This Week's Top Five Stories in the Telco Industry

Mission Boost: How BT Prioritises Critical Mobile Traffic

When a power outage spreads across a region or emergency teams are coordinating a response on the ground, reliable mobile connectivity is as important as the physical infrastructure itself.

In those moments, network congestion can slow access to vital information and delay critical decisions.

That challenge is at the core of BT Business’ latest launch.

The company has unveiled Mission Boost, a new service designed to give organisations delivering essential services prioritised access across EE’s national 4G and 5G networks. 

The launch marks the first capability within BT’s broader MissionNet portfolio, a suite of services aimed at organisations operating in mission-critical environments where communications resilience is a core operational requirement.

Ericsson Mobility Report: Key Findings for 5G Operators

When it comes to 5G, Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report suggests operators should pay as much attention to how networks are being used as to how many customers are connected.

The June 2026 edition of the report reveals that global 5G subscriptions surpassed three billion during the first quarter of the year, while new opportunities are emerging around 5G Standalone (SA), network slicing and fixed wireless access (FWA).

At the same time, changing user behaviour is reshaping traffic patterns, with uplink traffic becoming a focus for operators.

A total of 162 million new 5G subscriptions were added globally in the first quarter, taking the total to 3.1 billion.

Ericsson forecasts that figure will rise to 6.4 billion by the end of 2031.

Orange Commits to French Startups with Procurement Strategy

Orange is working to break down the structural barriers startups often face. The company is doing so by stepping up its direct procurement policy with French startups, using its position to open doors for them and accelerate the inclusion of French technology solutions in its B2B service catalogue. 

The telco operator group’s push to reduce these barriers involves providing industrial solutions to help tackle lengthy contracting processes, limited access to corporate customers and a lack of corporate customers. The former dynamic is often problematic for startups as they cannot afford to burn through their cash reserves while waiting to hook a large contract.

Vodafone, Airbus and RugGear’s Mission-Critical Partnership

RugGear, a manufacturer of rugged devices, has joined the partnership between Vodafone and Airbus Public Safety and Security, part of Airbus Defence and Space. The partnership means that Vodafone can sell a bundled mission-critical package to emergency services and business customers through its digital marketplace.

“Together with Airbus and RugGear, we can give organisations a complete mission-critical communications solution, combining secure, resilient connectivity, collaborative applications and rugged devices,” says Marika Auramo, CEO of Vodafone Business. “This helps customers protect their people and the public, whether they are operating critical infrastructure, first responders or managing major transport hubs.”

What Nokia's Manufacturing Expansion Means for AI Networks

A quiet corner of Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley is about to become a significant address in US tech.

Nokia has announced a major expansion of its advanced test and packaging (ATP) operations in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

It will increase domestic production capacity of the optical technologies that underpin both AI and telco networks.

The investment is expected to increase manufacturing capacity at the site by up to ten times its current level, with new production expected to be available by the end of the third quarter.

Nokia also expects the expansion to nearly double its Pennsylvania workforce to more than 500 employees across engineering, manufacturing and R&D.