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.

The post Investors sign deals to take control of TikTok in US appeared first on Mobile World Live.

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.

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.

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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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Financial Times (FT) reported the talks were halted last week by the US over the two countries’ “technology prosperity deal” announced in September when Trump made a state visit to the UK.

The news agency noted the deal is designed to increase cooperation between the two countries in areas such as AI, quantum computing and nuclear energy.

A UK official told FT on 15 December the Trump administration is lobbying the UK for concessions across areas which are not part of the technology partnership.

“Our special relationship with the US remains strong and the UK is firmly committed to ensuring the Tech Prosperity Deal delivers opportunity for hardworking people in both countries,” a UK government representative told CNBC.

Government officials countries began discussing terms for Trump’s tariffs in April before reaching an agreement a month later, according to FT.

The post US halts technology trade talks with UK appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The US Tech Force is hiring software engineers, data scientists, project managers and AI experts to work on modernisation projects across government agencies, according to its website.

Participants will work on high-impact technology initiatives including AI implementation, application development, data modernisation and digital service delivery across federal agencies.

Tech Force is designed as an ongoing initiative to continuously bring top technical talent into government service.

The government is partnering with at least 28 tech companies on the programme, including Apple, AMD. Amazon Web Services, Anduril, Dell Technologies, Box, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Palantir, Oracle, Uber, ServiceNow, and xAI, among others. There are plans for more companies to be added over time.

The private companies can also nominate their employees to do stints of government service.

The US Office of Personnel Management oversees the early-career programme in partnership with other federal agencies such as the US Department of War, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Treasury.

Potential employees can seek to find permanent positions with the agencies or private companies once they complete their two-year terms.

Tech Force stated compensation varies based on experience level and agency placements. Annual salaries are expected to be in the range of $150,000 to $200,000, plus benefits.

The Trump administration is keenly focused on keeping the US ahead of other countries, such as China, on the development of AI.

In July, it unveiled its AI action plan, designed to solidify the US’ position as the global leader.

On 11 December, Trump signed an executive order to blocks states from enforcing their own AI regulations in favour of a single federal rule.

The post Trump launches Tech Force to groom AI talent appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Reuters reported Lee is starting his new role today (16 December), reporting to finance chief Sarah Friar.

The news agency cited comments from OpenAI explaining the move to bring Lee “on board is to ensure we have a senior leader with broad visibility across the company who is empowered to move quickly”.

Lee had an almost 15-year stint at Google, most recently as its senior director of corporate development for Google Cloud and Google DeepMind.

On his LinkedIn profile, Lee states he worked on more than 60 transactions during his career at Google, including strategic investments totalling more than $50 billion. He was involved in work for the company’s $32 billion deal to buy Israeli cybersecurity company Wiz in March.

Top AI companies OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta Platforms and Google have engaged in an AI hiring spree this year, which has including attracting employees from each other.

The post OpenAI snares Google exec to lead corporate development appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In a letter to employees, Netflix co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos said the company’s stance on the tie-up “hasn’t changed”, arguing it would “offer consumers more choice and value” and “fuel our long-term growth”.

Earlier this month, the streaming group struck a a $72 billion deal with WBD for its TV, film studios and streaming assets. Days later, Paramount launched a hostile $108.4 billion bid for the entire company, arguing Netflix’s deal offers “inferior and uncertain value”. Peters and Sarandos described the rival move as “entirely expected”, but stressed that Netflix has “a solid deal in place”.

On regulatory scrutiny, the executives said they remains confident in securing approvals, arguing the deal is “great for our shareholders, great for consumers and a strong way to create and protect jobs in the industry”. They pointed to data from American media audience measurement company Nielsen showing that Netflix’s US view share would rise from 8 per cent to 9 per cent post-transaction, “still well behind YouTube (13 per cent) and a potential Paramount/WBD combination (14 per cent)”.

However, attorneys have cautioned that regulators may not view Netflix and YouTube as direct competitors, given the differences in their content and business models, Reuters reported.

Netflix also played down fears over job cuts, stating WBD would bring “businesses and capabilities we don’t have”, resulting in “no overlap or studio closures”.

