Canada-based Terrestar Solutions struck a deal with the UAE company Space42 and US player Viasat to work on an open framework for sharing satellite infrastructure, with the ultimate aim of scaling direct-to-device (D2D) services while preserving national control over critical networks.
The Canadian satellite operator signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the two companies to establish interoperability standards linking its planned CaStar low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation with Equatys, a shared satellite infrastructure venture formed by Space42 and Viasat.
The proposed arrangement would allow operators to share network resources while retaining ownership and control of their satellite assets, ground networks and customer relationships.
For Terrestar this would maintain Canadian control of CaStar, including domestic gateways and ground infrastructure, while enabling it to connect with Equatys globally.
The companies expect the approach to reduce capital and operating costs by allowing operators to extend coverage without having to build and run standalone global constellations.
Under the proposed framework, the companies would coordinate resources including satellite capacity, beams, power and ground gateway access through vendor-neutral interfaces aligned with 3GPP non-terrestrial network specifications, GSMA roaming and interconnection frameworks and other recognised industry standards.
Space42 and Viasat agreed last year to establish Equatys, backed by up to $1 billion in combined equity commitments.
At the time they noted the venture aimed to provide shared infrastructure for satellite operators and other companies delivering D2D and advanced mobile satellite services. The Terrestar agreement marks the first planned application of Equatys’ “sovereign shell” model, which combines shared global infrastructure with satellite systems controlled and operated at a national or regional level.
“The future of mobile satellite connectivity won’t be built by countries or constellations acting alone,” said Jacques Leduc, president and CEO of Terrestar Solutions. “It will be built through open standards-based networks that combine national sovereignty with global reach, positioning us to compete at scale.”
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved Amazon’s $11.5 billion acquisition of satellite service provider Globalstar, removing a key regulatory hurdle in the company’s push to expand its Leo business into direct-to-device (D2D) services.
Amazon is to acquire full control of Globalstar, its subsidiaries, satellite infrastructure and mobile satellite spectrum.
The FCC’s Space Bureau approved the purchase of around 25MHz of Globalstar’s mobile satellite spectrum by Amazon.
It also cleared Amazon to access Globalstar’s C-3 system, a 48-satellite constellation intended to expand network capacity which the FCC approved last week.
Amazon must continue to comply with existing agreements between Globalstar and US defence and policing agencies.
The regulator explained the transaction could improve coverage in underserved areas, strengthen emergency communications, and grow industrial and enterprise data services.
“By approving this deal, the FCC has empowered Amazon Leo to deliver fast, next-generation satellite broadband services, increase competition and help communities stay connected”, FCC chair Brendan Carr said.
The FCC’s approval brings an anticipated close of the deal in 2027 a step closer and strengthens Amazon’s position in a market led by SpaceX’s Starlink, which operates more than 11,000 satellites.
Amazon Leo aims to launch services by the end of the year, with its next-generation D2D system planned for 2028.
Bell Canada struck a deal to sell a minority stake in its newly formed tower business to investment group La Caisse for CAD2.5 billion ($1.8 billion), cash set to be used to cut debt and invest in growth areas.
The operator’s parent company BCE noted the investor would take a 49.9% stake in the TowerCo business with Bell retaining the remainder.
TowerCo is set to take ownership of more than 5,000 sites across Canada, making it the country’s largest dedicated tower company. It will lease capacity back to Bell, which retains full ownership and control of spectrum, active network equipment and owned land.
The transaction expected to close in Q1 2027 subject to regulatory approval.
BCE explained the sale would help strengthen its balance sheet and allow it to invest in growth areas, including AI-related solutions. Last year, the company set a target of reducing its net debt leverage ratio to 3.5 times by the end of 2027.
BCE and Bell Canada president and CEO Mirko Bibic said the transaction would “unlock the significant value embedded in our infrastructure assets” while allowing the company to continue operating its wireless network.
He added the company aims “to strengthen our balance sheet, invest in growth and deliver total returns to shareholders”.
La Caisse EVP Emmanuel Jaclot noted making telecoms tower infrastructure available to multiple service providers could help “more people access the connectivity they rely on every day”.
Microsoft is offering employees across several parts of its global operations the opportunity to take a voluntary exit deal, as it seeks to contain costs while ramping up investment in AI.
The offer being made is time-limited and includes financial support and career planning resources. Reuters reported the programme is targeting around 60,000 employees.
Microsoft’s FY26 annual report showed it had 223,000 full-time employees worldwide as of 30 June, putting the potential pool of eligible staff at more than a quarter of its global workforce.
In a statement, Microsoft chief people officer Amy Coleman explained the programme is available to eligible employees in Canada, India, the UK and the US at level 70 and below of its employee hierarchy.
