating model” to ensure the success of a strategic plan presented last month.

Listings
In a separate announcement also made yesterday (17 December), Telefonica detailed its intention to delist American depositary shares from both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Lima Stock Exchange in Peru.

The move to quit the NYSE listing came after an analysis “taking into account the administrative burden” and associated costs. It noted it is consistent with the new strategic plan to simplify its operating model.

The post Telefonica finance chief exits as revamp continues appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The collaboration aims to deliver at least 245 megawatts and potentially up to 2,295 megawatts of AI data centre capacity for Anthropic by utilising high-performance clusters managed by Fluidstack.

Hut 8 inked a 15-year, $7 billion lease with Fluidstack for the initial 245-megawatt facility in the US state of Louisiana. Google is providing the financial backing, which covers lease payments and related pass-through obligations.

The partnership is across three tranches. In the first, Hut 8 and Fluidstack will develop an initial 245 megawatts of IT capacity, supported by 330 megawatts of utility capacity.

In the second, Hut 8 stated it could increase the computing capacity by an additional 1,000 megawatts.

In the third tranche, Anthropic and Hut 8 could develop up to 1,050 megawatts of additional capacity at the latter’s other US sites.

The companies stated the partnership is notable for its scale, phased approach and the alignment of power, digital infrastructure and compute resources to support energy-intensive AI models. 

In November, Anthropic revealed a plan to spend $50 billion on the buildout of custom data centres across the US to better compete against AI rivals Meta Platforms, OpenAI, Microsoft and Google.

The post Anthropic signs fresh US data centre deal appeared first on Mobile World Live.

En este contexto de expansión, Telefónica Tech se ha consolidado al frente del mercado español de IoT, registrando 17 millones de dispositivos conectados al cierre de noviembre.

La operadora asegura ostentar el liderazgo en el mercado nacional, suponiendo un incremento del 240% en lo que va de año, ya que a finales de 2024 registraba 5,018 millones de líneas. Este impulso se basa en la comercialización de las balizas conectadas, además de proyectos de digitalización en sectores como la salud, la industria y las utilities (agua y gas). Telefónica Tech suministra la conectividad IoT a más del 70% de los modelos de balizas V16 certificadas por la DGT. Esta conectividad permite comunicar de manera segura, exacta y anónima la geolocalización del vehículo detenido a la plataforma de la DGT para alertar a otros usuarios de la vía.

Dudas de ciberseguridad en un dispositivo obligatorio

Paralelamente a este crecimiento tecnológico, han surgido dudas sobre la seguridad y gestión de los datos de estos dispositivos de seguridad vial. Un investigador en ciberseguridad ha publicado en GitHub el análisis de diversas vulnerabilidades que parecen ser comunes a todos los dispositivos.

La principal preocupación recae en la implementación de las comunicaciones. Según el informe, la baliza envía la información de emergencia a los servidores del fabricante y, finalmente, a la DGT 3.0, sin ningún tipo de cifrado (en texto plano). Además, la conexión no está autenticada, lo que significa que el receptor no puede verificar si el mensaje proviene de la baliza auténtica o de un dispositivo que la esté suplantando.

Los datos expuestos transmitidos en claro

El análisis permitió extraer los datos sensibles que se transmiten sin cifrar. La exposición de esta información en texto plano crea un riesgo de privacidad y facilita la suplantación. Los datos expuestos incluyen las coordenadas GPS exactas, es decir, la ubicación precisa del vehículo detenido por avería o accidente. También se transmiten el IMEI del dispositivo, el identificador único de la baliza, el timestamp o momento exacto en que se activó la baliza, y los parámetros de red como el Cell ID, la intensidad de la señal y el operador.

Esta ausencia de mecanismos de seguridad también implica la falta de mecanismos de integridad del mensaje, lo que podría permitir que los datos fueran manipulados o alterados durante la transmisión.

