Intelligence and Noise

The future of telecom is taking shape. In this episode of Intelligence and Noise, Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt discuss the new US-led 6G alliance, quantum computing's growing role in telecom, Amazon's expanding satellite ambitions, AT&T's telecom-specific AI model, and why AI agents are raising new questions about security, competition and governance. Join us as we separate the intelligence from the noise.00:00 – Welcome & What's Coming Up01:02 – What Gen Z drinking habits can teach us about network planning05:46 – The new US-led 6G Alliance explained09:09 – Why who's missing from the 6G Alliance matters13:10 – Open, interoperable and secure: The future of 6G18:04 – Amazon expands its satellite ambitions19:30 – Quantum computing moves beyond cybersecurity23:50 – Can telecom operators monetise quantum computing?27:17 – AT&T's telecom-specific AI model (OTEL 2.0)34:02 – When AI agents start behaving like businesses40:18 – Closing thoughts Hosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters.

AI is transforming telecom, from voice services and autonomous networks to cybersecurity and sustainability challenges. Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt explore AI-powered voice, Vodafone’s AI RAN trial, the rise of physical AI, AI agent risks and how operators are adapting to a rapidly changing technology landscape. This episode of Intelligence and Noise looks beyond the headlines to separate the intelligence from the noise.00:00 – Introduction: Intelligence and Noise returns01:03 – Climate change, resilience and telecom networks05:27 – AI-powered voice services and the return of voice06:23 – AI voice assistants, customer experience and churn reduction09:18 – The future of immersive voice experiences11:02 – Standardising AI voice across telecom networks13:15 – Making AI more accessible through voice services16:25 – Vodafone’s AI-powered smart tower trial18:04 – AI RAN, physical AI and network automation21:22 – The future of autonomous network optimisation26:07 – AI agents, security risks and unexpected behaviour30:02 – AI regulation, transparency and guardrails34:24 – Meta, AI infrastructure and sustainability challenges37:18 – Why sustainability remains telecom’s opportunity40:44 – Closing thoughts: Seek intelligence, embrace the noiseHosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters.

What happens when the AI boom starts changing the phones in our pockets, the networks that connect us, and the future of telecom innovation? In this episode of Intelligence & Noise, Peter Jarich and Pau Castells unpack the hidden impact of AI on the connectivity ecosystem , ,from rising smartphone costs and digital inclusion challenges to the race for AI-powered networks and 5G sensing breakthroughs. They explore whether AI RAN can transform network efficiency, how 6G ambitions are taking shape, and whether the telecom industry is chasing the latest AI advances or focusing on the solutions that truly matter.00:00 – Introduction and this week’s telecom industry themes01:30 – Peter’s broken phone story: what smartphone trade-offs reveal about rising costs04:00 – How AI is driving up memory prices and making smartphones more expensive07:15 – The digital inclusion challenge: when device affordability becomes a connectivity barrier09:00 – Could AI also increase the cost of telecom networks and services?11:30 – Why consumers want better phones, not necessarily more AI features13:00 – AI RAN arrives: what operators and vendors are trying to achieve14:00 – Can AI double network efficiency? Examining the promise of smarter networks16:00 – Why “AI RAN” means different things across the telecom industry17:30 – China’s position in the AI RAN race and the impact of chip restrictions20:30 – Ericsson and AT&T’s 5G sensing trial: bringing ISAC into the real world22:15 – Beyond drone detection: finding commercial value for sensing networks24:30 – Why 5G-based ISAC could shape the future of 6G26:00 – World Cup, technology and the changing global sports landscape28:00 – New Chinese AI models and what they mean for the telecom sector30:00 – Do operators need the latest AI models, or just practical solutions?32:15 – The “good enough” AI debate: balancing innovation and business value33:40 – Closing thoughts: AI, connectivity costs and the future of telecom Hosted by Peter Jarich, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters.

What do Europe's AI strategy, telecom competitiveness, market consolidation, and SpaceX have in common? In this episode of Intelligence & Noise, Peter Jarich and GSMA Intelligence Chief Economist Pau Castells explore the biggest developments shaping the future of connectivity: from AI infrastructure and digital sovereignty to 5G, 6G, and the policy decisions that will define the next era of telecoms. Join us as we connect the dots between policy, infrastructure, and the future of connectivity.00:00 – Introduction and this week's themes01:15 – Meta's new AI data centre and the sovereignty debate04:00 – European Commission's AI and cybersecurity action plan: what's actually new?11:15 – Why digital sovereignty matters for Europe's telecom future12:20 – South Korea's AI infrastructure investments: a different approach18:30 – AI, 5G Advanced and 6G: connecting network investment to business value20:00 – Why operators need clearer monetisation strategies for new technologies27:10 – GSMA Intelligence's new research on European telecom competitiveness32:20 – Understanding the link between market scale, competition and investment35:50 – Inside the Brussels launch event and policy discussion40:30 – Why robust research matters in the consolidation debate41:30 – SpaceX's 'Starmind' AI infrastructure ambitions and vertical integration43:40 – Closing thoughtsHosted by Peter Jarich, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters

What do the Tour de France, satellite megadeals, AI infrastructure, and 6G have in common? In this episode of Intelligence and Noise, Peter Jarich and Tim break down the biggest stories shaping the future of connectivity, from Rocket Lab's acquisition of Iridium and sovereign satellite networks to network sharing, AI investments, and the next wave of wireless innovation. Tune in for expert insights that separate the signal from the noise.Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & Tour de France connectivity06:25 – Rocket Lab acquires Iridium: Why it matters14:40 – Rakuten, AST SpaceMobile & Japan's satellite strategy19:00 – South Korea's AI infrastructure investment21:40 – Network sharing in New Zealand26:20 – Comcast's media spin-off & telco strategy30:30 – 6G, ISAC & the U.S. Department of Defense36:00 – Eurovision, Canada & closing thoughtsHosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters.

