Industry News
TimeWave Weekly Report on Communications Industry - July 8th to 14th
During the period from July 8th to 14th, 2025, the following international
news occurred:
1. T-Mobile completes $2bn network expansion in Florida
T-Mobile has announced the completion of its $2 billion network upgrade program in Florida, involving the construction and modernization of approximately 1,350 cell sites. This initiative has elevated the state's average 5G download speeds to 266.7 Mbps (a 216% increase since 2021) while achieving comprehensive coverage. The project includes 1,282 sites retained post-Sprint merger and 1,375 disaster-resilient reinforced sites. On July 23, the company will launch T-Satellite, a Starlink-powered service to connect remote areas beyond traditional network reach, benefiting diverse customer segments.
2. Virgin Media O2 boosts mobile infra in Scotland
UK operator Virgin Media O2 has announced the completion of a mobile network upgrade in Scotland, improving 4G and 5G services over the past year across 13,000 postcode areas, including 782 in Edinburgh and remote Highland regions. This initiative is part of its £700 million network transformation plan for 2025, covering urban small cell deployments and coverage for special scenarios such as stadiums and railways. The operator has already activated 5G standalone (SA) networks, covering over 500 towns and cities; the 5G SA network now has covered 75% of the UK’s population, supporting enterprise applications like network slicing.
3. Ericsson: 5G Faces Uplink Speed Challenges, Global SA Deployment Momentum Grows
Global 5G SA deployment progress is slow, with only about 70 operators having launched commercial services so far. Ericsson's report points out that with the rise of XR and generative AI applications, demand for uplink traffic has increased significantly (the uplink-downlink ratio of AI applications reaches 50/50), driving operators to accelerate their migration to SA architecture. Experts emphasize that completing 5G SA evolution is a necessary step towards 6G, and it is necessary to enhance coverage capability through FDD frequency bands. It is estimated that by 2030, global 5G subscriptions will reach 6.3 billion, and 5G SA users will reach 3.7 billion.
4. Cellular IoT module market surges 23% as US-China tensions reshape industry landscape
Global cellular IoT module shipments grew by 23% year-over-year in Q1 2025, continuing the recovery trend seen since 2024. Quectel leads the market with a 40% share but faces supply chain restructuring after being added to the U.S. Department of Defense’s list. Chinese companies, including China Mobile (with a 100% growth rate) and Fibocom, collectively hold 73% of the market share. Geopolitical tensions have driven Swiss manufacturer u-blox to exit the market, while Western manufacturers accelerate strategic adjustments. New EU regulations and 5G RedCap technology are reshaping the industry. It is expected that the market will maintain 17% growth rate in 2025, though geopolitical factors will continue to influence the competitive landscape.
5. BSNL preps enterprise 5G push as it stabilizes its 4G footprint
Indian state-owned telecom operator BSNL is gearing up for nationwide 5G deployment after stabilizing its existing 4G network, having placed an additional order for 19,000 4G base stations upgradable to 5G (with TCS contracted to build 18,700 sites). Its enterprise business is projected to grow by 15% in 2025, focusing on the deployment of 5G SA private networks, network slicing, and IoT applications. Simultaneously, BSNL has launched India’s first SIM-free 5G FWA service, "Quantum 5G," utilizing 700MHz/3.3GHz frequency bands, which has been piloted in Hyderabad and is set to expand to six major cities. The government plans to deploy an additional 100,000 4G towers and will roll out 5G nationwide once the network stabilizes.
6. South Korea reassigns all carrier spectrum, including for 3G
South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it will reassign all 370MHz of mobile spectrum, including 3G frequency bands, to existing carriers to ensure service continuity. Currently, SK Telecom and KT each maintain 10MHz of 3G networks, and the government will review potential 3G shutdown requests based on user protection principles. The country's average 5G download speed has reached 1025.52Mbps (a 9.2% increase from 2023). South Korea plans to release a spectrum policy roadmap covering 6G and AI by the end of the year.
7. Softbank tests 7GHz band for 6G with Nokia in Tokyo
SoftBank, in collaboration with Nokia, has conducted field trials of the 7GHz frequency band (a candidate 6G frequency band) in Tokyo, deploying three pre-commercial base stations equipped with massive MIMO technology. This marks Japan's first use of this frequency band for 6G research, focusing on evaluating 6G and 5G coverage performance in dense urban areas. The 7-24GHz range (FR3) is under consideration by the ITU for 6G, and this trial band tested will be discussed at the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference. The 7GHz band offers wider bandwidth than 5G Sub-6, making it suitable for high-speed communication and coverage. SoftBank's tests will provide data to support for 6G commercialization while advancing its AI super-intelligent infrastructure strategy.
8. Nokia combines with Saudi telcos to test indoor 5G SA network sharing
Nokia, in partnership with Saudi Arabia's Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), ACES NH, and local operators Mobily and Zain KSA, has successfully completed the Middle East's first indoor 5G Standalone (SA) network sharing pilot. The solution utilizes shared spectrum in the 4.0-4.1GHz band and Nokia's Shikra micro base stations, enabling multiple operators to share the same hardware system through Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) technology. This approach reduces deployment costs by 60% while eliminating redundant equipment, making it ideal for indoor scenarios such as shopping malls and enterprises. The solution simultaneously supports both public and private 5G network services.
9. Hong Kong opens applications for 2.5/2.6 GHz spectrum
Hong Kong's Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has launched an auction for 50MHz of spectrum in the 2.5/2.6GHz band, with application submissions open from September 4-5 and the auction scheduled for October 20. The reserve price is set at HK$4 million per MHz, and the final price will be determined through competitive bidding. The spectrum usage rights will extend uniformly until March 2039 to support 5G and future 6G development. This follows Hong Kong's previous frequency bands auctions in the 6/7GHz bands, where three major operators each secured 100MHz of spectrum.
10. Vietnam's 5G Network Currently Covers Just 25% of Population
Vietnam's three major telecom operators have deployed approximately 11,000 5G base stations, covering 26% of the country's population, which is only 7.7% of the country's total 4G base station count. Viettel, VNPT and MobiFone currently serve 6 million, over 3 million and over 2.5 million 5G users respectively, and are accelerating base station construction. However, current 5G deployment remains concentrated in urban areas, and its development still faces the issue of insufficient momentum, with most users still preferring 4G (which covers 99.8%). The government plans to achieve full commercial deployment in 2025, targeting 99% population coverage by 2025.
11. Fact-finding Mission to Tibet: 5G Blankets the Snowy Plateau with Vibrant Connectivity
China Mobile Tibet has deployed over 10,000 5G base stations across the snowy plateau, achieving full coverage in all cities, counties, and towns (with 87.6% coverage in administrative villages). The 5G-A base station at Everest Base Camp was built through extraordinary "yak-and-porter" transportation, supporting tourist communications and scientific research. Network coverage in Nagqu's caterpillar fungus harvesting areas facilitates live-streaming e-commerce. The world's highest data center at 3,840 meters in Shigatse is soon to be put into operation. 5G is transforming Tibetan livelihoods, enabling telemedicine, distance education, and specialty industry development.
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