In this sponsored episode of The Five Nine, Fierce Networks contributor Daniel Frankel sits down with Hemanth Sampath, VP of Engineering at Qualcomm, to explore how 6G will unlock new user-experiences and operator services.

Sampath outlines a shift from app-based smartphone content consumption to AI-agent driven, natural interactions – extending to AR glasses & wearables. This evolution will drive a surge in overall traffic, especially uplink, that 6G is designed to support. He also explains how AI-native protocols, collaborative communications and distributed compute will improve user experiences.

For operators, the rise of edge AI and network digital twins presents opportunities to reduce operational costs and generate new new revenue streams through sensing and inferencing services.

Finally, Sampath shares how Qualcomm is leading the way with XR cellular trials, on-device AI innovations, and cutting-edge 6G research. Tune in to discover how AI and 6G will reshape connectivity in the decade ahead.

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Wi-Fi 8 is here—and it's not about speed, but reliability. MediaTek’s James Chen explains how AI and smarter design are reshaping connectivity. Listen now.

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Speaking live from the 3GPP plenary meeting in Prague, Juan Montojo, Vice President of Technical Standards at Qualcomm Technologies, shares where mobile networks are headed as 6G development begins. Improving coverage, energy and spectral efficiency, and user experience are at the center of these early-stage efforts - all while reducing the cost to deliver data.

A defining feature of 6G will be the integration of AI. Unlike 5G, where AI was layered on after launch, 6G will build AI directly into the system. Montojo reflects on the 4G to 5G migration, highlighting lessons that will help 6G rollouts be more seamless, particularly the push for standalone deployment.

From Giga-MIMO and integrated sensing to next-gen satellite connectivity and improved localization, new technologies are already in early development stages. 3GPP standards will continue through the decade, with 6G specifications expected by 2029 and commercial deployments in the early 2030s. With foundational work happening now, Montojo emphasizes that this next generation will offer meaningful improvements for both users and operators.

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This week we’re taking a look at the big bottleneck that could bring the AI revolution to a screeching halt: power.

AI requires a lot of high power chips deployed in a LOT of data centers. But while hyperscalers have plans to build up new data centers to support AI demand, they’ve run into power shortages in key areas. They’re particularly feeling the crunch in the U.S. So, we sat down with a pair of guests to figure out how we got into this mess, whether new nuclear plants could be the answer to hyperscalers’ prayers and what needs to be done to get us to where we need to be.

We chatted with Mark Nelson, founder and managing director at consulting firm Radiant Energy Group, and Aalo Atomics CEO Matt Loszak to get some answers.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

• Will new nuclear arrive in the US in time to save data centers?
• A big battle over data center power bills is looming
• Here’s what hyperscalers, OpenAI say they need to build an AI empire
• Energy companies are struggling to keep up with data centers’ monster appetite
• Here’s why Trump’s energy policy matters for cloud providers

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This week, we sat down to unpack one of the biggest emerging concepts in the broadband space – the open access network.

Open access, like any broadband network, is no cakewalk and comes with its own share of challenges. But it also presents underrated opportunities for the industry, particularly in the United States where the model is less often used.

Utopia Fiber and Gigapower are two of just a handful of open access players in the U.S.

Utopia reaches nearly two dozen cities in Utah and has also been involved in projects in Idaho, Montana and California. Gigapower, meanwhile, is a joint venture between AT&T and investment company BlackRock which is initially aiming to achieve 1.5 million passings in 8 markets.

So, we sat down with Utopia CEO Roger Timmerman and Gigapower CRO Jeff Seidenfaden to chat about what makes open access unique, how each has made things work, and what pages other operators can take from their playbook.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Gigapower CEO says open access network is ‘picking up speed’ as JV expands to NM
• CEO Exclusive: Utopia Fiber chief thinks AT&T isn't really doing open access

• UTOPIA continues to weave web of ISPs

• SiFi, Sumo Fiber: Open access networks aren’t a piece of cake

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Guest host Liz Coyne wrangled an exec from Nokia Bell Labs to talk about the company’s recent mission to the moon. The mission came as Nokia Bell Labs celebrated its 100th anniversary but the landing didn’t go quite as expected.

Nokia’s Thierry Klein, President of Bell Labs Solutions Research at Nokia, tells Liz all about why the company is aiming for the moon in the first place, what it learned from the mission and what’s next.

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This week, we delve back into the intersection of AI and networking, and more specifically what enterprises need to know and prepare for as AI moves to the edge.

Just how distributed will AI really be? How will enterprises decide what workloads go where? And what should they be thinking about and planning for to make the AI-driven future a reality?

We sat down with GTT SVP of Product Engineering to sift through these thorny questions and provide some guidance on how to handle the AI wave to come.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

What happens to AI factories when AI moves to the edge?

Telcos have the perfect edge cloud infrastructure for AI up their sleeve

Op-Ed: Telco optimism springs at MWC with the hopes of AI at the edge

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The Fierce Network crew made it back safe and sound, for the most part, from Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona. But the show, which is essentially the official start to the year in telecom, gave us a lot to think about. We spent the week digesting what all the announcements from the show mean for the industry and now we're looking forward to what the rest of 2025 has in store for operators. Here’s what we have our eyes on.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

Nokia’s not getting hung up on missed lunar phone call

FNTV: Orange isn't giving up on APIs

MWC 2025 coverage hub

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