LG Uplus and Ericsson boosted fronthaul coverage, addressing what the operator stated is a key element in the broader AI-RAN landscape and indicating a complete overhaul of equipment may not be necessary.

The companies conducted verification tests of Ericsson fronthaul equipment and network automation systems LG Uplus stated increased the reach of base station equipment by up to three-times over current methods without compromising quality.

LG Uplus clarified the effort focused on the connection between the Radio Unit and the Data Unit.

The operator emphasised there is more at play than expanding the distance connections can be maintained over: it argued the demonstration with Ericsson shows current equipment can be configured for AI-RAN uses, a benefit with obvious implications regarding infrastructure costs.

Lee Sang-heon, head of network advanced development with LG Uplus, said the operator intends to build on the fronthaul work by exploring other fresh technologies needed for “the next-generation network era”.

LG Uplus stated the effort would explore automation technologies and focus validation work on real-world network set-ups.

The operator stated the work would feed into a push towards autonomous networks employing AI.

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Nokia CEO Justin Hotard (pictured) pointed to a boom in sales for its AI and cloud products during Q3, as he asserted the vendor is in a strong position to take advantage of growing demand for related infrastructure.

AI and cloud sales were up 123% year-on-year, with €1.5 billion of new orders placed in the quarter.

Hotard reported there is also an order backlog, positioning it for further growth in the area.

“Nokia’s strengths are uniquely suited to meet growing demands for AI infrastructure that is larger, more distributed and hyperconnected,” he added. “We are investing where we can differentiate and co-innovate with hyperscalers”.

Hotard highlighted progress on AI-RAN, which was the subject of an update yesterday (21 October) made at an event held by the Finnish vendor’s partner and investor Nvidia.

“AI-native networks are moving into the physical world and our AI-RAN platform is being developed to deliver the performance needed for this market,” Hotard said.

Gains
Nokia booked net profit of €156 million in Q3, up 95%.

Net sales were almost €5.2 billion, a 10% increase. The latter figure would have been a 9% rise with exchange rate fluctuations stripped out.

In its Mobile Infrastructure division, revenue was up 5% to €2.9 billion, partly attributed to shifting income from Q4 into Q3. The company noted this part of the business benefitted from “commercial discipline” and continued execution of cost reduction measures.

Hotard highlighted Nokia had continued to “simplify our portfolio” and was on track to complete the integration of optical networks company Infinera by the end of 2026, having acquired it in 2025.

The process is set to be completed a year ahead of its original plan, with the executive noting this created €200 million in net synergies.

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Ericsson unveiled extended partnerships with Singtel and Telstra in two of several announcements made this week based on developing advanced network technologies and automation.

Its latest move with Singtel is a five-year pact based around advancing 5G capabilities in Singapore and accelerating adoption of AI-native applications, expanding a collaboration announced in March.

The vendor explained the latest deal establishes a longer roadmap on scaling 5G-Advanced and enabling new AI capabilities for industries.

On the latter, Singtel CEO Ng Tian Chong noted “as AI becomes more embedded in how we live and work, networks will need to support far more complex applications, from autonomous machines and real-time analytics to the AI tools people use every day”.

The Singtel agreement announced today (20 October) comes a day after Ericsson hosted the signing of a “trusted technology” declaration by officials at its headquarters during a Singaporean state visit to Sweden.

To coincide with the state visit, the vendor revealed researchers from Sweden’s Royal Institute of Technology and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore would be part of a 6G research group being co-ordinated by Ericsson.

The project is set to kick off next month to explore how new positioning technologies using AI and 6G can “catalyse safe, secure and reliable autonomous systems” with an eye to delivering applications in sectors including healthcare, transport, manufacturing, logistics and emergency services.

Telstra
Ericsson announced an extended collaboration with Telstra on autonomous networks, building on an agreement inked in October 2025.

The vendor noted initial work by the pair covered establishing a framework for exploring “business-driven use cases” while the next phase will focus on “the knowledge, trust and governance foundations needed to support the next stages of network autonomy”.

As part of this, the two will lead a working group with the aim of publishing outcomes and supporting “wider industry influence and adoption”.

Telstra chief architect Mark Sanders said “autonomous networks require more than the automation of individual tasks. They depend on a shared understanding of what the network is, what it is expected to do and how much confidence can be placed in the knowledge supporting each decision”.

