The latest telecom news includes announcements on du, ZTE, Oak Hill Capital, Wyyerd Fiber, WideOpenWest, and others.
du and ZTE Activate 350 MHz Upper 6 GHz Spectrum on Live UAE 5G-Advanced Network
du and ZTE announced on October 29 that they had activated upper 6 GHz radio equipment on du’s live 5G-Advanced network in the United Arab Emirates. The deployment uses 350 MHz of spectrum between 6775 MHz and 7125 MHz, supported by ZTE’s GigaMIMO technology and advanced antenna equipment. The companies demonstrated end-to-end connectivity using commercially available customer premises equipment. The initiative is intended to improve network capacity, coverage and broadband performance as mobile data demand increases. It also supports the UAE’s longer-term 6G development strategy. The companies did not disclose measured download speeds, deployment investment, participating site numbers or a nationwide expansion timetable.
Oak Hill Capital to Acquire Majority Stake in Wyyerd Fiber to Accelerate US FTTH Expansion
Oak Hill Capital announced on October 29 that it had agreed to acquire a majority stake in Wyyerd from Carlyle. Wyyerd operates fiber-to-the-premises broadband infrastructure across Arizona and Southern California. The investment will support continued network construction, expansion into additional communities and growth beyond the operator’s existing service footprint. Oak Hill has previously invested in communications infrastructure and intends to use that experience to accelerate Wyyerd’s development. The transaction represents a change in infrastructure ownership and financing rather than the completion of a new network. Financial terms, equity valuation, existing fiber passings and additional construction targets were not disclosed. Completion remains subject to the transaction’s applicable closing conditions.
WOW! Announces Fiber Broadband Expansion Covering 20,000 Homes and Businesses in Tennessee WideOpenWest announced on October 29 that it would construct a fiber-to-the-home network serving more than 20,000 homes and businesses across Anderson and Roane counties in East Tennessee. The project will introduce direct fiber connectivity and multi-gigabit broadband services to communities including Oak Ridge, Clinton and Oliver Springs. Initial service activations are scheduled to begin in January 2027 in Oak Ridge, with additional locations expected to follow during the year. The investment expands the operator’s fiber infrastructure into markets where high-capacity broadband availability has been limited. The company has not disclosed the project’s capital expenditure, fiber-route length, construction contractor, number of initial connections or final completion date. The announcement concerns planned construction and activation.