The group said a dedicated internal team is managing the transaction while the broader business remains focused on its longer-term growth ambitions.

The post Netflix stands firm on WBD deal as Paramount circles appeared first on Mobile World Live.

In addition to the $1 billion sum, Walt Disney will receive warrants to purchase additional equity.

As part of the landmark agreement, OpenAI’s text-to-video Sora AI model will enable users to generate and share short, user-prompted social videos featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars. 

The videos will include costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments, but exclude talent likenesses and voices, in a move to perhaps stave off protests from actors’ unions.

ChatGPT Images will allow users to create content from Disney’s intellectual property using simple prompts while selected fan-inspired Sora short-form videos will be available for streaming on Disney+.

Sora and ChatGPT Images are expected to launch the fan-inspired videos with Walt Disney’s licensed characters in early 2026.

Walt Disney will use OpenAI’s APIs to build new products and experiences, including for Disney+, and will deploy ChatGPT for its employees.

Walt Disney CEO Robert Iger stated the agreement provides the company with new methods for sharing its content with the world through generative AI but noted it will respect and protect content creators and their works.

Bloomberg reported OpenAI conducted talks with other large film studios such as Comcast’s Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Discovery about pairing Sora with their content but noted they are hesitant to partner with an AI company.

The deal is subject to final agreements, board approvals and standard closing conditions.

The post Disney to invest $1B in OpenAI, inks licence deal appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Freier previously served as the operator’s consumer group president since 2021, but he has a long history with T-Mobile.

He started his career in the telecommunications industry in 1994 with Western Wireless, which became T-Mobile in 2021, according to a recent SEC filing announcing his promotion.

Gopalan mentioned Freier’s new role during an investor conference yesterday (9 December) as part of a plan to align “the organisation behind the strategy”. He assumed the role on 5 December.

A representative for T-Mobile told Mobile World Live the restructuring also included naming Mike Katz as the company’s chief business and product officer,  leading the company’s long-term strategy and planning. His prior role was president of marketing, strategy and product.

Gopalan took over as COO on 1 March after previously serving as a member of T-Mobile’s board of directors since 2022. He replaced Mike Sievert as CEO.

It’s worth noting Sievert served as COO prior to replacing former CEO John Legere in 2020 as part of a planned succession.

The post T-Mobile US boosts Freier to COO appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The operator filed its response in a federal court on 8 December. T-Mobile stated the challenge to Easy Switch is irrelevant because it removed a function scraping AT&T customer data four days before the rival initiated its legal action.

AT&T had argued the data was being accessed to encourage customers to switch providers.

T-Mobile stated since ending the scraping, “Easy Switch has only allowed AT&T customers to upload a copy of their wireless bill or manually enter their wireless plan information”.

“AT&T does not allege that this current version of Easy Switch is unlawful or harms it, let alone irreparably so.”

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. It went live on 1 December.

AT&T sought a temporary restraining order to prevent T-Mobile using a price comparison tool to access secure software without permission.

It implemented security measures to block the access on 24 November.

After AT&T’s countermeasures, T-Mobile disabled the original Easy Switch for its customers 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”.

Backed down
T-Mobile’s lawyers stated it dropped the original version because of “AT&T’s dogged efforts to technologically block its customers from taking advantage of the feature and thereby impede their ability to compare the companies’ offerings”.

“These facts resolve the motion.”

“The conduct AT&T challenges is not occurring and AT&T has not objected to the operation of Easy Switch in its current form.”

An AT&T representative told Mobile World Live it appreciates T-Mobile saying it “will stop recklessly scraping customer data for now”.

“We ask that they commit, on the record, to never employing these unlawful tactics that put customers and intellectual property rights at risk again.”

The lawsuit is scheduled to move to an in-person hearing on 16 December in a US district court in the state of Texas.

The post T-Mobile US rejects AT&T switching app claims appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The company stated Rogers Satellite is the first D2D service offering coast-to-coast coverage of Canada and explained it would provide IoT connectivity alongside a range of consumer services.

