Today’s telecom news includes announcements on 3G Spectrum of Kyivstar, GSMA, Nokia, BeeHealthy, among others.
Kyivstar Redirects 3G Spectrum to Accelerate 4G Growth
Ukraine’s largest telecom operator, Kyivstar, has completed its transition away from mass 3G use, allowing it to redirect spectrum resources toward LTE network development. More than 1 million subscribers have migrated to 4G, while the operator said available 4G bandwidth increased by 25 percent following the shutdown. Kyivstar redistributed 20 MHz of spectrum in the 2100 MHz band from 3G to 4G, contributing to data-speed improvements of 20-40 percent depending on location. The company reported that average mobile internet speeds more than doubled between 2022 and 2026, reaching almost 100 Mbps in August. Limited 3G service will remain temporarily for some business customers before their migration to 4G is completed.
GSMA Warns 6GHz Delays Could Slow Next-Generation Mobile Investment
The GSMA has warned that delays in national decisions on the upper 6GHz spectrum band could slow mobile network investment and infrastructure deployment as operators prepare for 5G-Advanced and future 6G services. The upper 6GHz range, spanning 6.425GHz to 7.125GHz, is viewed as valuable mid-band spectrum for expanding network capacity amid rising mobile data traffic. GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath said timely spectrum decisions would provide operators with greater certainty to invest and expand capacity. More than 80 percent of the global population is represented by countries supporting mobile use of the band, while more than 60 operators, device makers, chipset companies and equipment providers have backed deployment.
Nokia Replaces SMS OTPs With Network-Based Healthcare Verification
Nokia and digital healthcare platform BeeHealthy have partnered to replace SMS one-time passwords with network-based verification, creating a faster and more secure authentication process for healthcare users. The companies are integrating Nokia’s Network as Code platform into BeeHealthy’s applications, enabling silent mobile-number verification during login and booking without requiring users to manually enter an OTP. The system can typically complete verification in less than a second. BeeHealthy will also use network APIs for SIM-swap and number-recycling checks, location verification and KYC matching. The partnership marks Nokia’s first commercial Network as Code customer in the healthcare sector and demonstrates how telecom network capabilities can be monetised through enterprise APIs across regulated industries.
1&1 Versatel Deploys Ekinops Platform for 10 Gbit/s Fiber, DSL and 5G Enterprise Connectivity
Germany’s 1&1 Versatel has begun deploying Ekinops networking equipment as it modernizes managed connectivity services across its nationwide fiber network. The rollout consolidates Layer 2 and Layer 3 functions into a smaller range of customer-premises equipment, supporting fiber, DSL and mobile/5G connectivity from a unified platform. The new devices can deliver connections of up to 10 Gbit/s and support internet, Ethernet, secure voice and VPN services.
Ekinops says the equipment consumes around 35 percent less energy on average than the solutions currently used by 1&1 Versatel, reducing operating costs and power requirements. The operator also expects fewer CPE models to simplify provisioning, lifecycle management and rollout of new enterprise services while creating a scalable foundation for fiber- and 5G-enabled B2B connectivity