La situación resulta paradójica tratándose de un dispositivo obligatorio por ley y crítico para la seguridad vial, integrado con infraestructura nacional de la DGT 3.0. Luis Miranda, el investigador, compara la debilidad de la seguridad en estos dispositivos con enviar la información crítica gritándola por un megáfono, permitiendo a cualquier persona que monitorice el tráfico de red interceptar y rastrear la ubicación en tiempo real. Esta situación podría permitir desde el espionaje hasta la generación de falsas alarmas masivas o impedir que lleguen alertas reales.

The post El IoT español se dispara por las balizas V16, pero la seguridad de los datos queda en entredicho appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Juan Azcue sustituye a Laura Abasolo

En el ámbito de la gobernanza corporativa, Telefónica ha anunciado la incorporación de Juan Azcue como nuevo director financiero y de desarrollo corporativo (Chief Financial and Corporate Development Officer). Azcue, que forma parte del comité ejecutivo desde principios de 2025 y cuenta con experiencia en fusiones y adquisiciones, asume la responsabilidad de las operaciones financieras del grupo.

Esta reorganización implica la salida de Laura Abasolo, que abandonará la compañía a finales de año. Abasolo ha ocupado el cargo de directora financiera desde 2017 y deja la operadora después de más de dos décadas de servicMWL_Telefonica_new_647io. La compañía justifica la combinación de liderazgo financiero y desarrollo corporativo con la intención de afrontar los retos futuros con una visión más integrada.

Simplificación bursátil y cambio de mercado de deuda

Telefónica ha comunicado su intención de excluir voluntariamente la cotización de sus American Depositary Shares (ADS) de la bolsa de Nueva York (NYSE). Esta decisión se ha adoptado después de un análisis que ha tenido en cuenta la carga administrativa y los costes asociados a mantener los valores cotizando en esta bolsa.

Esta exclusión de cotización es coherente con el plan estratégico que busca simplificar el modelo operativo de la empresa. Además de la NYSE, Telefónica también pretende iniciar el procedimiento para excluir voluntariamente sus ADS de la bolsa de valores de Lima (BVL), en Perú.

A pesar del abandono del mercado norteamericano, los accionistas podrán canjear sus ADS por acciones ordinarias que cotizan en las bolsas españolas. La compañía convertirá su programa de ADR en un programa de nivel I, facilitando la negociación de los títulos actuales en el mercado extrabursátil estadounidense. Las acciones ordinarias de Telefónica continuarán cotizando en el mercado continuo español, donde actualmente se concentra la mayoría de sus inversores.

En cuanto a la emisión de deuda, Telefónica y su filial T. Emisiones tienen la intención de solicitar la admisión a cotización de diversas series de valores de deuda sénior que dejarán de cotizar en la NYSE (como los bonos sénior a tipo fijo con vencimiento entre 2027 y 2049) en el mercado Euronext Dublín.

Acuerdo del ERE y prórroga del convenio

En el ámbito laboral, la dirección de Telefónica y los sindicatos mayoritarios (UGT, CC.OO. y Fetico-Sumados) han llegado a un acuerdo para firmar el expediente de regulación de empleo (ERE) el próximo 22 de diciembre, que afecta a siete filiales del grupo.

Según Cinco Días, el acuerdo establece una salida mínima de 4.539 trabajadores, una cifra que supone una reducción respecto a la previsión inicial que se situaba en 6.088 salidas. El proceso se basa en la voluntariedad como principio vertebrador y se articulará prioritariamente mediante la fórmula de la prejubilación, lo que ayuda a mantener la capacidad adquisitiva y la contribución económica de los empleados.

Paralelamente al ERE, las partes han acordado la prórroga del convenio de empresas vinculadas (CEV) hasta el año 2030, que regula las condiciones laborales en Telefónica de España, Telefónica Móviles y Telefónica Soluciones. Este convenio era una condición sindical para garantizar la estabilidad y las condiciones sociolaborales ante los retos del nuevo plan estratégico. Además, se ha conseguido que la compañía se comprometa a compensar entre un 10% y un 15% de las salidas con nuevas incorporaciones, contribuyendo al rejuvenecimiento de las plantillas y a la creación de empleo.