Participation is limited to selected business units with eligibility varying according to “each business’s priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs”.
A source told Reuters the offer covers teams including Copilot, AI experiences, finance, human resources, Xbox and Windows + Devices. Marketing, commercial business and security are apparently excluded.
“This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support,” Coleman said, adding “these are a few of the ways we’re trying to meet different business needs” and that “we’ll learn from it”.
Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to around 9,000 US employees earlier this year and announced 4,800 job cuts in July, as it restructured its Xbox gaming business and planned to divest four studios.
The latest initiative comes as Microsoft commits substantial sums to AI infrastructure, including data centres and chips. The company forecast capital expenditure of $175 billion for calendar year 2026, drawing scrutiny over whether returns will justify the scale of spending.
Indian engineering services company L&T Technology Services (LTTS) agreed a five-year contract to back Nokia’s local engineering and R&D work into areas including 5G, AI-based operations and next-generation computing infrastructure.
LTTS plans to establish a dedicated offshore development centre to support the Finnish vendor’s R&D programmes spanning product engineering and development, embedded systems, and software and system integration.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
LTTS added it would also assemble a dedicated engineering team to work with Nokia R&D teams globally.
It stated the development centre would focus on engineering for telecoms and data centre infrastructure, along with employing AI in network automations and developing intelligent automation.
Vivek Jaiswal, SVP of engineering at Nokia, said India is an “important innovation hub” for the vendor and backed LTTS to help “expand our R&D footprint and accelerate innovation”.
He argued is it essential Nokia continues investing in R&D to deliver the “advanced connectivity technologies” AI requires.
For LTTS, the contract aligns with a focus on next-generation computing and AI infrastructure.
LTTS provides AI, digital and engineering R&D services across more than 25 countries.
The agreement comes as Nokia positions AI infrastructure and advanced connectivity as key growth areas during a period CEO Justin Hotard previously called a “super cycle” involving the technology.
SpaceX is reportedly in talks with tower companies to secure access to at least 80,000 US sites, as it presses ahead with plans to build a nationwide mobile network to rival incumbents AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile US.
According to Bloomberg, major US tower operator Crown Castle is among the companies discussing leases with SpaceX, with potential deals worth billions of dollars.
On an earnings call earlier this week, Crown Castle CEO Chris Hillabrant said the company was holding talks across the satellite telecommunications sector but declined to discuss specific customers, noting: “You can assume that we’re talking to all parties.”
The tower agreements would form a key part of SpaceX’s plan to combine satellite connectivity with ground-based infrastructure to establish a nationwide mobile network.
It is targeting early 2028 for a launch for its own direct-to-device (D2D) service, following the deployment of its second generation Starlink Mobile constellation expected next year.
Earlier this month, the company agreed to acquire up to 14MHz of paired spectrum in the 800MHz band from Grain Management, in a move chief Elon Musk said was “the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle needed for SpaceX to provide complete phone coverage in America”.
It also secured Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval to launch 15,000 next-generation satellites for D2D services.
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said on the company’s Q3 earnings call the spectrum deal and satellite approval “pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the US”.
Rivals SpaceX’s approach has drawn scepticism from some parties over whether it can match the coverage and performance of established networks.
AT&T CEO John Stankey argued earlier this week building a network capable of matching incumbent performance would take time. “I think it takes a lot of years and a huge level of investment to get to the kind of performance levels that customers have become accustomed to in scaled networks,” he said.
Stankey also highlighted AT&T’s extensive low-band spectrum holdings and existing infrastructure, arguing the operator already serves customers across established coverage areas.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan told the Financial Times in August that the threat from satellite providers had been exaggerated, questioning what consumer problems a new service would solve.
Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week, as Microsoft backed out of its UK data centre deal with Nscale, four European telco heavyweights confirmed plans to explore a joint satellite spectrum bid and SpaceX targeted a launch in 2028 for its direct-to-device (D2D) service.
Microsoft pulls out of Nscale UK data centre deal
What happened: Microsoft reportedly pulled out of an agreement to lease capacity at Nscale’s planned AI data centre in Loughton, Essex, after delays to its electricity connection pushed expected supply into the 2030s.
Why it matters: The 50MW facility was announced in 2025 as part of Nscale’s £2.5 billion UK investment commitment. Microsoft planned to occupy the entire site and deploy a supercomputer containing around 23,000 Nvidia GB300 chips. According to Reuters, Nscale said it remained “committed to both the Loughton project and the UK” and was exploring alternative power sources. It added its wider relationship with Microsoft remained strong, with the companies continuing to work together in Norway, Portugal and the US.
