China Mobile is the largest mobile operator in the world. It is actively engaged in 5G-related R&D activities, commercialisation and standards-setting. As of September 2021, it had a total of 956 billion mobile customers, with 816 million on 4G, according to Q3 2021 financial data. Read more...

French carrier Orange sees its core activity as connectivity via fixed, mobile and international networks. The operator has launched commercial 5G services in six European countries and is preparing for rollout of new 5G standalone networks.  Read more...

Japanese operator SoftBank is part of the SoftBank Group, which describes itself as "a capital provider driving the Information Revolution."  It is strongly focused 5G and 6G. Read more...

In Australia, spectrum is considered an instrument to promote competition in the mobile market. Read more...

Indian operators balked at the high reserve prices for the 700 MHz band, but the telecoms sector may get future opportunities to access the 700 MHz, 3.3 - 3.6 GHz, and unlicensed access to the 6 GHz band. Read more...

América Móvil provides telecommunications services in 25 countries in the Americas, Caribbean and Central and Europe. It is building out its networks and preparing them for 5G, which it hopes to launch in some countries in 2021. Read more...

High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) are currently positioned as a complement to both terrestrial and satellite networks, but will they ultimately compete more directly with traditional operators? For at least one player in the market this will not be the case, as Alphabet’s Loon solar-powered balloons prove to be unviable. Read more...

What are the global trends in refarming legacy bands to use for 4G or 5G?  Some operators have already switched over, but for others their strategy has to accommodate the use of 2G for M2M services. Read more...

This Tracker shows which operators have announced sunset dates for their 2G and 3G services. Read more...

Japan has a tradition of close cooperation between industry and government in the mobile industry that, while not fractured, is undergoing some creative tension. Read more...