The post Telefónica continúa reestructurando: nuevo director financiero, adiós a la bolsa de Nueva York y acuerdo sobre el ERE appeared first on Mobile World Live.

OQ Technology stated it used Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 SMA development kit to transmit IoT data to its constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

The companies proved the set-up can deliver end-to-end NB-IoT connectivity, an advance Nordic Semiconductor senior product director for long-range BU Kristian Saether said could help close coverage gaps.

Pairing the nRF9151 module with OQ Technology’s satellites means customers can “extend coverage without redesigning hardware”, Saether said.

The tests showed Nordic Semiconductor’s equipment can connect to OQ Technology’s satellites without modifying the hardware, which the satellite player stated shows the mass-market potential and commercial readiness of NTN IoT.

OQ Technology explained the collaboration “confirms that a mainstream, widely adopted cellular IoT module can operate seamlessly over a 5G NTN satellite network, enabling large-scale device adoption worldwide”.

The company highlighted it offers a 3GPP-compliant NTN NB-IoT RAN stack and a fully functional 5G core.

Founder and CEO Omar Qaise hailed a “breakthrough” which he said “reflects years of NTN innovation” by the company.

The post OQ Tech tests Nordic Semi NTN IoT set-up appeared first on Mobile World Live.

According to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg, Yao will report directly to Tencent president Martin Lau and head the company’s newly formed AI Infrastructure Department.

The AI Infrastructure Department, Tencent’s new research and development unit, sits within the company’s Technology Engineering Group (TEG), which has established two fresh units to focus on large-model training, inference platforms and full-stack data and machine learning services as competition intensifies across the sector.

Yao was also appointed head of TEG’s large language model development, reporting to the group’s president Lu Shan. He reportedly joined Tencent earlier this year after a nearly two-year stint at OpenAI. Yao’s previous roles include positions at Google, Microsoft and Princeton University while his research background spans AI agents and large-scale systems.

South China Morning Post reported that as part of its AI overhaul, Tencent also dissolved its Machine Learning Platform department and redistributed staff across the newly created teams. In addition, the company renamed its existing data platform team and reassigned staff to better align data services with model training and deployment.

At a recent earnings call, Lau reportedly said Tencent was recruiting more top-level AI researchers to strengthen its Hunyuan model family.

Yao’s appointment comes as global competition for AI talent intensifies. Earlier this month, Meta Platforms made headlines for recruiting a senior Apple design expert while OpenAI nabbed a Google executive to lead as its VP of corporate development.

The post Tencent nabs OpenAI researcher as AI shake-up advances appeared first on Mobile World Live.

0:00 Intro
2:00 Was it a quiet year?
5:00 Nokia shake-up
9:00 US operators drop DEI
16:00 Satellite gets real
21:00 Smartphones get thin
29:00 Billions pumped into AI
33:00 Our 2026 predictions

The post Podcast: Nokia, Trump and AI billions – our 2025 review appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In a letter to shareholders, WBD’s board stated it unanimously determined Paramount’s bid was not in its best interest and does not meet the criteria of a “superior proposal” under the terms of its “merger agreement with Netflix” announced in early December.

WBD chair Samuel Di Piazza Jr added it had concluded the offer’s value was inadequate, with significant risks and costs imposed on shareholders.

“This offer once again fails to address key concerns that we have consistently communicated to Paramount throughout our extensive engagement and review of their six previous proposals,” he said.

The board reiterated its support of the Netflix combination.

Netflix agreed a deal worth $72 billion with WBD for its TV, film studios and streaming assets. However Paramount shortly after launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion for the entire company, arguing Netflix’s deal offers inferior and uncertain value.

