A1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A2. QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE REPORT
A3. AFRICA MNO DIRECTORY 2026-2027
A4. ASIA PACIFIC (INCLUDING AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND) MNO DIRECTORY 2026-2027
A5. EUROPE MNO DIRECTORY 2026-2027
A6. LATIN AMERICA MNO DIRECTORY 2026-2027
A7. MIDDLE EAST MNO DIRECTORY 2026-2027
A8. NORTH AMERICA MNO DIRECTORY 2026-2027
A1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY [30+ pages]
Global demand for mobile connectivity remains robust. By December 2025, 5.8 billion people subscribed to mobile services, with 4.7 billion using mobile internet. Mobile technologies and services now contribute about… [more inside the report]
A2. QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE REPORT
Q1. What are the emerging trends and where is NEW GROWTH coming from?
A1. The core thesis from our earlier report still holds – operators must build offerings through the digital lifestyle, not just around voice and data. But in 2026 the growth vectors are clearer and more granular… [more inside the report]
Q2. Who are the “top” operators – and what matters more than size?
A2. If we rank by total revenue, the largest telecom operators are still China Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Deutsche Telekom, followed by NTT, China Telecom, SoftBank, and China Unicom, among others. In subscriber terms, groups like Reliance Jio, China Mobile, China Telecom and Bharti Airtel… [more inside the report]
Q3. What’s the status of 2G/3G/4G/5G – and operators’ priorities?
A3. The global sunset is ongoing and accelerating, with 2025 being a peak year for planned activity, aiming for near-complete 3G extinction in major markets, as the world moves to faster, more capable networks.. Global 2G/ 3G shutdowns are accelerating to free up spectrum for faster 4G/ 5G, with many operators completing phase-outs by 2026-2028, led by… [more inside the report]
Q4. Where are operators spending the most? What is slowing them down?
A4: Capex focus areas
#. RAN modernisation and densification (4G/ 5G and soon 5G-Advanced), especially in mid-band for capacity and user experience.
#. 5G SA core and cloud-native transformation (containerised cores, CI/ CD, observability and security tooling).
#. Transport and edge infrastructure (IP/ optical upgrades, data … [more inside the report]
Q5. What is keeping operators excited in 2026?
A5. Operators are no longer “excited” about 4G capex itself; they are excited about what modernised networks enable:
#. Enterprise 5G and private networks that deliver new revenue and deep partnerships in manufacturing, logistics, utilities and cities.
#. Network APIs and Open Gateway, which offer a scalable, software-like revenue model if operators can onboard developers at scale.
#. AI… [more inside the report]
Q6. Pandemic impact – who aced it, and what remains relevant now?
A6. The immediate COVID-19 impact (roaming collapse, delayed device upgrades) has mostly normalised, but the structural winners share common traits:
#. Skills and ecosystem gaps: Shortage of AI, cloud, cybersecurity and software product skills; ecosystem maturity varies by region… [more inside the report]
Q7. Researchica’s take on where is the industry heading in the next 2–3–5 years?
A7. Our four-pillar framework (Service Focus, Technology Focus, Approach, Contingency) is still valid; here’s how it evolves for 2026–2030:
1. Service Focus – from telco to techco & platform operator
#. Offer NaaS, APIs, B2B solutions, FinTech and digital lifestyle bundles.
#. Build… [more since the report]
COUNTRIES COVERED IN THE WORLDWIDE MNO DIRECTORY:
Africa
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, D.R.Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Asia Pacific
Afghanistan, American Samoa, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam.
Europe
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta. Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Latin America
Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), French West Indies, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela.
Middle East
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen.
North America
Canada, Greenland, Guam, USA.