Rogers Communications CEO Tony Staffieri said the service extends a “legacy of innovative firsts” and the company is “proud to be the first” to offer the connectivity option in Canada.

The company explained Rogers Satellite is compatible with WhatsApp, Google Maps, X, mapping service CalTopo and AccuWeather. Services can be accessed on “most modern smartphones” and it expects more apps to come as developers update their wares for non-terrestrial networks. The operator also intends to add voice and data services.

Staffieri said there was a “terrific response” from users of a beta messaging service launched in July, with more than 1 million texts sent.

Promotions mean existing customers can access Rogers Satellite for no additional cost, with non-subscribers offered a CAD15 ($10.83) per month option and some reductions on offer to those involved in the beta test.

Rogers Communications stated the IoT service also launched today (9 December), providing connectivity for services “in some of the most remote regions” of Canada.

It listed fleet and asset tracking, and automated sensors among the list of uses for the satellite IoT service.

The post Rogers commences Canadian D2D service appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Rogers Communications stated it installed 34 fresh towers in eastern Ontario since late April to boost 5G access, details released within days of Bell Canada revealing it deployed mid-band spectrum to improve access and data rates in southern areas of the region.

Various counties in eastern Ontario are covered by Rogers Communications’ expansion, which forms part of a CAD300 million ($217 million) public-private partnership to improve access in rural areas.

Rogers Communications explained it was selected to fulfil the EORN Cell Gap Project’s plan in a competitive bidding process. National and local governments, wardens and mayoral groups are to contribute CAD152 million of the total investment, with the remainder coming from the operator.

The contract involves Rogers Communications adding a total of 332 fresh cell towers in the region, comprising new builds and collocated sites. It said 222 of these are now operational.

It also upgraded 311 existing sites to be 5G-capable.

Politicians highlighted potential economic benefits from improved 5G access along with the importance of the 34 additional towers to the goal of closing coverage gaps.

Rogers Communications explained EORN’s broader mission involves fuelling economic development in eastern Ontario, with a key focus of its mobile coverage initiative on connecting Indigenous communities.

Previous EORN programmes enhanced broadband access for close to 90 per cent of the region, Rogers Communications stated.

The post Rogers improves Ontario 5G access appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The pair signed a partnership agreement covering navy- and maritime-specific AI products, with agentic elements involved. Thales stated the intended move would bring its expertise and corAIx incubator together with Cohere’s large language model capabilities.

Thales Canada CEO Ian Krepps said the company expects to be able to “rapidly deploy new, sovereign AI” capabilities for customers “including the Canadian Armed Forces”.

The arrangement demonstrates Thales’ “commitment” to providing customers with “agile, future ready” products.

Cohere co-founder Ivan Zhang said the partnership is a “strategic leap” in employing AI “for national defence”. The companies will provide systems which “analyse complex naval environments in real time”, delivering “actionable intelligence” to improve military decision making.

Zhang said the deal is also a boost for Canadian AI ambitions.

Thales stated the decision-making capabilities to be provided by the agentic AI systems would benefit projects due to launch imminently.

The post Thales, Cohere develop Canada navy AI appeared first on Mobile World Live.

“I will be doing a one rule Executive Order this week,” he stated in a Truth Social post. “We are beating all countries at this point in the race, but that won’t last long if we are going to have 50 states, many of them bad actors, involved in rules and the approval process.

The Financial Times reported Trump is facing opposition from members of his own political party and supporters over the order, who contend the President is favouring big tech such as Apple, Meta Platforms and Amazon which have donated to various projects.

“You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something,” Trump stated. “That will never work!”

While he did not provide any additional details on his forthcoming executive order, Reuters reported Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from states which do not comply or file lawsuits against them.

The news agency noted President Trump’s order will likely face opposition from various states.

In July, the Trump administration revealed its AI action plan, designed to solidify the US’ position as the global leader in the face of competition from countries such as China.

The post Trump to sign overarching federal executive AI order appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Paramount stated its bid, at $30 per share in cash, is for the entirety of WBD, including its Global Networks Segment which houses its traditional television portfolio.