“By working with Ericsson on common approaches to knowledge and trusted agency, we can help address these foundational challenges and contribute to the industry’s progress towards more interoperable and dependable network autonomy.”

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Ericsson posted a healthy Q3 2026 revenue rise with its performance boosted by higher sales in its Network division and effective efficiency measures, although new CEO Per Narvinger (pictured) warned of potential headwinds over the next year.

Overseeing his first results announcement since taking the helm from Borje Ekholm last month, former Networks chief Narvinger said he spent the quarter meeting customers and a consistent theme emerged: “the need for more intelligent and autonomous networks to improve performance, efficiency, robustness and resilience.”

Looking ahead, he added: “the RAN market is flat, geopolitical uncertainty remains elevated, and component costs are a headwind to gross margin next year.”

Narvinger believes through disciplined actions and prioritising technology leadership, the company remains well positioned “to navigate these challenges and deliver profitable long-term growth”.

Revenue for the period rose 6% year-on-year to SEK59.5 billion ($6 billion), with sales from Networks up 9% to SEK38.7 billion. Cloud Software and Services increased 3% to SEK15.8 billion, while Enterprise sales dropped 10% to SEK4.6 billion, reflecting the divestment of iconectiv.

Breaking out geographical markets, sales grew in most markets including Asia and Europe, but offset by the Americas with struggles in Latin America.

IPR licensing revenue hit SEK3.9 billion from SEK3.1 billion, driven party by retroactive revenue to previously unlicenced products.

Net income declined 49% to SEK5.8 billion.

Group restructure
Alongside the results announcement, the Swedish vendor outlined a revamped group structure, intended to utilise its R&D capabilities and target cost efficiencies.

The revamp will see a new Asia-Pacific Market Area established from the start of 2027, combining Market areas North East Asia and South East Asia, Oceania and India. It claims this will enable Ericsson to operate more effectively across the region.

The division will be headed by Patrick Johansson, currently boss of Market Area Europe, Middle East and Africa. A process has started for his successor in EMEA.

It is also shaking up Business Area Enterprise Wireless Solutions to put more focus on indoor solutions, while moving the current portfolio of the unit to other parts of Ericsson, including Networks.

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Nokia signed an agreement to sell its Enterprise Campus Edge (ECE) business to investment company Aurelius Group, a move the Finnish vendor stated sharpens its portfolio and directs capital to areas earmarked for long-term value.

Value of the planned transaction was undisclosed and Nokia expects the deal to close in the first half of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions.

Nokia this month also completed a deal to sell its fixed wireless access (FWA) CPE business to US broadband vendor Inseego.

Under Aurelius’ ownership, Nokia said ECE will continue to operate as a standalone business but benefit from greater independence and a dedicated strategic focus. Employees are expected to transfer with the business, in accordance with applicable local laws and processes.

ECE has a big presence in the private wireless market, serving almost 900 customers across industries including manufacturing, mining, logistics, airports, ports and power generation worldwide.

Its portfolio also includes industrial devices, on-premises operational technology, edge and micro-edge solutions and software applications to power industrial AI use cases.

Konstanty Owczarek, chief corporate development officer at Nokia, said the deal provides ECE a strong foundation for growth. “Our priority throughout the transition will be continued growth of the business and continuity for existing customers and employees,” he added.

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European operators could reportedly be granted more time to strip out network equipment from so-called high-risk suppliers, following a European Commission (EC) proposal of a three-year phase-out period.

Reuters reported a document showed governments in the bloc asked for amendments to the EC proposal, calling for the phase-out period to be determined by numerous factors rather than a set date.

These include assessing risk levels, how long equipment lasts, compatibility needs and “the availability of suitable alternatives”, Reuters wrote.

Reuters reported member states would need to discuss the planned changes with politicians before enacting the Cybersecurity Act, which covers the equipment overhaul requirement.

De-risking
The EC proposed revisions to the Cybersecurity Act in January to account for increased risks to the bloc’s ICT supply chain posed by third-party suppliers, arguing the move would remove dangers posed to regional mobile networks.

The move is expected to impact Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE.

At the time, Huawei told Mobile World Live the move would violate basic EU legal principles and it would continue to provide “secure and trusted products and services”.

GSMA Intelligence estimated it would cost European operators €30 billion to €40 billion to replace the equipment involved.

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