In February, an investigation by The Guardian found the Loughton site was still operating as a scaffolding yard, exposing a widening gap between the UK’s AI investment announcements and its ability to deliver the infrastructure required. Roderick Beck, a subsea and network capacity specialist, and VP of business development at UCC Hudson Bore, said “the big and growing order backlogs in the AI data centre sector reflect not just strong demand, but the difficulty of building these data centres and equipping them”. He added: “The construction, power, and GPU supply chains are extremely stressed.” Meanwhile, David Johnson, CEO of Greater London Industrial, noted “this is not an isolated case”, pointing to research from Roadnight Taylor which found half of UK data centre developers expected grid connections within one to two years, while many faced waits of three to eight years. He concluded: “Grid capacity is now as important to growth as planning consent. We need to treat it that way.”
European operators confirm satellite spectrum move
What happened: Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone Group signed a letter of intent to explore a joint bid for spectrum earmarked for Mobile Satellite Services (MSS), as operators look to expand D2D connectivity.
Why it matters: The quartet stated a joint approach would support open, non-discriminatory access to satellite connectivity, while reducing market fragmentation and boosting consumer choice. They plan to establish ground infrastructure, coordination and monitoring functions without investing directly in a satellite constellation. A satellite partner has yet to be selected.
Counterpoint Research senior analyst Subhadip Roy noted the move comes ahead of the expiry of existing 2GHz spectrum authorisations held by Viasat and EchoStar in May 2027, with a new allocation framework being developed by the European Commission. He added the move takes D2D beyond satellite partnerships to the question of “who controls spectrum and how satellite connectivity becomes part of mobile networks”. Meanwhile, PP Foresight’s Paolo Pescatore said success depends on making satellite coverage “a seamless extension of mobile connectivity”. He added execution, device compatibility and pricing must give customers “a compelling reason to pay, along with reassurance they can stay connected in more places”.
SpaceX targets early 2028 for own D2D service launch
What happened: SpaceX revealed plans to launch its own D2D service in early 2028, following deployment of its second-generation Starlink Mobile satellites in 2027 and integration of additional spectrum.
Why it matters: On the company’s Q3 earnings call, president Gwynne Shotwell said its spectrum acquisition and the Federal Communications Commission’s approval to launch 15,000 next-generation V2 satellites would “pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the US”. Earlier this month, SpaceX agreed to buy up to 14MHz of paired spectrum in the 800MHz band from Grain Management. The company also plans to use ground-based femtocells to complement satellite coverage.
Ananth Theivendrapoopathy, global head of pricing, product and commercial strategy at Lycamobile Group, said SpaceX could compete “without having to replicate the entire physical infrastructure of traditional mobile operators”, adding this could provide “a significant advantage through a different network cost structure”, although urban capacity and indoor coverage challenges remain. He argued the move also raises regulatory questions over whether satellite providers competing directly with mobile operators should face comparable regulatory obligations. He noted Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone Group’s joint approach to satellite connectivity, alongside mounting calls for European sovereignty, become “important considerations”.
Separately this week, Elon Musk revealed plans to explore a potential merger between SpaceX and Tesla in a combination that could bring satellite connectivity, vehicles and AI infrastructure under one umbrella.
A UAE-led international operation targeting AI-enabled fraud and cross-border networks identified more than $39 billion in funds and cryptocurrencies linked to scam activity.
Operation Confrontation Ghost, which ran from 1 July to 30 September, brought together law enforcement agencies from 30 countries including the UAE, UK, China and France. It also convened INTERPOL, the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and 13 technology and financial sector companies including Huawei, Meta Platforms, TikTok and Mastercard.
Authorities exchanged more than 9,000 pieces of intelligence during the three month operation, which focused on AI-enabled fraud, digital financial crime and technology-facilitated sextortion which often targeted children and teenagers.
The initiative identified more than 15,500 victims and 3,500 suspects, resulting in more than 960 arrests and raids on 29 fraud centres. Investigators also shut down more than 570 social media accounts linked to fraudulent activity and identified 4,126 bank accounts associated with scams. Efforts to recover the identified assets remain ongoing.
Dana Marzouqi, DG of the International Affairs Bureau at the UAE Ministry of Interior, noted the Operation Confrontation Ghost “transformed international shared intelligence into coordinated operational impact”, adding it boosted “collective resilience for all participating nations”.
Concerns over the safety of increasingly autonomous AI systems have been mounting worldwide. AI chiefs including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google Deepmind co-founder Demis Hassabis and Elon Musk have called to slowdown the pace of frontier AI development and establish regulatory guardrails, warning AI driven-cyberattacks could pose an existential risk to humanity.
Germany-based robotics firm Agile Robots reportedly plans to produce up to 2,000 humanoid robots next year through a fresh partnership with Nvidia, targeting universities and corporate research labs.