Netflix’s bid, valued at $82.7 billion, was just for Warner’s studio and streaming assets. The streaming giant beat off competition from Paramount and Comcast last week, winning a protracted bidding auction.

However, Paramount’s latest offer has been made directly to shareholders.

In a statement, Paramount described its offer as a “superior alternative” to the Netflix transaction, with the offering for the entirety of WBD providing shareholders $18 billion more in cash than the Netflix offer.

As well as “inferior and uncertain value”, Paramount said Netflix’s bid exposes WBD shareholders to a “protracted multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance process”.

US President Donald Trump too hinted at a protracted regulatory process, stating the Netflix, WBD tie up “could be a problem” given Netflix’s rising market share should the deal go through.

Dave Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said WBD shareholders “deserve an opportunity to consider our superior all-cash offer for their shares in the entire company”.

He added his company offers a “more certain and quicker path to completion”.

The post Paramount launches $108B WBD bid to rival Netflix appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Speaking at an event in Washington yesterday (7 December), Trump stated the deal “could be a problem”, due to the market share the combined company would take in the streaming market.

“That’s got to go through a process and we’ll see what happens,” he added, before stating he would have a say on if the deal should get the green light.

Trump also confirmed he had met with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently, following media speculation that the pair had indeed held discussions before the mega-deal was announced.

Netflix stated on Friday (5 December) it had agreed to buy WBD in a deal that brings together two global entertainment leaders. Should the deal be passed through regulators, it will give Netflix access to WBD’s movie studio and streaming networks.

The tie up is slated to be completed in the second half of 2026, after Warner Bros completes a formal separation of its businesses.

As well as scrutiny from Trump himself, the deal will also face close examination from the US Justice Department over antitrust concerns and the European Commission.

The post Trump warns Netflix, Warner Bros deal could be a problem appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Fowler will report directly to CEO Kate Johnson and will oversee global technology and product strategy, focusing on evolving the company’s network, digital platforms and product portfolio.

The executive is familiar with the company, having served as member of Lumen’s board of directors since 2023 and contributed to the company’s transformation strategy. Fowler will step down from the board when his commences his new position.

Fowler stated Lumen “has a unique opportunity to strengthen its position as the trusted network for AI”.

Prior to this appointment, Fowler was EVP and CTO at Nationwide Insurance, where he led modernisation and digital transformation efforts. He also held senior technology roles at General Electric and began his career at AT&T and Accenture.

Ward is exiting the company to become president and chief architect at Salesforce but will remain at Lumen until 23 January to ensure a smooth transition.

The post Lumen Technologies names next CTO appeared first on Mobile World Live.

The social media giant is partnering with major news outlets including CNN, Fox News, Fox Sports, Le Monde Group, People, The Washington Examiner, and USA Today to provide global breaking news, entertainment and lifestyle stories on its Meta AI chatbot.

Meta Platforms plans to add news partnerships and features in the future.

The company stated in a blog when users ask Meta AI questions, they receive direct links to partner articles “to help you discover timely and relevant content tailored to your interests”.

“We’re committed to making Meta AI more responsive, accurate and balanced.”

“Real-time events can be challenging for current AI systems to keep up with, but by integrating more and different types of news sources, our aim is to improve Meta AI’s ability to deliver timely and relevant content and information with a wide variety of viewpoints and content types.”

During the company’s Q3 earnings call in October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the chatbot had more than 1 billion active monthly users and he expects usage to increase as it improves its AI models.

Rival OpenAI has also struck various content deals to train ChatGPT to answer questions and provide summaries of news articles.

The post Meta signs chatbot news publisher deals appeared first on Mobile World Live.

NYT claims Perplexity ignored repeated requests over the past 18 months to stop using its articles until a licensing agreement could be negotiated.

According to the filing, Perplexity continued to “grab large chunks”, in some cases entire articles, to repurpose them in AI-generated responses offered to users. NYT argued this use does not qualify as fair use because the output directly competes with their own offerings. The publication claimed the AI start-up “provides commercial products to its own users that substitute for NYT, without permission or remuneration”.

