We take a weekly look at mobile and tech stories from around the world. Headlines include… Vodafone, Orange, Others Urge Europe to Free Up 6GHz for 6G, Apple Downplays Google Deal in Antitrust Trial, Eyes AI Future, AI Rewrites Online Search, Marketers Scramble to Stay Visible and much more… Alternatively listen On MEF Radio.
Vodafone, Orange, Others Urge Europe to Free Up 6GHz for 6G
Mobile Europe
Europe’s top telecom giants are sounding the alarm, urging regulators to free up the upper 6GHz spectrum for mobile networks—or risk falling behind the U.S. and China in the race to 6G.
Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and TIM warn that without this critical mid-band spectrum, Europe’s 6G rollout could stall just as data demands explode.
While the U.S. opened the band for Wi-Fi and China earmarked it for 5G and 6G, Europe’s still debating.
With a draft policy expected next month, operators say the mobile ecosystem’s future—and Europe’s digital competitiveness—hangs in the balance.
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Apple Downplays Google Deal in Antitrust Trial, Eyes AI Future
Sherwood
Apple is trying to save its $20 billion deal with Google by downplaying its importance. In the ongoing antitrust trial, Apple’s Eddy Cue argued that the future of search is shifting towards AI, with users moving away from traditional Google searches.
Apple plans to integrate AI services like ChatGPT into its Safari browser, making Google’s search engine less critical.
However, Cue also emphasized that Google should remain the default for now, even as Apple explores new AI-driven opportunities.
Apple and Google could deepen their AI partnership, actually.Especially as AI becomes a key player in mobile ecosystems and search.
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AI Rewrites Online Search, Marketers Scramble to Stay Visible
WSJ
AI is rewriting the rules of online search, leaving marketers scrambling to stay visible in the mobile-driven digital economy. Platforms like ChatGPT now answer a billion weekly queries—sidestepping websites entirely and slashing traffic. Mailchimp warns sites are morphing from destinations to data hubs for AI bots, forcing brands to optimize for machines, not humans.
With zero-click searches rising, and AI summaries shaping brand perception, mobile marketers are racing to ensure their content isn’t just seen—but scraped, summarized, and surfaced by the AI powering billions of smartphones worldwide.
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Telecom Italia Miss Forecast, Struggles with Debt
Reuters
Telecom Italia’s showing signs of strain, posting a modest 5.4% rise in quarterly earnings but missing forecasts, with debt creeping up to €7.5 billion and cash flow still in the red.
The Italian giant’s revenues ticked up 2.7%, driven by enterprise and Brazil, but a €124 million net loss keeps pressure on its turnaround.
As it pivots from France’s Vivendi to Italy’s state-backed Poste Italiane as top investor, TIM’s future hinges on its role in a consolidating telecom market—leaner, network-light, but still weighed by debt in an ecosystem chasing scale and profitability. Telecom Italia’s showing signs of strain, posting a modest 5.4% rise in quarterly earnings but missing forecasts, with debt creeping up to €7.5 billion and cash flow still in the red. The Italian giant’s revenues ticked up 2.7%, driven by enterprise and Brazil, but a €124 million net loss keeps pressure on its turnaround.
As it pivots from France’s Vivendi to Italy’s state-backed Poste Italiane as top investor, TIM’s future hinges on its role in a consolidating telecom market—leaner, network-light, but still weighed by debt in an ecosystem chasing scale and profitability
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Trump Kills Biden-Era Digital Equity Act, Threatening Rural Mobile Growth
Tech In Asia
Donald Trump is pulling the plug on a $2.75 billion Biden-era program aimed at expanding internet access in underserved communities, calling it “racist” and “unconstitutional.”
The Digital Equity Act, designed to close the digital divide through grants managed by the NTIA, prioritized equitable access to broadband—critical for mobile connectivity in rural and low-income areas.
Trump says it unfairly distributed funds based on race, scrapping it immediately.
The move raises big questions for tech providers and telecom giants eyeing growth in underserved mobile markets, while critics warn it deepens the digital gap in America’s mobile ecosystem.
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U.S. Reverses AI Chip Curbs, Easing Export Tensions for Nvidia
Reuters
Washington’s pulled back on AI chip export curbs—good news for Nvidia and U.S. tech giants.
The Trump administration’s scrapped a Biden-era rule that capped chip sales to countries like India, Israel, and Mexico, after fierce industry backlash. Nvidia stock jumped 3% on the news. The old rule, meant to block China from advanced AI, risked stifling friendly markets too. Now, a more flexible, bilateral approach is on the table, balancing national security and business.
For the mobile ecosystem, it’s a win: smoother chip flows could fuel next-gen AI in smartphones, networks, and edge devices globally.
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TSMC’s April Sales Skyrocket 48%, Fueled by Tariff Fears
Bloomberg
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the powerhouse behind Apple and Nvidia chips, has seen its sales skyrocket 48% in April.
Why? Electronics companies rushed to stock up on components before new global tariffs kicked in.
The surge highlights the ongoing demand for advanced chips, including those crucial for artificial intelligence, an area TSMC dominates.
However, a rising Taiwan dollar could impact profits, and with looming export controls on AI chips, the future remains uncertain. TSMC’s role in global tech spending makes it a key player in the mobile and AI race, keeping an eye on its supply chain moves is more critical than ever.
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SMIC Posts $188M Profit, Revenue Up 28% Amid Chip Stockpiling
Tech in Asia
China’s top chipmaker SMIC just doubled its profits last quarter, fueled by a surge in demand as smartphone makers and other electronics brands stockpile chips ahead of more U.S.-China tech tensions.
The company pulled in $188 million in net income, and revenue jumped 28%—though still shy of forecasts.
SMIC’s chips power many mid-tier mobile devices, and with China’s push for homegrown tech, it’s becoming a bigger player despite being locked out of cutting-edge tools.
Shares have soared 42% this year, crushing the Hang Seng Index. But with orders front-loaded, SMIC warns mobile supply chains could cool later this year.
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Philips Cuts Profit Margin Outlook Amid US-China Trade Tensions
Reuters
Philips has lowered its profit margin forecast for the year, adjusting its outlook due to rising US-China trade tensions and tariffs.
The Dutch medical technology company now expects a margin of 10.8% to 11.3%, down 100 basis points.
This includes an estimated €300 million ($340 million) tariff impact. Philips is responding by localizing more production in the US.
Despite a 2% sales decline in Q1, driven by weak demand in China, Philips saw a 2% rise in order intake, bolstered by strong demand in North America.
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Microsoft’s Stake Central to OpenAI’s New For-Profit Structure
Windows Central
Microsoft remains a major holdout in OpenAI’s restructuring plans, despite the company’s push to shift its for-profit division under nonprofit control — I reported on that in MEF business news segment.
The $13.75 billion Microsoft investment is key to the future of the proposal, with ongoing negotiations focusing on protecting Microsoft’s stake and licensing agreements.
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman says the revised structure still targets the same goals but needs approval from Microsoft, state attorneys general, and other investors.
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