Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Huawei, ZTE, Batelco, Ericsson, Uniti Wholesale, among others.
US Plans Restrictions on Chinese Telecom Companies’ Access to Phone Numbers
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to vote on November 19 on a proposal to prevent Chinese telecommunications companies from directly accessing US phone numbers. The proposed restrictions target China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom and other IP-enabled service providers, aiming to strengthen protections against illegal robocalls and telephone scams. The FCC is also considering restrictions on providers using equipment from companies identified as national security risks, including Huawei and ZTE. The proposal follows earlier restrictions on Chinese telecom operators providing international services in the United States. Beijing has criticized the proposed measures, arguing that they could disrupt normal trade and economic cooperation.
Batelco Selects Ericsson for 5G Core Modernization, Massive MIMO and AI-RAN Deployment in Bahrain
Batelco and Ericsson announced an expanded network modernization agreement on November 1. Batelco will deploy Ericsson Massive MIMO radio equipment and cloud-native dual-mode 5G Core technology to strengthen mobile coverage and capacity across Bahrain. The project includes packet-core modernization, Unified Data Management upgrades and migration from network functions virtualization infrastructure to Ericsson’s Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution. Batelco will also test Ericsson’s AI-native Scheduler for Link Adaptation, which dynamically adjusts radio transmission parameters to improve download efficiency and throughput. The initiative supports 5G Standalone readiness and future 5G-Advanced capabilities. Contract value, equipment quantities, deployment locations and completion dates were not disclosed.
Ericsson Targets 2027 Commercial Pilots and 2028 Deployments for 5G-Based Drone Detection System
Ericsson introduced its Integrated Sensing and Communication System on November 2, establishing a commercial roadmap for using existing mobile infrastructure to detect and track drones. The company expects selected small-scale commercial pilots to begin in 2027, followed by wider sensing deployments from 2028. The system combines sensing-capable 5G radios, edge computing, AI and signal processing to identify objects that are not connected to cellular networks. Ericsson reported successful detection of micro-drones at kilometer-scale distances, with three-dimensional positioning capabilities. Previous demonstrations involved AT&T, Erillisverkot and Play. The new milestone is the product’s commercialization roadmap, rather than a repeat of those trials. Commercial pricing and deployment contracts remain undisclosed.
Uniti Wholesale Expands 400G Fiber Connectivity Across Nine US Data Centers in Six States
Uniti Group announced on October 27 that its wholesale division had expanded high-capacity fiber connectivity at nine data centers across six US states. The upgrades provide access to 100G and 400G wavelength services, supporting data-center interconnection, carrier transport and high-bandwidth network applications. The locations include facilities in California, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey and Virginia. Uniti’s expanded infrastructure includes new data-center connections and capacity upgrades at existing locations. The company identified approximately 150 available high-capacity route options spanning major US markets. The deployment provides additional network-routing flexibility for telecommunications carriers and infrastructure customers. Uniti did not disclose the investment value, additional fiber kilometers, equipment suppliers or initial contracted transmission capacity.