Mobile Networks Explode: 2.6B on 5G, 6G Hits 280Gbps, But 3.1B Still Offline (Sept 29

5G momentum: Global 5G connections have surged to roughly 2.6 billion (up 37% YoY) and are projected to hit ~9 billion (60% of all mobiles) by 2030 ^[1]. North America leads adoption (339M subs, ~88% pop, ~111 GB/user/mo) ^[2], while sub-Saharan Africa lags at ~1.2% penetration ^[3] ^[4].
Spectrum deals: Big spectrum moves are afoot. EchoStar agreed to sell 50 MHz (3.45 GHz and 600 MHz) to AT&T for ~$23 billion ^[5], and Verizon is in talks to buy EchoStar licenses ^[6]. Vietnam’s VNPT just paid $83M for 700 MHz (TV band) spectrum to boost rural 4G/5G ^[7]. Turkey plans an October 2025 5G auction (700 MHz & 3.5 GHz) with services by 2026 ^[8] ^[9].
2G/3G shutdowns: Legacy networks are being retired. The Philippines will fully end 3G by Sept 30, 2025 (2G is already phasing out) to reallocate spectrum and curb SIM-card scams ^[10]. Qatar’s regulator set a 3G switch-off by end-2025 to free up 4G/5G resources ^[11]. Similar moves are ongoing worldwide (e.g. Vietnam and Western Europe).
Infrastructure rollouts: Operators are expanding 5G capacity. Virgin Media O2 (UK) now covers 500 cities/towns (70%+ of UK) with ultra-low-latency 5G standalone ^[12]. Industry observers call this “futureproofing” for innovations (autonomous vehicles, healthcare) ^[13]. In India, state telco BSNL is set to launch pan‑India 4G (using home‑grown kit) on Sept 27, 2025 ^[14], and is testing 5G in major cities.
Emerging 6G: Early 6G trials make news but experts urge patience. China Mobile’s prototype 6G test network clocked up to 280 Gbps (50 GB in 1.4 sec) ^[15] – ~14× faster than 5G. But SK Telecom’s network chief notes “use cases for 6G are still unclear” and cautions that “it’s difficult to find a reason to rush to 6G” before fully exploiting 5G ^[16] ^[17]. Overall, 6G is seen as an early-research priority toward the early-2030s.
Telco mergers & leadership: Industry consolidation continues. T‑Mobile US closed its ~$4.4B acquisition of UScellular (adding stores, customers and ~30% of UScellular spectrum) – already boosting Q3 revenue by ~$400M ^[18]. In Europe, Vodafone and Three UK have merged (“VodafoneThree”) and awarded a £2.7B 5G network contract to Ericsson and Nokia ^[19]. In Africa/media: Canal+ (French pay-TV) and MultiChoice (DSTV) announced the unified “CANAL+ Africa” with a new pan-African management team ^[20]. Leadership changes include T‑Mobile US naming Srini Gopalan as Sievert’s successor (CEO from Nov 1) to sustain growth ^[21].
Outages & security: Network reliability drew scrutiny. Australia’s Optus suffered a second emergency-calls outage (faulty tower site) on Sept 29, disrupting ~4,500 people ^[22]. The federal government blasted Optus as “letting Australians down” and vowed accountability ^[23] (this follows an earlier outage that led to four deaths). On cybersecurity, Cisco Talos warned of ongoing cyber-espionage (Chinese “Naikon” actors) targeting Asian telecom operators and manufacturers with advanced backdoor malware ^[24]. Mobile networks continue to be a cyber target globally.
Digital inclusion: Despite network build-out, billions remain offline. A GSMA report finds ~4.7B people (58% world pop) use mobile internet ^[25], but 3.1B (38%) are in the “usage gap” – covered by service but not connected ^[26]. Only 4% lack any coverage. GSMA Director-General Vivek Badrinath notes a $30 smartphone could connect ~1.6B people now “priced out” ^[27]. Bridging this gap is a priority for regulators and industry to extend socio-economic benefits. Satellite initiatives are part of this: e.g. SpaceX’s Starlink is live in 14 African countries (DRC and Somalia added this year) ^[28], and Apple’s latest iPhones support emergency texting via satellite.