In its letter, WBD continued to state Paramount had misled its shareholders that its $30 per share was fully guaranteed.

It is not known when shareholders will vote on the Paramount bid.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos welcomed the WBD board’s decision, stating it reinforced its merger agreement is superior.

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Dans une lettre adressée aux actionnaires, le conseil de WBD assure avoir unanimement conclu que l’offre de Paramount n’était pas dans l’intérêt de la société et ne remplissait pas les critères d’une « proposition supérieure » à l’« accord de fusion avec Netflix » annoncé début décembre.

Le président de WBD, Samuel Di Piazza Jr., ajoute que le conseil a estimé que la valeur de l’offre était insuffisante et qu’elle faisait peser des risques et des coûts importants sur les actionnaires.

« Cette offre ne répond une fois de plus pas aux préoccupations essentielles que nous avons systématiquement communiquées à Paramount tout au long de nos échanges approfondis et de l’examen de leurs six propositions précédentes », explique Samuel Di Piazza.

Le conseil réaffirme sa préférence à un rapprochement avec Netflix.

Netflix a conclu un accord de 72 milliards de dollars avec WBD portant sur ses studios de télévision et de cinéma ainsi que sur ses opérations de streaming. Paramount a cependant lancé dans la foulée une offre publique d’achat hostile de 108,4 milliards de dollars sur l’ensemble du groupe, arguant que l’accord avec Netflix offrait une valeur inférieure et incertaine.

Dans sa lettre, WBD affirme également que Paramount a induit ses actionnaires en erreur en laissant entendre que son offre de 30 dollars par action était entièrement garantie.

On ignore à ce stade à quel moment les actionnaires se prononceront sur l’offre de Paramount.

Le co-directeur général de Netflix, Ted Sarandos, s’est félicité de la décision du conseil de WBD, estimant qu’elle confirmait la valeur supérieur de l’accord de fusion conclu avec Netflix.

The post Warner Bros refuse les 108 milliards de dollars offerts par Paramount appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Dans une communication publiée sur X, Starlink précise que l’accord permettra de connecter plus de 170 millions d’Africains, faisant du continent le sixième couvert par le service satellite.

Starlink ajoute que le service commencera par la fourniture de données permettant (voix, vidéo et messagerie), avant d’évoluer vers une offre de haut débit à grande vitesse.

Selon Atul Sachdeva, directeur technique d’Airtel Africa, le service débutera en 2026 avec des services de données pour certaines applications et la messagerie texte. Le déploiement se fera en fonction des autorisations réglementaires propres à chaque pays.

Atul Sachdeva note qu’Airtel Africa est le premier opérateur mobile du continent à proposer le service D2D de Starlink, appuyé sur 650 satellites.

Airtel Africa a conclu en mai un accord avec SpaceX en vue du lancement des services haut débit par satellite de Starlink sur l’ensemble de sa zone de couverture, dans la continuité d’un accord signé avec la maison mère de l’opérateur en Inde.

The post Airtel Africa va proposer le D2D de Starlink dans quatorze pays d’Afrique appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The operator initiated the purchase from private equity investors in October, explaining Skaylink would bring expertise in cloud deployments using Microsoft and AWS.

Vodafone stated completing the deal will speed its growth in fields spanning professional and managed services, and cloud and security.

Skaylink is based in Germany, though Vodafone noted the company’s operations span Europe as a whole.

Vodafone is keen to shore up its role in Europe’s cloud market, which figures issued by Synergy Research Group in July show is dominated by big names including Microsoft, AWS and Google.

The research company stated European cloud players’ market share had stood at around 15 per cent since 2022, with SAP and Deutsche Telekom topping the list of local providers.

Synergy Research Group estimated cloud infrastructure service revenue in the region hit €36 billion in the opening half of the year and predicted annual growth would be around 24 per cent year-on-year.

When Vodafone originally detailed its move, it noted Skaylink has a staff of around 500 and targeted a completion date of end-March 2026.

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