The collaboration was announced at Nvidia’s GTC conference in Berlin. Agile CEO Zhaopeng Chen told Reuters the pair are set to begin production of the Agile ONE S and ONE SN humanoid robot models by the end of 2026, expecting to manufacture between 1,000 and 2,000 units. Stanford University and ETH Zurich are among potential customers.
The Agile ONE SN, with the N standing for Nvidia to denote the chipmaker-specific configuration, combines Agile’s humanoid hardware with Nvidia’s Jetson Thor onboard computing platform and Isaac GR00T robotics AI model. It features five-fingered hands, cameras and other sensors to support dexterous manipulation and interaction with the physical environment.
Standing 1.4 metres tall and weighing around 40 kilograms, the robot is designed as a smaller alternative to full-sized humanoids. Nvidia said the robot intends to simplify the integration of hardware, simulation, training and deployment tools on a single platform, “cutting setup time from weeks to days”.
Spencer Huang, Nvidia’s product director for robotics, told Reuters the standardised configuration could save researchers two or three months of work procuring separately purchased components. “If we can bring researchers something that’s already 80% of the way there, it accelerates their development,” he said.
Nvidia said Agile’s ONE SN is scheduled to become available in early 2027, as competition intensifies among European humanoid developers.
ChatGPT moment Alongside the partnership, the chipmaker also revealed its expanded robotics development platform, Nvidia Isaac, equipped with new tools for training and deploying AI-powered machines. The expanded platform includes Isaac OS, an open-source runtime framework, and Isaac Lab 3.0, a robot learning framework designed to train and refine robot skills. The company also introduced new reference workflows and simulation resources to speed up development.
“General-purpose robotics is advancing at extraordinary speed — the ChatGPT moment for robotics is fast approaching,” noted Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, adding the platform would give developers “the models, data, simulation tools and computing systems to bring physical AI to the world’s largest industries”.
The chipmaker added European robotics players including UK-based Humanoid, French start-up Hugging Face and Swedish firm ABB Robotics are applying its technologies including Nvidia Isaac to industrial autonomous machines.
Jio Platforms’ $3.2 billion IPO was reportedly fully subscribed within around 100 minutes of opening on Wednesday (21 October), as investors rushed to take part in India’s largest share sale.
Sources told Reuters institutional investors covered their allocated portion within 10 minutes of bidding opening, although demand from retail investors was slower. Around a third of the shares are reserved for retail buyers.
“It’s the fastest in the history of India,” a source said.
Reliance Industries’ telecoms unit is offering 270 million shares priced at between INR1,065 ($11.28) and INR1,119 apiece, with the offer closing on Friday (23 October). The IPO values the business at up to $108.3 billion and marks the first public offering from billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance conglomerate in two decades.
The company plans to use most of the IPO proceeds to repay or prepay borrowings at Reliance Jio Infocomm, its telecoms subsidiary, with the remainder earmarked for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditure.
Jio Platforms reported a profit of around $3.2 billion on revenue of $15.5 billion in the year to March.
The offering also comes despite a weak domestic equity market, after the country’s Nifty 50 benchmark index of 50 leading Indian companies slumped this year.
However, Indian wealth management firm SMIFS Limited noted “the long-term outlook for Jio Platforms Limited remains highly favourable, driven by sustained growth in India’s digital economy”.
According to the company, Jio Platforms will “benefit from rising 5G adoption, increasing smartphone penetration, accelerating broadband penetration, growing enterprise digitalisation and expanding demand for cloud and AI-enabled services”.
Jio’s telecoms business has more than 500 million subscribers, making it the world’s second largest telecoms operator in a single country after China Mobile. It disrupted India’s telecoms market after launching in 2016 with low-cost data plans, putting pressure on rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
However, the company continues to face regulatory uncertainty and growing competition in satellite connectivity, as billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink prepares to enter India’s market.
Veon agreed a deal to acquire Uzbekistan mobile operator Perfectum for around $207 million, in a move designed to boost its spectrum holdings and accelerate 5G deployment in the country.
The group stated it had reached an agreement to buy 100% of Rubicon Wireless, which operates under the Perfectum brand. The deal includes around $93 million in existing Perfectum debt. Completion is expected by the end of the month, with regulatory approvals already secured.
The acquisition brings fresh spectrum and network infrastructure into Veon’s regional telecoms business, Beeline Uzbekistan. Perfectum holds 115MHz of spectrum across the 850MHz and 3,800MHz bands, alongside network equipment and a standalone 5G network deployed using Nokia technology.
Veon said the acquisition would increase Beeline Uzbekistan’s spectrum holdings by around 50%, giving the operator additional resources to expand network capacity and support future 5G and fixed wireless access services.
The companies also anticipate expenditure savings and improved “efficiency of future network investment” from integrating Perfectum’s network with Beeline Uzbekistan’s existing infrastructure.