Network Technology Updates (2G–6G)

2G/3G phase-out: Many countries are finally shutting legacy networks. The Philippines’ DICT has mandated a full 3G shutdown by Sept 30, 2025 (2G is already being dismantled) to free spectrum and cut fraud ^[29]. Two of three carriers there (DITO, Globe) have turned off 3G; Smart will complete by deadline ^[30]. The regulator highlights security gains: older 2G/3G tech is more vulnerable (e.g. to IMSI‑catcher hacks) ^[31]. Similarly, Qatar’s regulator set Dec 31, 2025 as the 3G switchoff, refarming its radio resources to 4G/5G ^[32]. Other Asian nations (e.g. Singapore) and Europe have comparable sunset plans by 2025–30 to reallocate those bands.

4G expansion: 4G remains vital, especially in emerging markets. India’s state operator BSNL will finally flip on its pan‑India 4G network on Sept 27, 2025 ^[33]. BSNL is using locally developed 4G gear (by Tejas/C-DOT consortium) and mid‑band spectrum from past relief packages ^[34]; this is seen as crucial to keep competition against Jio/Airtel and improve rural connectivity. South Asian markets like Pakistan and Bangladesh likewise continue 4G rollout even as they plan future 5G auctions.

5G proliferation: 5G deployment continues apace, now encompassing urban and remote areas. In the US, Verizon and AT&T are activating new mid‑band spectrum (including EchoStar’s AWS-3) for denser 5G coverage. Carriers are pushing “network slicing” and private 5G for industry IoT. In the UK, Virgin Media O2 quietly lit up standalone 5G in 500+ towns and cities (covering ~70% of population) ^[35]. CTO Jeanie York says VMO2 invests “£2 million every single day… futureproofing our network” to spur advanced use cases (self-driving transit, telemedicine) ^[36]. CCS Insight analyst Kester Mann notes this milestone “will improve the mobile experience for millions” ^[37].

Fixed Wireless (mmWave FWA): As fiber costs soar, operators and vendors are embracing high-band fixed wireless. On Sept 29, Aviat Networks announced a partnership with Intracom Telecom to deliver multi‑gigabit point-to-multipoint FWA solutions in the 28/39 GHz mmWave bands ^[38]. The combined system (22+ Gbps per sector at several miles range) will target North American carriers seeking fiber‑like broadband speeds via wireless. Aviat’s CEO Pete Smith highlights that “wireless can be deployed rapidly and cost-effectively” for high-speed broadband ^[39].

Satellite/mobile integration: Telcos are forging alliances with satellite networks to cover gaps. Deutsche Telekom inked a deal with Iridium to add satellite IoT connectivity to its platform (for sensors/trackers beyond cell range). In the UAE, a consortium (Space42 and Viasat) announced Equatys, an initiative pooling satellite spectrum worldwide so standard smartphones could roam over space-based links when off-grid ^[40]. Meanwhile device makers are enabling built-in satellite fallback: Apple’s iPhone 15/16 models now send emergency texts (SOS) via satellite. These developments point toward a future where terrestrial and satellite connectivity converge.

6G R&D: The next wireless generation remains in labs. China Mobile led headlines by demonstrating a 6G prototype with 280 Gbps throughput (50 GB file in 1.4 sec) ^[41]. But analysts caution 6G is still conceptual. SK Telecom’s access-network lead Lee Sang-min argues that after years of 5G, there is no obvious “killer app” for 6G yet ^[42] ^[43]. Lee believes new traffic demands don’t justify a rush to 6G: “It is difficult to find a reason to rush to 6G,” he said, advocating co-development with 5G and full utilization of current networks ^[44] ^[45]. Global standards bodies still peg 6G commercialization around 2030, meaning most 5G-era lessons (cloud-native, AI integration, power efficiency) are still in focus today.

