Industry trends & market movements

• Verizon leads 6G initiative: Verizon has launched a “6G Innovation Forum” with partners like Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and Qualcomm to begin shaping 6G use cases and standards. 

• Weak smartphone growth ahead: IDC forecasts global smartphone shipments to grow just ~1 % YoY in 2025, indicating limited upside for handset‑driven upgrades. 

• Top risks for telcos in 2025: TelecomTV flags talent gaps, trust & security, and technology transformation disruption as key sector risks heading into the year. 

Technology & network advances

• AI in telco infrastructure: TelecomTV published a report on trends in AI infrastructure for operators, exploring how AI/ML is being baked into networks. 

• Open RAN progress review: TelecomTV published a “state of Open RAN 2025” review, assessing lessons from trials and future deployment challenges. 

Regulatory & policy

• US regulatory pressure on operators: Light Reading reports the FCC is targeting Boomerang Wireless and Assist Wireless over alleged overbilling of tablets. 

• (No breaking new international regulatory news captured in the last 24 h in the sources checked.)

Major deals & operator strategy

• VodafoneThree UK network sourcing: VodafoneThree has awarded ~£2 billion in network deals to Ericsson and Nokia, dropping Samsung from the build mix. 

• EQT exits Telus Digital: Private equity firm EQT will divest its stake (≈ USD 215 million) in Telus Digital as part of a broader reorganizing move.