Nokia expects to launch the first satellites in a jointly developed "sovereign satellite" connectivity system with fellow Finnish company Iceye in 2028, targeting government and defense customers who want space-based assets they own and operate themselves.

The system, based on low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, is designed as a backup for terrestrial networks when they are disrupted. Nokia says the sovereign systems will complement military and commercial networks rather than replace them. Iceye, which describes itself as "the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space," owns what it claims is the world's largest and most advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation.

The partnership plays into a broader European push for technological autonomy. The European Commission has separately proposed an EU-wide critical communication system comprising 5G networks and EU-controlled satellites for backup. In its press release, the Commission said it wants all member states to gradually move "from narrowband radio systems to broadband technology such as 5G, while EU satellites provide additional back-up for situations when land-bound systems are incapacitated, such as during blackouts." The emphasis is on a European-built solution that reduces dependency on non-EU technologies.

Nokia's move also follows growing NATO-related spending opportunities in defense communications.

Inseego closes Nokia FWA acquisition

In related but more earthbound news, Inseego has completed its acquisition of Nokia's fixed wireless access (FWA) unit, a deal first announced in April. Inseego expects the transaction to roughly double its revenue and extend its footprint to carriers across Europe, the Middle East and beyond. To support the international push, the company has set up an international headquarters in Amsterdam and a development center in Athens.

Telefónica reorganizes Spanish operations

Telefónica is restructuring in its home market, creating three discrete business units: B2B Spain, B2C Spain and Wholesale Spain. The operator says the move will simplify its structure and boost growth where it sees the strongest potential — business and residential customers. Support functions at Telefónica Spain will be decentralized and folded into the corresponding corporate areas. The company has also invoked synergies, a word that often precedes job cuts; Telefónica has previously been reported to be planning a 20% reduction of its Spanish workforce, and its boss has pledged "tough decisions" to cut €3 billion.

BT revives consumer brand with TV push

BT has launched "BT TV," bringing live TV and streaming services together in two BT-branded boxes: the BT TV Box Pro and the BT TV Box Edge, the latter aimed at customers "who prefer a simpler streaming experience." The service runs over BT's own broadband. BT's highest-profile mobile brand, EE, also offers a TV service, and the revival of the BT consumer brand follows a period when the brand's future looked uncertain.

Separately, BT Business has launched an "AI Receptionist" — essentially an advanced answering service that handles routine requests, transcribes conversations and schedules appointments. BT says the service works across any UK fixed or mobile network.

UK faces regional AI capacity crunch

A study from Neos Networks highlights sharp regional variations in the UK's capacity for AI workloads. Of the companies surveyed, 38% have kept AI workloads more centralized than originally planned, while 34% have moved workloads to another UK region. Thirty-seven percent have changed infrastructure provider entirely, and 29% have delayed deployment. London remains the perceived AI hotspot, with 42% of businesses identifying the city as relevant to their AI strategy over the next two to three years.

Du automates hiring with Sapia.ai

Middle Eastern operator Du has partnered with Sapia.ai to embed AI-powered recruitment across its entire hiring process. Sapia.ai's platform will use "conversational assessments" to help Du's recruitment teams "evaluate large candidate pools more efficiently."

6G friction builds

The roundup's featured story underlines a wider tension: many operators are in no mood for generational upheaval when 6G arrives, but hardware replacement may prove difficult to avoid — a headache for Ericsson and Nokia as they prepare the next technology cycle. With the first Nokia-Iceye satellites not expected before 2028 and EU satellite backup plans still at proposal stage, sovereign space connectivity in Europe remains a multi-year build.