Telecomunicații 31 august 2025 - 9 octombrie 2025

Global 5G connections topped 2.6 billion by mid-2025, with coverage reaching 54% of the world’s population. Major countries advanced spectrum auctions, while 3G networks were largely shut down in Europe and the US. Over 3 billion people remain offline despite coverage. Verizon named Dan Schulman as CEO, with Hans Vestberg staying to oversee a $1 billion Frontier Communications deal.

The FCC moved to block local interference with 5G and future 6G rollouts in the U.S. India, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the UK announced major spectrum auctions, including new 6 GHz and mmWave bands. BT aims for 99% 5G coverage in the UK by 2030, while Vodafone agreed to buy Telekom Romania Mobile. U.S. and European operators continue to shut down 2G and 3G networks.

U.S. regulators moved to speed 5G rollout by overriding local tower delays, while India, Sri Lanka, and Turkey advanced major 5G spectrum auctions. BT aims for 99% 5G standalone coverage in the UK by 2030, ahead of rivals. Europe accelerates 3G/2G shutdowns; Israel will end both by late 2025. Gambia approved a $95 million upgrade for state operator Gamcel from 2G/3G to 4G/5G.

Openreach has connected 20 million UK homes to fiber, but only 38% have upgraded from copper. Senegal plans nationwide satellite internet by end-2025, likely via Starlink, while India approved Starlink with a 2 million user cap. Amazon launched 27 more Kuiper satellites, topping 100 in orbit. A 13-hour Optus outage in Australia blocked emergency calls and was linked to four deaths.

Global 5G connections reached 2.6 billion in Q2 2025, with North America leading at 88% population coverage and China reporting 1.15 billion users. In Africa, only 1.2% have 5G access. The Philippines is phasing out 2G/3G networks to fight fraud, while Vietnam’s VNPT paid $83 million for 700 MHz spectrum to boost 4G/5G. A new 8,000 km submarine cable linking Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Singapore is planned for 2028.

Virgin Media O2 activated 5G Standalone in 500 UK cities, reaching 70% population coverage and marking the country’s largest 5G SA rollout. Fiji launched its first 5G networks in Suva and Nadi. China Mobile’s 6G test network hit a record 280 Gbps. EchoStar sold $40 billion in spectrum to SpaceX and AT&T, exiting 5G ambitions.

Spark secured 20 MHz of C-band spectrum for rural 5G in New Zealand through a partnership with Māori Tū Ātea. Telefónica confirmed it is removing Huawei from its 5G cores in Spain and Germany amid heightened European security checks. Telecom Italia faces a €22 billion takeover bid from KKR, now under EU regulatory scrutiny. BlackRock increased its stake in Telecom Italia to over 5%.

EchoStar agreed to sell its wireless spectrum to SpaceX for about $17 billion, prompting the FCC to close a probe into EchoStar’s slow 5G rollout. SpaceX plans to use the licenses for Starlink’s direct-to-phone service. EchoStar also sold $23 billion in spectrum to AT&T weeks earlier, reshaping the U.S. mobile spectrum market.

SpaceX agreed to buy EchoStar’s wireless spectrum for $17 billion to boost its direct-to-cell Starlink service. Cabo Verde launched a national 5G strategy aiming for 90% internet access by 2026. EE activated Advanced RAN Coordination on its UK 5G network, raising download speeds by 20%. Apple debuted the iPhone 17 lineup with expanded satellite messaging and eSIM-only models in more markets.

Bangladesh’s top two mobile operators launched the country’s first 5G services in major cities. Pakistan’s prime minister approved a long-delayed 5G spectrum auction, set for completion by December 2025. Iraq announced a state-backed 5G telecom company in partnership with Vodafone, aiming for nationwide rollout in 2025. In the U.S., new legislation restored FCC auction authority but delayed key 5G/6G spectrum allocations.

A major Verizon outage on August 30 left millions across the U.S. without service for hours; over 23,000 outage reports were filed before restoration began. Pakistan suspended 3G/4G mobile internet in Balochistan the same day, citing security threats amid unrest. AT&T struck a $23 billion deal to buy mid-band spectrum from EchoStar for 5G expansion. South Korea fined SK Telecom $97 million after an April data breach affecting 23.2 million users.