The deal adds to Veon’s investments in Uzbekistan, a market of nearly 40 million people where demand for connectivity and digital services is apparently booming. The group said the combined assets would enable broader access to broadband to support mounting demand for financial services, digital applications and sovereign AI across the country.
“Uzbekistan is one of Veon’s core growth markets, and this acquisition reflects our confidence in its digital future,” noted Veon group CEO Kaan Terzioglu, adding the company aims to turn the deal into “stronger customer experiences, more efficient network investment and sustainable growth”.
Elon Musk (pictured) revealed plans to give a SpaceX share to every child in the US next year, making the pledge a day after AI company Anthropic outlined plans to dedicate part of its equity to public benefit initiatives.
“Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” Musk posted on social media platform X, adding: “This will be the first of many.”
He provided no details on how the shares would be distributed or how the plan would be funded. According to Census Bureau data, around 73 million children live in the US. This would put the potential value of the giveaway at approximately $10.7 billion based on SpaceX’s closing share price of $146.03 on 16 October.
A regulatory filing made in August showed the billionaire held a 48.4% stake in SpaceX as of 30 June. The company went public earlier this year, raising $75 billion in a record-breaking IPO which briefly made the tech mogul the world’s first trillionaire.
Public BenefitFund Separately, Anthropic announced on Sunday (18 October) that it would commit 5% of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund, with the potential for the allocation to grow as the company’s valuation increases.
The AI player stated the fund could receive an additional 2% of its shares for every 50% increase in its valuation above a baseline yet to be disclosed. Additional allocations would be made at the board’s discretion.
Anthropic stated the fund would give it “increased flexibility and scale” to pursue its mission, including “large donations to traditional non-profits or direct distributions to specific populations”.
One potential focus is AI-driven disruption to employment. The company stated that, although the technology could generate “enormous economic value”, it could “cause instability for many workers”. It has already committed $200 million to research and initiatives addressing the issue, “but given the pace of AI progress, bolder approaches may be needed”.
“The Fund will have the versatility to pursue them.”
Anthropic, which has confidentially filed for an IPO, stated further details on the fund’s governance and valuation thresholds would follow in the coming months.
Microsoft reportedly withdrew from a deal to lease computing capacity at AI infrastructure player Nscale’s planned data centre in the UK due to delays related to power supply, adding to mounting concerns around the status of the country’s AI projects.
According to The Telegraph, the US technology giant pulled the plug on the mooted data centre to be constructed in Loughton, Essex, which was originally expected to receive a grid connection by the end of 2026.
However, it now faces a wait until the following decade for supply.
“Our relationship with Microsoft remains strong and long-term, and this unfortunate London-wide grid issue has no impact on our other contracts,” an Nscale spokesperson told Reuters. The pair are still collaborating across other projects, including developments in Norway, Portugal and the US.
The company reportedly added it remained “committed to both the Loughton project and the UK” and was exploring alternative power sources.
Announced last year, the Loughton development was backed by a £2.5 billion investment commitment from Nscale and formed part of a wider UK push to attract AI infrastructure spending. Microsoft had planned to lease the site’s entire 50MW capacity and deploy an AI supercomputer equipped with around 23,000 Nvidia GB300 chips.
The setback revives questions about the delivery of the UK’s headline AI investment pledges. A Guardian investigation in March raised concerns over the status of major announced projects, including the Loughton site, which was still being used as a scaffolding yard when visited by reporters in February. Nscale subsequently said it had purchased the site in September 2025 and was targeting delivery in 2027.
Power availability remains a wider constraint for UK data centre development, as growing demand from AI workloads puts pressure on grid infrastructure.
Nscale, which is backed by Nvidia, filed for a US IPO last month and raised $3.4 billion in pre-IPO financing. The UK-based company named Microsoft and Anthropic as expected major customers in its prospectus.
Apple’s first foldable smartphone is facing a supply crunch within minutes of preorders opening, with delivery estimates for the iPhone Duo slipping into January 2027.
Preorders opened at 8am in New York on 16 October, ahead of the device’s scheduled retail launch on 23 October. By then, Apple’s online store was showing delivery dates that crossed into late January across both colour options and all storage tiers, from 256GB to 2TB.
Customers across social media platforms including Reddit and X reported delays despite following Apple’s advice to reserve their preferred colour and storage configuration in advance. According to Bloomberg, retail stores also exhausted their initial preorder stocks almost immediately.
It remains unclear whether the delays reflect unanticipatedly strong demand, limited supply or a combination of both. Apple typically reserves some units for walk-in customers on launch day, potentially offering buyers a way to secure the device sooner.