Major Telecom Operators & Mergers

US Carriers: AT&T agreed to purchase EchoStar’s 50 MHz (3.45 GHz + 600 MHz) for ~$23 billion ^[46]. This gives AT&T mid-band capacity for 5G and adds to its portfolio; in exchange Boost Mobile (EchoStar’s MVNO) becomes a hybrid operator using AT&T’s towers. EchoStar’s chairman Charlie Ergen said the sale (plus a new AT&T/Boost hybrid network agreement) “are critical steps toward resolving the FCC’s spectrum utilization concerns” ^[47]. Meanwhile, Bloomberg/Reuters report Verizon is also negotiating to buy EchoStar AWS-3 spectrum, joining AT&T and SpaceX as interested parties ^[48].
T‑Mobile & MVNO deals: T‑Mobile US has been bolstering its position. It closed its $4.4B buyout of UScellular (regional carrier) on Aug 1, absorbing UScell’s ~3M subscribers, retail stores and ~30% of its spectrum ^[49]. Analysts say the merger is already adding ~$400M in Q3 revenue and should save $1.2B annually from synergies ^[50]. In leadership, T‑Mobile announced that long-time CEO Mike Sievert will step down this year, with COO Srini Gopalan taking the helm on Nov. 1 ^[51]. Management says this is planned succession (Sievert had been due to run through 2028) and comes as competition heats up.
Cable & MVNOs: U.S. cable giants continue building wireless plans. Charter and Comcast have formed an MVNO deal to use T‑Mobile’s network (announced earlier in 2025). This week’s newsworthy deal: Aviat/Intracom (above) – though a vendor partnership – signals broader interest in leveraging wireless for last-mile broadband (competing with cable for home Internet).
Europe: The Vodafone-Three UK merger is now delivering on promises. After merging in June 2025 into a single “VodafoneThree” operator, the group signed a £2.7 billion, 8‑year deal (announced Sept 25) with Ericsson and Nokia to overhaul its 5G core and radio network ^[52]. Ericsson leads, delivering AI-driven, energy-efficient 5G RAN at urban sites, while Nokia supplies 7,000 sites – marking Nokia’s return as a UK vendor. VodafoneThree had pledged a £11B 10-year buildout; this contract is its first major step.
Asia/Pacific: In India, rivalry heats up: Jio and Airtel dominate urban 5G, but state-run BSNL is re-entering the game with its 4G rollout. Also, Singapore’s operators prepared to kill 3G in October (from DatacenterD). In Australia, Singtel-owned Optus is reeling from network failures and public outcry (see Outages).
Africa: While pure telecom M&A news was sparse, there are big moves in adjacent space. On Sept 29 MultiChoice (South Africa’s DSTV) and France’s Canal+ formalized their merger into “CANAL+ Africa.” The combined pay-TV/internet platform appointed an Africa-focused leadership team ^[53]. It signals intensified competition in African digital media and broadband (e.g. fibre rollout in markets like Nigeria, Kenya).

Global Spectrum News

Airwave auctions: Governments continue to reassign bands for mobile broadband. Vietnam auctioned the rest of its 700 MHz “digital dividend” on Sept 23 – VNPT paid ~$83 million for a license to improve rural 4G/5G ^[54]. Turkey finalised an Oct 2025 auction for 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz (see above ^[55]). Peru recently held its own 5G auction (four operators won licenses in mid-September). In Latin America more auctions are set: Colombia and Paraguay plan 5G tenders before year-end. In Asia, Pakistan and Thailand are reportedly auctioning new mid-band for 5G. (A full list of auctions is summarized in industry trackers.)
Regulatory spectrum moves: Debates continue over unlicensed vs. licensed use. In the U.S., FCC finalized a second mmWave auction (28/37/39 GHz) in Aug 2025; it also is encouraging rural ISPs to rebuild with non-Chinese gear (Rip-and-Replace). In Europe, carriers are lobbying Brussels to free up the upper 6 GHz band for mobile (as China/US have) to lay groundwork for 6G ^[56] ^[57]. The EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group is due to issue guidance by mid-2026. Meanwhile, space-based spectrum: the FCC and ITU are allocating spectrum for satellite Internet (e.g. Starlink, OneWeb launches continue to add capacity).
Satellite constellations: Satellite internet players are expanding. SpaceX launched 28 more Starlinks on Sept 28 (no. 11–20 batch) ^[58], aiming for global coverage. Telesat’s Lightspeed and others (AST SpaceMobile, Lynk, etc.) are preparing telecom partnerships (Lukens). A notable deal: SpaceX agreed to buy EchoStar’s HughesNet business (and spectrum) for ~$17 billion (announced Sept 4) to bolster global satellite service. Providers are also eyeing “direct-to-phone” 5G via satellites (AT&T announced plans with Lynk, for example).

