• Srini Gopalan will be the next CEO of T-Mobile US
• Verizon forms 6G Innovation Forum 
• KPN starts drone trial

In today’s industry news roundup: T-Mobile US will have a new CEO from 1 November; Verizon teams up with tech big guns to explore 6G’s potential; KPN’s network is at the heart of a medical drone trial in the Netherlands; and more!

T-Mobile US has announced current chief operating officer Srini Gopalan as its next CEO. He will replace Mike Sievert, who has been CEO for almost six years, on 1 November. Sievert will become vice chairman and “continue in a management role… to support T-Mobile’s CEO and leadership team, advising on matters of long-term strategy, innovation, talent development and external relations”. The move was expected: Gopalan had been identified as the likely next CEO when he was parachuted into T-Mobile US from Deutsche Telekom (the US telco’s majority shareholder) at the beginning of 2025. “I couldn’t be more excited to announce Srini Gopalan as our next CEO,” stated Sievert. “When I recruited Srini to be our COO, I knew he had the skills, experience and Un-carrier mindset to lead our company into the future. Srini has been an incredible partner in shaping the future of T-Mobile as well as instrumental in leading our record growth this year and driving initiatives to serve customers in new ways and win them for life... I have full trust and confidence in his vision for T-Mobile, and the Un-carrier’s ability to innovate to an even greater extent under his leadership.” Gopalan noted: “Mike has done a phenomenal job transforming T-Mobile into the world’s most successful telecom and a disruptive innovator for customers. By almost every possible metric, T-Mobile is better, stronger and faster today than when Mike took the helm nearly six years ago. I am so thankful for Mike’s partnership and mentorship and am committed to building on his legacy of putting the customer first – while disrupting the industry – as we continue to scale our winning Un-carrier strategy.” Tim Höttges, Deutsche Telekom CEO and chairman of the T-Mobile US board, added: “Thanks to Mike’s bold vision and successful leadership, T-Mobile is the envy of an industry it has changed for the better by driving exceptional value for investors while reinventing again how companies serve customers and employees. I’ve had the privilege of working directly with Srini, and I’ve seen firsthand his proven ability to turn vision into reality. He has the determination, expertise, passion and empathy to be a fantastic CEO for the most innovative company in the industry. On behalf of the board, I offer our deepest gratitude to Mike for a remarkable tenure and our full confidence to Srini as he leads T-Mobile into its next era.”

Verizon has established the 6G Innovation Forum with radio access network (RAN) vendors Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia and “device and chipset innovators” Meta and Qualcomm with the aim of “identifying potential new use cases, devices and network technology” for 6G. “The forum aims to establish an open, diversified and resilient 6G ecosystem and develop foundational 6G technologies while ensuring global alignment,” noted Verizon in this announcement. Joe Russo, executive VP and president of global networks and technology at Verizon, stated: “5G-Advanced lays the foundation for the 6G future – whether that’s new wearables, AI experiences or entirely new use cases we haven’t even thought of yet, and that’s what excites me the most. With the best team in the industry, we will build the future of these solutions with our partners. We’re already building a network designed for the next era – one that will transform how we live, work and play.” Not surprisingly, AI is playing a key role in the initiative. “Verizon’s networks form the backbone of the emerging artificial intelligence economy, delivering the infrastructure and expertise essential for businesses to fully harness AI’s potential,” noted the operator. “For over a decade, Verizon has integrated AI into its operations to optimise network performance and infrastructure, a commitment that will continue with the evolution of 6G. This will accelerate Verizon’s AI Connect strategy and intelligent edge capabilities, enabling businesses to manage real-time AI workloads at scale by leveraging Verizon’s comprehensive suite of solutions with its award-winning network.”

Dutch telco KPN is one of a number of partners engaging in a one-year trial that will see drones transport medical goods, such as blood products, medicines and samples, between the Isala hospital locations in Zwolle and Meppel in the Netherlands. The drones use KPN’s 4G and 5G networks, while Drone Connect, KPN’s service for operating drones, “provides insight into network coverage at drone altitude and ensures that the connection is of high quality,” the operator noted in this announcement. The drone flies at an altitude of 100 meters with a cruising speed of 100km/h and covers the distance between both locations in just 20 minutes. KPN is working with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, ANWB, Air Traffic Control Netherlands, Isala and various other healthcare partners in the trial. 

4iG Group, a telecom and IT services group that has operations in Hungary and the Balkan states, is to modernise its IP and optical (DWDM) transport network infrastructure with Nokia in order to “establish a next-generation ready, energy-efficient and secure network infrastructure that handles increasing data traffic, supports the growth of digital services and ensures sustainable operations in the long term,” the operator has announced. 4iG aims to “support the country’s AI infrastructure buildout” with its upgrade. “This will satisfy both current and future capacity requirements, thereby establishing the bedstone for next-generation services, including the substantial growth in connectivity needs driven by AI and datacentre connectivity. In addition, the implementation of a fully automated, cloud-native service model enables service providers to deliver enhanced levels of service to both residential and enterprise customers,” the operator noted. Péter Fekete, CEO of 4iG Group, stated: “Our partnership with Nokia goes beyond technology: Together we aim to build a network infrastructure that will strengthen our role in shaping the region’s digital development in the coming years. We are not just building a network but laying the foundation for an ecosystem in [which] our customers and partners can plan their future with confidence and security.”

– The staff, TelecomTV