Unveiled last month as part of its first major product launch under new CEO John Ternus, the iPhone Duo marks Apple’s long-awaited entry into the foldable smartphone segment, which has so far remained a relatively niche category despite offerings from established rivals. The device starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model, making it the vendor’s most expensive iPhone to date.
Last month, Counterpoint Research estimated Apple could sell around 6 million iPhone Duo units in 2026, potentially providing fresh momentum for the foldable market. At the time, Counterpoint Research senior analyst Ivan Lam noted the number was “contingent on how well the company ramps up production of the new hardware”.
Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple ramped up its smart home ambitions, AT&T agreed a $2 billion sale of its Mexican business and Nokia offloaded its Enterprise Campus Edge unit.
Apple revamps smart home strategy with HomeView
What happened: Apple unveiled a new smart home hub and a range of connected devices as it stepped up efforts to challenge Amazon and Google in the market.
Why it matters: The centrepiece of its launch was the HomeView Hub, a smart display featuring the company’s upgraded Siri AI. Apple also partnered with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric to introduce the Apple Home Collection, covering indoor and outdoor cameras, a video doorbell, thermostats and door locks.
Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said that despite its “cautious approach”, Apple had been waiting for the upgraded Siri to launch its home range, “given how important the voice interactions are with this product”. He also pointed to the partnerships as a way to reduce installation issues, saying they address “one of the category’s biggest barriers: the complexity of getting things working”.
Meanwhile, analysts at ABI Research said the launches represent “a more serious push into the smart home” by Apple but noted it “still trails Amazon and Google on smart home maturity”, arguing tighter integration with other devices and a personalised user experience will be central to its prospects. They also stated, “Apple’s long-term position will depend on how open it becomes to third-party devices, services, and possibly external AI agents.”
What happened: AT&T agreed to sell its Mexican business to Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings for $2 billion, ending its decade-long attempt to challenge America Movil’s dominance in the country.
Why it matters: Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings will each take an equal stake in the operation. AT&T Mexico had 24.7 million wireless subscribers as of 31 December 2025, equivalent to around 16% of the market. Meanwhile, incumbent America Movil’s Telcel held approximately 58%.
LightShed Partners analysts Walter Piecyk and Joe Galone described the move as part of a wider strategic shift under CEO John Stankey, noting AT&T is increasingly focused on “US wireless and highly durable fibre business”. They said the $2 billion sale proceeds represent less than five weeks of AT&T’s annual capital investment, arguing the Mexican operation has limited relevance to its future priorities. They also pointed to America Movil’s resilience, noting that “Telcel still controls nearly 60% of the market, while AT&T and Telefonica are heading for the exits”.
The analysts further highlighted a potential competitive threat from SpaceX, whose combination of terrestrial spectrum and satellite capacity could challenge traditional wireless economics.
What happened: Nokia agreed to sell its Enterprise Campus Edge (ECE) business to investment firm Aurelius Group, as it continues to offload assets and streamline its core strategic focus.
Why it matters: ECE serves almost 900 customers across manufacturing, mining, logistics, airports, ports and power generation. Its portfolio spans private wireless networks, industrial devices, on-premises operational technology, edge computing and software for industrial AI applications. Nokia said the sale would allow it to focus capital and resources on areas offering greater long-term value. ECE will operate as a standalone company under Aurelius, with employees expected to transfer when the deal closes. Earlier this month, Nokia sold its fixed wireless access customer premises equipment business to US broadband vendor Inseego.
Future Wireless principal analyst Pablo Tomasi called ECE sale “the end of a bold chapter” in Nokia’s history, arguing the vendor had abandoned its push to become an industrial vendor. Kyung Mun, principal analyst at Mobile Experts noted ECE was “a smaller part of its overall private networks business”, which also includes railway and defence. He noted Nokia held more than 50% of core and RAN equipment sales in 2025 including both industrial and enterprise segments, adding: “The ECE business grew in the low double digits. Let’s see how it does under the new owner.”
Oppo outlined plans to boost investment in Europe significantly over the next three years, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the premium smartphone market and rival Apple and Samsung in the region.
During a press briefing in London, Oppo Europe CEO Elvis Zhou (pictured) revealed it plans to increase investment by 30% year-on-year up to 2029, however it did not provide a figure on how much it invested in 2025. It has also not publicly disclosed previous investment figures for its European operations.
Zhou was clear on a renewed commitment to Europe, adding it aims to focus on the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain as its main markets.
Referring to competitors, Zhou said: “We are not here to say we will replace one of these established brands. No, we are here to offer a differentiated third option.” While acknowledging rivals’ advantages in brand awareness and retail distribution, he explained that capturing between 5% and 10% of Europe’s premium smartphone market was “totally feasible” for Oppo.
