Many countries are investing heavily in 6G R&D programmes. R&D agendas are seeking to align with the ITU’s IMT-2030 framework and to feed into the ongoing 6G standardisation process. Many 6G R&D initiatives involve multi-year funding for public-private projects involving multiple organisations focused on building 6G platforms and developing 6G… Read more...

Nations in Europe represent 49 per cent of nations globally that have assigned or plan to assign spectrum for private networks. Since PolicyTracker’s last private networks benchmark, published in June 2023, there has been a great deal of activity across Europe with new assignments planned in countries that have already… Read more...

While different stakeholders continue to lobby for and against spectrum set-asides for private networks, PolicyTracker’s updated private networks benchmark shows that a growing number of policy planners around the world are assigning dedicated spectrum resources. This Research Note highlights different stakeholder positions on set-asides and examines the policy objectives driving… Read more...

Beauty contests often end up in the courts but auctions don't, so the conventional wisdom goes. But looking more closely we find that legal action over auctions is a fairly frequent occurrence. Read more...

The past 12 months has seen the leading economies wrestling with a new policy issue—satellite direct-to-device services—as well as assigning mid-band spectrum and finalising positions on 6 GHz. Read more...

Germany has decided to extend 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz licences until 2030, after which they will be auctioned alongside other expiring bands. This leaves the country's new fourth operator without any sub-1 GHz spectrum. Read more...

Vodafone calls itself the largest pan-European and African telecoms company, with 323 million mobile customers according to its FY23 annual report. It operates mobile and fixed networks in 17 countries, with stakes in another five countries through joint ventures and associates. It also partners with 46 countries outside its footprint,… Read more...

Telefónica is a diversified telecommunications group operating mainly in Europe and Latin America. It provides extensive 4G coverage and continues to build out its 5G and 5G standalone networks. It had 298.6 million mobile customers at the end of 2023. Read more...

Deutsche Telekom (DT) is a leading integrated telecoms company. It remains focused on its goal of becoming the "leading digital telco" through the convergence of its fixed and mobile networks. US subsidiary T-Mobile USA, the nation's second-largest mobile provider, says it has the US's first and largest nationwide 5G network.… Read more...

PolicyTracker’s 2023 country profiles cover Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Sweden, the UK and the US. In this overview we analyse their spectrum release plans; approach to 6 GHz; policy on private networks; and plans for 6G. Read more...