What is actually driving the next wave of tech and telecom innovation, and what is just noise? In this episode, Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt cut through the hype as they unpack the biggest trends shaping the industry right now, from agentic AI and data sovereignty to the real future of smart glasses.00:00 – Intro & podcast overview02:00 – AI, data, and privacy: real-world implications05:30 – Top stories: Agentic AI & India’s satellite strategy13:00 – Satellite economics, scale & sovereignty18:20 – Smart glasses & the future of AR25:30 – Adoption challenges & “killer use cases”30:15 – MWC Shanghai highlights & AI trends33:40 – DTW Ignite: AI, automation & telecom networks37:00 – Tokenisation, monetisation & future outlookHosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters. Got a topic you want us to cover?Drop it in the comments. And if you're enjoying the show, a rating on your platform of choice goes a long way.

What do social media bans, sovereign AI, and China's AI token economy have in common? They could all reshape the future of telecoms—and that's exactly what Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt discuss in this week's Intelligence & Noise. They unpack the UK's proposed social media ban for under-16s, the growing role of age-verification APIs, Europe's push for sovereign AI, and why China's emerging AI token economy could redefine telecom business models. 00:00 Introduction & connectivity at major events05:20 UK social media ban for under-16s10:00 Device ownership & social media usage trends12:50 Age verification APIs and Open Gateway opportunities16:00 AI regulation, liability & platform responsibility17:30 Orange, VivaTech & Europe's sovereign AI ambitions24:30 What does digital sovereignty really mean?30:50 China's AI token economy explained38:50 DTW Ignite, MWC Shanghai & closing thoughtsHosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters. Got a topic you want us to cover?Drop it in the comments. And if you're enjoying the show, a rating on your platform of choice goes a long way.

AI, space, and telecoms are colliding faster than the industry can price in. In this episode of Intelligence and Noise from GSMA Intelligence, Peter Jarich and Tim unpack the AI infrastructure boom in China and India, the rise of token-based pricing models, and how telcos are trying to monetise the next wave of compute and connectivity. They also dig into digital sovereignty in Europe, the future of satellite networks, and the hype versus physics behind the SpaceX IPO as the race for global-scale infrastructure intensifies. 00:00 – Introduction and connected devices story 04:38 – AI security and China/India data center investment 07:21 – AI token pricing and monetisation models 09:10 – Telco role in AI infrastructure and revenue opportunity 14:49 – Sovereign cloud, super apps, and Europe’s digital sovereignty push 17:23 – Non-terrestrial networks and satellite compute/control 21:03 – SpaceX IPO, valuation, and TAM debate 25:24 – Investor hype, Elon premium, and business strategy concerns 28:21 – Starlink mobile and addressable market limits 29:49 – Satellite scaling limits and orbital capacity constraints 31:38 – Orbital competition and geopolitical risks 33:08 – MWC Shanghai preview and industry themes 34:19 – DTW Ignite Copenhagen preview 36:19 – GSMA NOVA Napa event and cross-industry collaboration 37:42 – AI grids and future telecom infrastructure models 38:42 – Closing remarks and football chat Hosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters. Got a topic you want us to cover? Drop it in the comments. And if you're enjoying the show, a rating on your platform of choice goes a long way.

SpaceX says their total addressable market is $28.5 trillion. We ran the numbers — and Starlink Mobile's realistic market may be just 5% of that. This week we break it down, plus everything else worth paying attention to in mobile and connectivity. 00:00 Welcome & intro 01:00 Tour de France & connectivity at major events 02:44 Network resilience: Somalia & Japan 09:50 6G & integrated sensing (ISAC) explained 15:52 SpaceX IPO — breaking down the $28.5T TAM claim 25:25 World Cup connectivity & what to watch 31:12 OpenAI's pivot to agentic AI 36:44 ESG & biodiversity monitoring on telecom towers 38:16 What's coming next week Hosted by Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt, every week we cover what's moving in mobile, connectivity, and emerging tech and why it matters. Got a topic you want us to cover? Drop it in the comments. And if you're enjoying the show, a rating on your platform of choice goes a long way

In the inaugural episode of Intelligence & Noise from GSMA Intelligence's Peter Jarich and Tim Hatt cut through the noise on the biggest stories shaping the telecoms and tech industry in the first half of 2026. From AI monetisation and the rise of tokens as a service, to sovereign cloud becoming a genuine competitive edge for mobile operators plus why quantum computing deserves more attention than it's getting. Topics covered: 00:00 – Welcome to Intelligence & Noise 04:30 – The 5 big themes of 2026 so far 14:37 – How AI deployments are shifting from cost-cutting to monetisation 18:50 – Chinese operators bundling AI tokens and what it means globally 22:00 – Sovereignty as a competitive differentiator for telcos 28:30 – The hyperscaler CapEx boom and what it signals 29:33 – Why only 7% of IoT devices are quantum safe