He said the vendor is targeting younger consumers, particularly those aged 18 to 35, by putting a spotlight on camera performance, battery life and AI features rather than competing primarily on price. A market survey by Oppo showed that more than 40% of young people weighed AI tools as a deciding factor when purchasing devices.
In Zhou’s view, “Oppo is not a brand shy of investment… not because we have more money; it’s because we know which kind of segment of the clients we want to target, and what kind of products can really meet their demands”.
He added the company also aims to double sales of its high-end Find flagship series in 2027 compared with 2026. According to Omdia figures, more than half of Oppo devices sold in the UK during the first half of 2026 were Find series models. The series’ share of Oppo’s European sales also increased fourfold in 2026 compared with last year, “showing the growing contribution of our premium products to our European business”.
His comments came as Oppo prepares for the global launch of its latest Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max smartphone models on Tuesday (21 October).
Firm stand Despite Zhou’s bullish outlook, the broader challenge is persuading consumers to pay more as replacement cycles lengthen. He noted Oppo does not intend to compete by offering cheaper devices.
“If we want to have a firm stand here in the European market, it’s not because we are affordable; it’s because we can offer a differentiated and good product experience,” he said, adding: “Our positioning regarding the European market is clear cut. This is a high-end premium market.”
However, the chief cautioned against expecting rapid gains, stating the company would prioritise steady growth. “We will not resort to short-term discount just to increase the sales volume,” he said. “We might not achieve a lot of short-term successes like impressive market share … but you will see our pace here. It will be really stable.”
Oppo operates across more than 20 countries in Europe and is expanding into the Nordics, Poland and Romania, with Spain currently its largest market in the region. Globally, the vendor claimed it ranked among the four largest smartphone vendors by shipments in the first half of 2026, adding the share of its global shipment value generated overseas exceeded 60%.
The Chinese vendor’s latest push in the continent follows a period of disruption after a 2022 patent dispute with Nokia led to a suspension of its sales in Germany. Subsequently in 2023, Oppo reaffirmed its long-term European ambitions despite the loss of its exclusive distributor in France, Yang Technology SAS, and the continued absence of its products from the German market.
Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis cautioned that recent AI-driven cyberattacks were “early warning shots”, as more serious incidents could emerge over time unless companies and governments stepped up efforts to secure AI systems.
Speaking at the International AI Summit in Dublin, Hassabis said the industry needs to adopt safety practices used in sectors such as biology and nuclear technology, calling for secure, isolated sandboxes to test AI agents before they are connected to the internet, alongside stronger cybersecurity measures.
“We’ve got to kind of asymmetrically power up our defensive side to keep ahead of the attackers,” he said, arguing banks and governments could deploy AI to identify and fix software vulnerabilities before systems are widely released.
He also renewed calls for an international standards body to oversee AI safety, but clarified any framework must be flexible enough to keep pace with technological developments without stifling innovation.
Microsoft president and CEO Brad Smith also advocated for stronger safeguards, describing 2026 as a “sobering year” for AI safety. “No company or technology should be above the law,” he said, adding that regulation needed to be “sensible” and “balanced” while accounting for innovation.
Smith added that companies should be prepared to slow development when necessary, citing Microsoft’s decision to move 34,000 engineers from product development to cybersecurity two and a half years ago. “It was painful, but it was the right thing to do.”
“This allergy that some in the industry have to regulation is frankly something we need to get over,” he quipped.
European AI research Separately, Google DeepMind and Google Cloud announced plans to provide up to 200 European scientific researchers with access to their frontier AI models, alongside $3 million in compute credits.
The initiative will support the European Union’s AI for Science agenda through the Resource for AI Science in Europe (RAISE), which aims to address computing resource gaps faced by researchers.
The companies will provide researchers with access to AI tools including AlphaFold 3, WeatherNext, AlphaGenome, AlphaEvolve and AlphaEarth Foundations. Google said the programme would equip researchers to tackle complex scientific challenges, including predicting extreme weather patterns and mapping molecular structures.
NTT Docomo and US-based network equipment manufacturer Abside Networks signed an agreement to explore next-generation, AI-driven networks using high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), as operators look to extend networks beyond terrestrial infrastructure.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU), the pair will collaborate on HAPS system architecture, network control and data utilisation. They will also examine how AI can forecast demand and manage radio beams, capacity, spectrum and interference in stratospheric RAN.
In addition, the partners plan to study the collection and use of data on network quality, operations and stratospheric sensing, as well as potential integration with external applications and service platforms.
The agreement supports NTT Docomo’s broader vision for a “three-dimensional communications infrastructure that integrates AI with non-terrestrial network (NTN) initiatives, including HAPS”. Operating at altitudes of around 20km, HAPS use unmanned platforms to provide wide-area connectivity, including to underserved locations where conventional mobile coverage is difficult or uneconomical, such as mountainous regions and maritime areas.