Regulatory & Policy Changes

Outage investigations: The Australian government moved sharply against network failures. After Optus’ Sept 29 emergency-calls outage, Communications Minister insisted on a full inquiry ^[59]. Australia’s Senate is already probing Optus and Telstra over a mid‑Sept outage that may have caused four deaths. Regulators want guaranteed backup power and redundancy for emergency systems.
Usage gap focus: Global bodies are pushing policies to boost adoption. The UN’s Broadband Commission and GSMA have highlighted that ~3.1 billion people (38% of world) have mobile coverage but don’t use the Internet ^[60]. They call for initiatives like ultra‑low‑cost handsets, literacy programs, and affordable data plans. GSMA’s Vivek Badrinath noted that a $30 smartphone could connect 1.6 billion of those offline users ^[61]. Some governments (e.g. in Asia and Africa) are exploring subsidies or “digital vouchers” to buy cheap phones.
Privacy/security regs: No major new laws were unveiled on Sept 29–30, but security incidents put pressure on regulators. After the Optus crises, Australian authorities may tighten telco audits and require more robust safeguards. In Europe and the U.S., recent weeks have seen continued review of telecom gear (5G security, botnet risks). Cybersecurity agencies urged telcos globally to apply patches – the Cisco Talos warning ^[62] is a reminder of constant espionage threats. Also, FCC and data protection agencies continue to scrutinize how carriers handle customer location data and surveillance requests.

Security, Data Privacy & Outages

Optus emergency outage: On Sept 29 Optus again failed to route emergency (000) calls after a mobile tower malfunction in New South Wales ^[63]. Over 4,500 calls were dropped; fortunately no lives were lost this time. But the incident came on the heels of a mid‑Sept outage (due to a firewall upgrade) that sparked nationwide outrage after it was blamed for four deaths ^[64]. Prime Minister Albanese and Treasurer Chalmers labeled it “absolutely shocking” and demanded accountability ^[65]. The carrier’s CEO publicly apologized, saying “established processes were not followed” ^[66].
Cyberattacks: New research shows telecom networks remain targets. Cisco Talos reported that a China‑linked hacking group (“Naikon”) has been mounting campaigns targeting Asian telcos and manufacturers with variants of the PlugX backdoor since 2022 ^[67]. The malware enables data exfiltration from compromised systems. Although no specific breaches on major carriers were disclosed, analysts say telcos must harden their OT networks (cell tower controllers, SS7/CatM nodes, etc.) against such spyware.

Expert Commentary

Industry leaders and analysts have weighed in on these trends:

“These latest numbers show 5G’s extraordinary momentum worldwide, but particularly in North America,” said Viet Nguyen, President of 5G Americas. North America now boasts ~339 million 5G subscribers ^[68]. As Kristin Paulin (5G Americas) added, “5G is entering a new phase as the backbone for IoT and digital transformation” ^[69].

SK Telecom’s Lee Sang-min (access network chief) cautions against premature hype: “It does not seem there will be a large increase in new [data] traffic. With this situation, it is difficult to find a reason to rush to 6G.” He noted lessons from 5G (lack of “killer app” and closed vendor ecosystems) mean “6G can be prepared more slowly and with more confidence.” ^[70] ^[71].

Pete Smith, CEO of Aviat Networks, on new FWA tech: “Wireless can be deployed rapidly and cost effectively, and is perfectly suited to support high speed connectivity combined with excellent reliability.” His partner Intracom’s CEO Kartlos Edilashvili said their solution “sets a new benchmark for FWA” and will help U.S. operators “deliver a true multi-gigabit experience” over wireless ^[72].

Vivek Badrinath (GSMA Director-General) on connectivity gaps: “A device at $30 could make handsets affordable to up to 1.6 billion people who are currently priced out of connecting to available mobile internet coverage.” He urged a collaborative push (industry, policymakers, manufacturers) to produce such handsets and cut the usage gap ^[73].

Market Forecasts & Analyst Insights

5G adoption: Industry research (5G Americas, RCR estimates) projects ~9 billion 5G connections by 2030 ^[74] (nearly 60% of all mobile devices). This growth is powered by both consumer demand and expanding IoT use (5G NR-enabled industrial sensors, C-V2X in vehicles, etc.). Omdia/Analysys Mason forecast a similar trajectory for total 5G addresses.
Network traffic: Analysts at Ookla and OpenSignal report average 5G data use is doubling each year in mature markets. The RCR report notes US users average 111 GB/mo ^[75]. Traffic growth (AI video, metaverse, cloud gaming) is putting pressure on mid-band and core capacity.
Revenue growth: Financial analysts expect global mobile service revenues to continue slow, mid-single-digit growth (face of mature markets), but network equipment revenue to grow faster on 5G/6G R&D. Private 5G (enterprise 5G) is an emerging segment: ABI Research expects private 5G to become a multi-$B market by 2028.
Spectral efficiency: Next-gen upgrades like 5G-Advanced (2026+) and future standards (6G) are predicted to push spectral efficiency 2–3× over 5G. JPMorgan analysts note carriers will invest heavily in AI-driven network automation to improve efficiency as data per connection soars.
Connectivity gap: Economists highlight the big unconnected population as a potential market. GSMA/ITU estimate mobile Internet penetration will jump to ~80% by 2030 if the usage gap closes. Each 10% connectivity increase in low-income countries could add ~$50–100B in GDP (McKinsey).

