Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week as Nokia continues to feel the effects of a slump in its Mobile Network division, Huawei plans to open the doors on its $1.4 billion R&D facility and AT&T throttles up the use of genAI-fed autonomous agents.
Mobile market weakness continues to take toll on Nokia
What happened: Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark pointed to continued challenges for its Mobile Network division during Q2, which contributed to an 18 per cent year-on-year drop in sales across the business, though he cited positive trends elsewhere and reiterated predictions of a H2 revival.
Why it matters: On the plus side for the unit, Lundmark added there had been “significant customer tendering activity” so far in 2024, with Nokia winning a number of deals. It also gained €150 million related to a contract resolution with US operator AT&T, which signed a big money open RAN deal with rival Ericsson late in 2023. “Nokia reported a better-than-expected comparable operating result, but it was achieved with a large one-time item for Mobile Networks as a result of the termination of the AT&T contract,” Inderes analyst Atte Riikola said in a note. “Excluding this, the operational development of networks businesses was softer than expected.”
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Huawei poised to open $1.4B mega facility
What happened: Huawei’s $1.4 billion R&D facility in Shanghai is set to open its doors this year, with plans to establish the site as home to groundbreaking research around semiconductors and advanced technologies including 5G, AI and cloud.
Why it matters: The new facility is by far Huawei’s largest and most heavily invested R&D centre globally and is expected to attract “top talents” to aid the vendor achieve breakthroughs in key technologies. The new R&D campus is an attempt by Huawei to boost its self-reliance and develop homegrown technologies in the face of ongoing US trade restrictions.
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AT&T arms agents for next phase of genAI revolution
What happened: AT&T chief data officer Andy Markus outlined how autonomous agents will become central to the operator’s genAI efforts moving forward, performing tasks such as fraud alerts, network optimisation and software development.
Why it matters: With 138 autonomous agents currently in use, Markus stated AT&T expects they will be deployed more broadly going forward while becoming “integral to helping our employees perform complex operational workflows faster to better serve our customers”.
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