The Japanese operator explained it aims to integrate terrestrial networks with systems in the stratosphere and space to enable wider-area, higher-capacity services that address mounting connectivity demand as AI usage balloons.
NTT Docomo has been conducting research and demonstrations aimed at delivering HAPS-based communications services, but noted the stratospheric environment requires specialised RAN technologies and equipment.
As a result, Abside is developing radio systems based on large antenna arrays for precise beam control, alongside an AI-driven software platform designed to provide “integrated control of networks across the ground, stratosphere and space”.
The equipment manufacturer also brings experience in stratospheric communications through its work on Google’s Project Loon balloon initiative, alongside development of HAPS equipment, NTN technologies and AI-based network control systems.
The GSMA board outlined the industry’s connectivity priorities, calling for action on smartphone affordability, online scams and network investment while backing closer international cooperation on future 6G standards.
Following a board meeting in New Delhi, India, the industry association stated that although 97% of the global population live within mobile broadband coverage, 3.4 billion people remain unconnected to mobile internet. The cost of devices remains a significant barrier, with an entry-level internet-enabled handset equivalent to 44% of average monthly income for the poorest 20% of people in low- and middle-income countries.
The GSMA highlighted potential measures to improve affordability including financing schemes, targeted tax cuts and closer cooperation between device makers and memory suppliers.
It also identified scams and fraud as a growing threat, warning that although the mobile industry continues to strengthen network detection and cyber defence tools, “no single sector can tackle the threat alone”. The GSMA noted AI-generated content and deepfakes further add to risks for consumers, public trust and government objectives, calling on the industry to “join forces to counter scams with practical solutions”.
Sustained investment The GSMA also highlighted the need for network investment and supportive policy to accelerate connectivity growth. It found mobile technologies and services generated $6 trillion in economic value in 2025, equivalent to 6.4% of global GDP. This figure is forecast to reach $11.3 trillion by 2030.
In addition, operators are projected to invest $1.2 trillion in capital expenditure between 2025 and 2030 to expand and upgrade networks, with 57% of mobile connections expected to use 5G by the end of the decade.
GSMA director general Vivek Badrinath said the sector’s next priority must be to translate 5G expansion into “meaningful value”, ensuring more people can participate in the digital economy. “This will require sustained investment, enabling policy and collaboration across the wider ecosystem,” he stressed.
Looking ahead, the industry association reiterated its support for global standards and harmonised spectrum as 6G development continues. It highlighted countries representing more than 80% of the world’s population support mobile use of the upper 6GHz band, which could provide the 200MHz to 400MHz channel bandwidths expected to be needed for 6G.
GSMA chair Gopal Vittal said that “by working through global standards and collaborating across markets, we can accelerate innovation, strengthen trust and resilience” as the industry develops the next generation of connectivity.
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) reportedly claimed the company had reached the “frontier” of AI, as it unveiled two new models designed to handle complex personal and professional tasks.
Following hefty investments in computing infrastructure and research, the technology giant said Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full AI mark “our most capable models to date”.
The models can handle tasks ranging from coding and document analysis to interpreting legal information, personal finance and health data.
Among key features is Active Memory, enabling the retention of relevant user information across conversations. The agents are also equipped with Active Focus to help them continue pursuing longer tasks, adapt to new information, recover from errors and ask users for clarification before taking important actions.
Meta claimed its evaluations showed strong results across benchmarks covering agent performance, memory and coding, adding the advanced Muse Wonder Full version performs better on unfamiliar tasks.
Built responsibly Unlike its earlier open-source strategy, Meta is offering Muse Wonder through its own developer and subscription channels in a direct challenge to AI chatbots from rivals including OpenAI and Anthropic. According to the Financial Times (FT), Meta said it would charge companies from between 20 cents per million tokens for basic access to as much as $200 a month for the more powerful Muse Wonder Full.
Speaking to the publication on the launch in which he made the comment about frontier AI, Zuckerberg added the new models would enable “much more sophisticated behaviours that are at the frontier of what is being done in the AI field”.
Meta claims Muse Wonder surpasses Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.1 and OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra on certain technical measures.
Zuckerberg added that reaching this point required “a large amount of compute and investment” alongside sustained research. He told the FT that further model development and spending was under way, stating the company was “already working on the next step up”.
The chief also played down mounting concerns about increasingly capable AI systems escaping human control, declaring: “I’m much closer to the belief that AI is a technology that can be engineered with normal guardrails and built responsibly.”
Meta said its new models were trained to prevent unauthorised disclosure of private information and reject requests to facilitate harmful actions, while retaining agentic capabilities for defensive cybersecurity work.
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