Regional Spotlights

Africa: Connectivity improves unevenly. Sub-Saharan Africa has only ~1.2% 5G penetration ^[76], far below the 20%+ global average. However, mobile broadband (3G/4G) is growing – currently ~44% population covered by 4G (3G still ~50% of connections) ^[77]. Major operators (MTN, Vodacom, Orange) are expanding 4G footprint; MTN CEO Ralph Mupita is championing fibre backhaul and youth entrepreneurship to drive data uptake. Meanwhile, satellite Internet is reaching more countries: SpaceX’s Starlink covers 14 countries (launched in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, etc.), with DRC and Somalia most recent additions ^[78]. Digital inclusion programs (public Wi-Fi hubs, mobile money) aim to reduce the 710 million “usage gap” Africans still offline despite coverage ^[79].
Asia: Asian markets show stark contrasts. China remains the global 5G leader with ~1.15 billion 5G users (63% of its mobile base) and ~4.65 million 5G base stations (36% of its sites) ^[80]. It is also aggressively pursuing 6G R&D (funding multi-billion-dollar projects ^[81]). Neighboring Philippines is phasing out 3G by month-end ^[82], while countries like India and Indonesia are pushing 4G/5G expansion. Indonesia plans to free up 2.6 GHz spectrum and trial satellites/NTN to get 5G into remote islands ^[83]. Japan and South Korea continue 5G-Advanced trials; SK Telecom advises a measured 6G approach ^[84]. Pakistan and Bangladesh, after delays, have scheduled 5G spectrum auctions for late 2025, following examples set by neighbors (e.g. last year’s Malaysian 5G rollout).
Europe: Europe is aggressively building 5G networks but warns of falling behind in next‑gen. Operators from Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, etc., urged regulators to free the full 6 GHz band for mobile, or risk losing ground to the US/China in 6G ^[85]. On 5G deployment, Western Europe has mixed results: Denmark, Spain and Portugal lead in coverage, while UK/Belgium lag somewhat due to planning hurdles ^[86]. The UK saw its merged Vodafone/Three operator select new 5G vendors ^[87]. Virgin Media O2’s standalone 5G milestone ^[88] is among Europe’s most aggressive recent rollouts, along with recent launches in Finland (industrial 5G mine) and continued spectrum auctions (Nordic countries, Balkans). The European Commission is funding 6G research under its Smart Networks/6G initiative, expecting trials in late 2020s.
Americas: In North America, 5G is near ubiquity in urban areas. The US now has ~339 million 5G connections ^[89]. Canada’s big carriers (Rogers/Bell/Telus) are upgrading to 5G NR with AWS-3/LTE-Advanced layers. Latin America is still rolling out 4G but gearing for 5G: Mexico and Brazil have active 5G networks (revamped spectrum rules), while Peru and Chile auctioned 5G bands in 2024/25. Argentina completed its first 5G auction mid-2025, and Colombia/Panama set auctions for later this year. Governments are using these auctions to raise funds and accelerate digital access.

All information is sourced from industry reports, press releases, and news agencies (see links). The trends above are underscored by industry voices: AT&T’s CTO stresses winning 5G share with smarter FWA versus fiber ^[90]; Virgin Media O2’s CTO calls her network build “futureproofing our network” for new digital services ^[91]; and global regulators like GSMA are pleading for policy fixes to close the digital divide ^[92]. These shifts – from major 5G contracts and mergers to the slow trickle of 5G in new markets, alongside the billion-plus still unconnected – define a pivotal moment in mobile telecom’s evolution.

Sources: Verified news and reports from Reuters, RCR Wireless, GSMA, Mobile World Live, Telecom industry sites and official press releases ^[93] ^[94] ^[95] ^[96] ^[97] ^[98] ^[99] ^[100] ^[101] ^[102] ^[103]. All facts and quotes link to the original coverage.

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References

Mobile Networks Explode: 2.6B on 5G, 6G Hits 280Gbps, But 3.1B Still Offline (Sept 29–30, 2025)