The lawsuit also accused Perplexity of harming NYT’ s brand by sometimes presenting fabricated content through AI “hallucinations” and attributing it to the newspaper.

NYT previously issued a “cease and desist” notice to Perplexity AI in October 2024 and again in July this year demanding the startup cease its use of the publication’s content. At the time, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas told the Wall Street Journal the company was “very much interested in working with every single publisher including The New York Times” and had “no interest in being anyone’s antagonist”.

In December 2023, NYT also sued OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, arguing their AI systems had been trained on millions of its articles without compensation, a claim the companies have denied.

Cristiano cash

Separately, billionaire footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured) took an undisclosed stake in Perplexity AI, also signing a global sponsorship agreement with the company.

The partnership includes a new interactive fan hub on Perplexity’s platform, offering curated content and engagement tools for Ronaldo’s global following.

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Under terms of the deal, WBD shareholders will receive $27.75 a share in cash and stock in Netflix for an enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billon.

The deal is slated to close following the separation of Warner Bros Discovery’s global networks division, Discovery Global, into a newly public company, which is projected for completion in Q3 2026.

Netflix stated Discovery Global will include entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world such as CNN, TNT Sports in the UD, and Discovery, free-to-air channels across Europe, as well as digital products such as Discovery+ and Bleacher Report.  

Netflix was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. It initially operated as a DVD-by-mail rental service before launching its streaming service in 2007. Netflix currently reaches 301.6 million global customers

If the deal passes regulatory muster, Netflix will also own WBD’s film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters stated the WBD deal “will improve our offering and accelerate our business for decades to come”.

The transaction would unite two entertainment leaders, merging Netflix’s in-house movies and series with WBD shows such as The Big Bang Theory, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, The Wizard of Oz, and the DC Universe.

The deal will need to gain regulatory approval from the administration of US President Donald Trump and other entities.

US Senator Mike Lee posted on X two days ago (3 December) the transaction will “raise serious competition questions”.

“Learning about Netflix’s ambition to buy its real competitive threat, WBD’s streaming business, should send alarm to antitrust enforcers around the world,” Less stated.

Various news sites reported Comcast and Paramount Skydance also attempted to buy WBD after it announced the sale in October.

Analyst viewpoints
Roger Entner, founder and analyst at Recon Analytics, told Mobile World Live (MWL) the deal will face regulatory scrutiny across the US and European Union because it “significantly increases horizontal SVOD concentration”.

“It could lead to vertical foreclosure of Warner or HBO no longer providing their content to Netflix rivals,” he explained. “There are issues around portfolio and gatekeeper power.”

He noted if the deal is completed, a single company becomes the dominant gateway for both production and distribution of premium filmed entertainment, “with spillover effects on adjoining markets” including theatrical, licensing and consumer devices.

“The Skydance deal would have been much easier to get through as it involves smaller players and not the market leader,” Entner stated. “I just think [WBD CEO David] Zaslav didn’t want to retire and he engineered this to remain a major figure in Hollywood instead of being a major figure on the golf course.”

Forrester research director Mike Proulx told MWL if the “deal makes it through regulatory approval, Netflix will cement itself as the Goliath of streaming services now with the combined weight of HBO Max and the content studios behind it all”.

“This deal changes the calculus of the streaming wars, representing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry,” he said.

The post Netflix strikes $72B deal for Warner Bros. Discovery appeared first on Mobile World Live.

A deployment of 3800MHz spectrum provides greater data rates and supplements work on deploying 5G-Advanced, Bell stated.

Users with compatible smartphones from Apple, Samsung and Google stand to experience a 65 per cent hike in data rates compared with the performance of Bell’s network before the spectrum was deployed.

Bell pointed to peak rates of 3.6Gb/s in the downlink and emphasised the increased capacity the mid-band move brings.

EVP and CTO Mark McDonald said the move in Ontario “complements our ongoing investments in a 5G-Advanced” infrastructure.

The pay-off will be felt in improved services spanning entertainment and cloud gaming, enterprise AI services and real-time AR collaboration, McDonald predicted.

