AT&T, T-Mobile & ZTE Drive 5G, Open RAN and 6G Shift
August 2025 marked a pivotal period in the telecommunications industry, with significant advancements spanning the entire network technology stack.
From the acceleration of 5G Standalone (SA) deployments to the first formal steps towards 6G standardisation, the sector is entering a new phase where monetisation, service differentiation and infrastructure innovation are becoming central to operator strategies.
As Geoff Huston, Chief Scientist at APNIC, explained on The Internet Report podcast: “The challenge to scale still persists to this day as the networking community evolves infrastructure to support emerging technologies like AI.”
5G progression: from rollout to refinement
The shift towards 5G Standalone is gathering momentum worldwide.
Unlike Non-Standalone networks, 5G SA operates independently of legacy 4G cores, unlocking advanced capabilities such as network slicing and Reduced Capability (RedCap) IoT for low-power devices.
According to AT&T’s CTO, Jeremy Legg, “millions” of its subscribers are now connected to its 5G SA network, demonstrating the commercial viability of the infrastructure transition.
The maturation of cloud-native network architecture is playing a central role in the progress.
By streamlining deployment and enabling dynamic scaling, operators can deliver on enterprise demand for ultra-low latency services, particularly for AI-driven applications at the network edge.
Meanwhile, 5G-Advanced (5G-A) has emerged as the technological bridge to 6G.
In August, demonstrations highlighted its potential to support high-throughput, low-latency use cases.
At the World Robot Conference, ZTE showcased a private 5G-A network delivering uplink speeds of up to 2Gbps and deterministic latency of ≤10ms, enabling sophisticated real-time robotic operations.
T-Mobile also positioned its 5G-A capabilities at the heart of its “SuperMobile” business offering, underlining the competitive advantage for enterprises seeking differentiated services.
Reinventing the infrastructure backbone
Telecom towers, growth and collaboration
The global telecom towers market is on track for a 6% CAGR, mainly driven by the densification required for widespread 5G deployment.
Operators are increasingly adopting tower-sharing agreements to manage capital expenditure and accelerate rollout timelines.
However, the sector continues to face persistent challenges, including high installation costs, regulatory hurdles and public concerns over environmental and health impacts.
Fibre and subsea expansion
Wireline infrastructure is undergoing consolidation and expansion.
In South Africa, the government announced plans to unify the fibre networks of state-owned enterprises, creating a more efficient national backbone.
In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) modernised its regulatory framework to fast-track secure submarine cable deployments, recognising their critical role as the invisible infrastructure powering the global internet.
On the project front, Prysmian and International Telecom unveiled a new subsea initiative to connect Hawaii, reinforcing the ongoing investment in high-capacity global connectivity.
The next frontier: Open RAN and non-terrestrial networks
Open RAN momentum
The move towards open and disaggregated Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) gained strategic traction in August.
Jeremy made a bold prediction: “O-RAN will take the industry.”
The vision was supported by a technical milestone on 5 August, when AT&T, Ericsson and 1Finity completed the first Open RAN call using third-party radios at AT&T Labs.
In the UK, Boldyn Networks and VMO2 demonstrated real-world application by deploying an Open RAN-powered 5G network at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, setting a precedent for multi-vendor RAN strategies.
Satellite and non-terrestrial networks
Satellite communications are becoming integral to achieving ubiquitous global coverage. In China, authorities are advancing a low-orbit satellite constellation to rival established players like Starlink.
In the US, EchoStar partnered with MDA Space to accelerate its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ambitions, while AST SpaceMobile confirmed full funding to deploy 45–60 satellites by 2026.
The goal is to deliver continuous broadband directly from space to standard smartphones, thereby bridging connectivity gaps in rural and underserved regions.
Embracing perpetual agility
Amit Zavery, Chief Product Officer and COO at ServiceNow, summarises the evolving mindset shaping telecommunications strategy: “Think of digital transformation less as a technology project to be finished than as a state of perpetual agility, always ready to evolve for whatever customers want next and you’ll be pointed down the right path.”
With 5G-A unlocking new enterprise possibilities, Open RAN redefining infrastructure models and satellite integration extending coverage beyond terrestrial limits, the industry is at a turning point.
Operators that embrace flexibility, interoperability and continuous innovation are positioning themselves to lead in the emerging 6G era.
