Telecommunications infrastructure investment is surging globally in 2025, with providers focusing on 5G expansion, fiber deployment, and innovative service offerings. Recent developments highlight a strategic pivot toward network modernization and specialization, with telecom companies increasingly leveraging AI technology and open-source solutions to improve service delivery. These investments reflect the growing importance of connectivity as digital infrastructure becomes critical to economic development, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
The big picture: Major telecom providers worldwide are making substantial infrastructure investments to modernize networks and extend connectivity to underserved areas.
- SaskTel leads with a CAD 465.9 million investment in Saskatchewan for 2025-26, including 5G upgrades and rural connectivity programs.
- Multiple operators are restructuring their businesses by spinning off infrastructure assets or adopting open-source technologies to improve operational efficiency.
Key details: SaskTel’s comprehensive infrastructure plan prioritizes both urban 5G deployment and rural connectivity expansion.
- The company will construct 5 new cell sites and upgrade 170 existing sites to 5G technology.
- Fiber optic broadband will be extended to 60 additional communities across Saskatchewan.
- The Aurora Program aims to bring connectivity to 30 Indigenous and northern communities specifically.
Behind the numbers: Telecom companies are exploring innovative business models to maximize infrastructure value while controlling operational costs.
- Hrvatski Telekom is spinning off its passive mobile infrastructure assets into a new subsidiary, with completion expected by Q3 2025.
- Aussie Broadband has replaced proprietary VMware solutions with SUSE open-source platform across its co-located data centers in Australia.
Industry innovations: AI integration is emerging as a competitive differentiator in telecommunications service offerings.
- Airtel Uganda has launched East Africa’s first AI-powered spam alert service that automatically identifies suspicious messages by scanning over 250 parameters.
- Vietnamese operators are collaborating on network API development to create new service opportunities.
Where we go from here: The telecommunications industry continues evolving with network modernization initiatives that reflect changing consumer demands and technology lifecycles.
- Legacy networks are being phased out, with A1 Serbia shutting down its 3G network to reallocate resources to newer technologies.
- Emergency communication systems are being enhanced, with AIS and NBTC testing mobile emergency alert systems.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...