Bell’s update covers parts of southern Ontario including the cities of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Hamilton.

It stated the rollout builds on a test deployment of 3800MHz spectrum in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo in 2024, while making use of frequencies it paid CAD2.8 billion ($2 billion) for in an auction in 2023.

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Toronto, Canada-based Lumine Group will acquire Synchronoss for $9 per share, a roughly 70 per cent premium to the stock’s 3 December closing price. The companies stated the deal implies an enterprise value of $258.4 million.

Lumine Group will broaden its reach in North America and globally, accessing Synchronoss’ established customer base and expanding its product offerings.

The deal also marks Lumine Group’s first public company acquisition.

The purchase will include Synchronoss’ white-label cloud platform and its advanced consumer cloud offering.

 It follows Lumine Group’s previous acquisition of Synchronoss’ Messaging and NetworkX businesses in 2023

Synchronoss, which stores more than 200 petabytes of data and serves millions of customers globally, will keep its brand and remain based in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Founded in 2000, Synchronoss has evolved from a service activation company to a portfolio focused on Tier 1 operator-branded personal cloud services.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals. Synchronoss will be delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange after the acquisition closes.

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Bloomberg reported Meta Platforms executives are mulling a 30 per cent budget cut for the metaverse sector in 2026 across Meta Horizon Worlds and its Quest VR division.

The news site noted those reductions will most likely include layoffs as early as next month, although a final decision is still pending.

During Meta Platforms’ annual budget meeting last month, Zuckerberg tasked executives to make 10 per cent reductions across the company, but Bloomberg reported it is a similar ask from previous budget cycles the last few years.

The news site’s sources stated the company is making deeper cuts to the metaverse sector because Meta Platforms has not faced the level of competition it previously expected.

Bloomberg reported the bulk of the proposed cuts are mostly likely to take place across its VR group, which accounts for most of the metaverse related expenditures.

Zuckerberg has been a big proponent of creating the metaverse, which is why he changed the company’s name from Facebook to Meta Platforms in 2021.

The company’s Reality Labs is home to its AR and VR technologies, but it has continued to lose billions of dollars.

A representative for Meta Platforms told Mobile World Live the company is shifting some of its investment from the metaverse toward AI glasses and wearables “given the momentum there”.

“We aren’t planning any broader changes than that,” the representative stated.

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On 20 November, T-Mobile rolled out a beta version of its Easy Switch programme at Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix race. It enables customers from rivals AT&T and Verizon to change plans in 15 minutes instead of hours using its digital T-Life app.

Easy Switch is an AI tool which analyses current AT&T or Verizon accounts before recommending optimal T-Mobile plans. It went live on 1 December.

After sending T-Mobile an initial complaint on 26 November, AT&T filed its lawsuit in a US district in Texas on 30 November.

It alleges the T-Life app is scraping AT&T customer data by collecting “more than 100 categories of private information” from each subscriber before recommending lower-priced T-Mobile plans.

AT&T asked the judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking T-Mobile from using its “Switch Made Easy” (SME) price-comparison tool to access password-protected software on AT&T’s systems without permission.

“AT&T has already told T-Mobile to stop,” it stated in the 30 November filing. “T-Mobile refused and instead actively circumvented security measures that AT&T put in place to block T-Mobile’s unauthorised intrusions.”

The operator also stated in its most recent filing T-Mobile’s “scraper also operates without identification so as to appear as AT&T’s own customers, in a blatant attempt to deceive AT&T’s systems,” which it claimed is without authorisation and in violation of its terms of use.

Before filing its lawsuit, AT&T sent a cease-and-desist letter to T-Mobile on 24 November, and on the same day implemented computer security measures to block T-Mobile’s scraping.

It also contacted Apple the same day about the T-Life app violating app store terms. T-Mobile stated four days later that it does not run counter to the iPhone-maker’s app store guidelines,

On 25 November, AT&T claimed T-Mobile altered its SME scraping tool to disguise it from detection. AT&T alleges T-Mobile again modified its tool to evade detection a day later.

After AT&T again blocked SME’s access on 26 November, T-Mobile removed its scraping function, but AT&T noted the tool still appears to be collecting Verizon customer data.

A representative from AT&T told Mobile World Live (MWL) it took action “to prevent T-Mobile from putting customers at risk through its irresponsible implementation of bots and AI to unlawfully harvest private customer data and competitors’ intellectual property”.

“ Our customers trust AT&T with their personal information, and we will continue to protect them from T-Mobile’s reckless business practices by giving them, not an unknown bot, control of their personal data.”

T-Mobile responds
A representative for T-Mobile told MWL “AT&T’s claims are wrong on the facts and the law”.

“Easy Switch simply and safely empowers consumers to seamlessly access and share their own information so that they can make an informed choice about their wireless provider and plan.  We remain committed to transparency, simplicity and ensuring consumers have the freedom to choose, and we will continue to vigorously oppose AT&T’s efforts to hamper consumer choice.”

The judge granted T-Mobile’s request to file its opposition to AT&T’s lawsuit by 8 December followed by an in-person hearing 16 December.

Verizon did not respond to MWL’s request for comment on T-Mobile’s SME tool.

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Nvidia stated it purchased Synopsys’ stock at $414.79 per share to address increasing workflow complexity, rising development costs and time-to-market pressures.

US-based Synopsys will tap into Nvidia’s CUDA-X libraries and AI physics technologies to further accelerate and optimise its applications, including chip design, molecular simulations and optical simulation.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated CUDA GPU-accelerated computing is revolutionising design while enabling unprecedented simulation speed and scale to create digital twins inside of computers to help engineers invent future products.

The companies are integrating Synopsys AgentEngineer technology with the chipmaker’s agentic AI stack to enable autonomous design capabilities for electronic design automation and simulation workflows.

They will also develop joint marketing and sales efforts to drive adoption across industries,

They stated the partnership is not exclusive, as both companies will continue collaborating with the broader semiconductor and electronic design automation ecosystem to foster shared growth opportunities. 

Analyst viewpoint
Appledore founder and principal analyst Patrick Kelly posted on LinkedIn the partnership is the latest example of how Nvidia is using its balance sheet to shape the market in ways that guarantee demand for its hardware.

He noted Nvidia’s deals and investments over the past 12 months, including Nokia, OpenAI and Intel, are clear examples of how it is underwriting the AI boom which it depends on.

“Call it strategic ecosystem development,” he stated. “Call it vendor financing 2.0. Either way, Nvidia isn’t waiting for the market to evolve. It’s designing the market it wants.”

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Nokia targets AI-ready US networks with $4B outlay

What happened: Nokia agreed a $4 billion, multi-year investment plan with US President Donald Trump’s administration to expand its R&D and manufacturing footprint and accelerate the rollout of AI-ready network infrastructure.

Why it matters: The investment directly supports the domestic production of mobile, fixed, IP, optical and defence solutions, while deepening R&D in automation, quantum-safe networks and semiconductors. It builds on Nokia’s earlier $2.3 billion US commitment linked to its Infinera acquisition, alongside $456 million in manufacturing investments by the optical specialist. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said the deal marked “another Trump administration win for America”, adding that the spending means “the most innovative technologies that power AI, data centres, and critical national security applications will be developed and built here in the US”. The hefty outlay puts financial weight behind Nokia’s recent strategy revamp under CEO Justin Hotard centred around AI-native networks, as the vendor streamlines into two core infrastructure units and targets higher profits by 2028 to cash in on what Hotard calls the “AI supercycle”.

Samsung, SKT start joint research on AI, 6G

What happened: Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom launched joint research into AI-supported RAN technology in a bid to lay the groundwork for 6G commercialisation.

Why it matters: The work will focus on AI-based channel estimation, distributed MIMO transmission and reception, and AI-RAN-based scheduler and core network technologies that determine when, where and how data is sent. Samsung said the field-focused work with SKT will allow it to verify AI-powered wireless technologies in real-world environments and secure critical AI-RAN technologies at an early stage. Meanwhile, SKT added the convergence of AI and wireless would be “crucial to 6G competitiveness”. Both companies are members of the AI-RAN Alliance, positioning them to impact future 6G standards and roadmaps. Athul Prasad, Samsung’s senior manager of emerging technologies & corporate development, said the pair’s joint proposal on AI-based channel estimation is already an approved official work item at the alliance, underscoring their potential influence on future standards.

Kyivstar activates Starlink D2D in Europe first

What happened: Kyivstar became the first mobile operator in Europe to switch on Starlink D2D connectivity following successful tests earlier this year, enabling SMS services for customers with standard 4G smartphones when terrestrial networks are damaged, unavailable or out of reach.

Why it matters: Ukraine’s digital transformation minister Mykhailo Fedorov called the service “an important step in developing infrastructure that will ensure connectivity even in areas without traditional networks”, citing “constant Russian attacks on infrastructure, blackouts and network damage” amid an ongoing war. Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said the service enhances national resilience and provides “a vital functionality that is critical for our people”. This week, Kyivstar’s head of cloud & satellite business Ilya Polshakov told MWL at MWC25 Doha that around 400,000 users have registered on Kyivstar’s Starlink network, with around 90,000 to 100,000 SMS messages sent in the first 24 hours since launch. He pointed to successful real-world tests, including banking payment terminals, where reliable connectivity is critical. Voice and expanded data services are planned for 2026, with the operator also set to introduce extended IoT capabilities for future satellite generations. In addition, the project is strategically significant for Kyivstar parent Veon Group, which plans to roll out the service in Kazakhstan from 2026.

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According to Reuters, the US chipmaker stated it employs strict measures to prevent the transfer of restricted information and IP, explaining there is no indication those procedures were breached when former TSMC executive Lo Wei-jen took up a position in October.

TSMC believes Lo revealed details of its work on a 2nm production process.

In company documents, it explained the set-up “will be the most advanced technology in the semiconductor industry in terms of both density and energy efficiency when introduced”.

The 2nm process “features first-generation nanosheet transistor technology, with full-node strides in performance and power consumption”.

Lo retired from his role as SVP for corporate strategy development at TSMC in July before taking up the now controversial role with Intel.

The US company told Reuters the movement of skilled personnel is commonplace in the chip sector and said nothing pointed to TSMC’s allegations being true.

TSMC is reportedly suing Lo over the matter and he is subject to a probe by Taiwanese prosecutors.

Protecting its forthcoming 2nm process has become a serious business for TSMC, which in August reportedly sacked staff for trying to access pertinent details.

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The fibre network now serves over 300 communities across 19 states, with more launches planned. The milestone follows Metronet’s acquisition by a JV between T-Mobile and KKR in July.

Under the new ownership, Metronet now operates as a wholesale builder and operator of fibre-optic networks. It serves residential customers multi-gigabit network speeds through a wholesale model and supports T-Mobile US’ Fiber business customers.

To support growth, T-Mobile and Metronet are acquiring other companies, closing the purchase of Minneapolis-based fibre ISP US Internet in September, which marked Metronet’s seventh acquisition in seven years.

Former T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert touted the JV as a “capital light” approach for growing its fixed wireless internet service through deals to buy Metronet and FTTH provider Lumos Networks, the latter of which is also a joint venture.

During the company’s Q3 earnings call in October, former COO Srini Gopalan did not rule out M&A for additional fibre deals or joint ventures before taking over as CEO on 1 November.

As of Q3, T-Mobile is targeting 12 million FWA customers by 2028 and 12 million to 15 million homes passed through the fibre JVs. 

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CNBC reported the deadline for the funding raise was yesterday (25 November) with a closing date of 19 December.

The news agency stated xAI will use a large chunk of it for GPUs to power its large language models.

CNBC reported in November xAI was seeking to raise $15 billion, which Musk stated on X was false.

 In July, xAI apologised after its Grok chatbot reportedly made a series of extreme comments which it blamed on deprecated code.

In March, Musk’s xAI acquired his social media platform X in a $45 billion all-stock transaction.

Companies such as Amazon,  Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI have raised billions of dollars to build out their AI infrastructure and add more compute capabilities.

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