In this episode of The 6G Podcast, Anshel Sag welcomes Ookla analyst Mike Dano as the new co-host as the show shifts more fully into the 6G era. The conversation covers the symbolic shutdown of 5G Americas, Samsung and KT’s 7GHz 6G speed trial, new Ookla data on 5G standalone battery-life benefits, T-Mobile’s “kinetic tokens” concept, the economics of AI RAN and edge compute, hyperscaler data center investment, and Microsoft and Ericsson’s work to bring enterprise 5G management into Windows 11.
Key Points
- Mike Dano joins The 6G Podcast as co-host, bringing deep telecom reporting and analyst experience from Ookla, Light Reading, and Fierce Wireless.
- 5G Americas shutting down signals a broader industry shift from 5G momentum toward early 6G planning.
- Samsung and KT achieved 3Gbps downlink speeds in a 7GHz 6G test, highlighting the growing importance of upper-midband spectrum for 6G.
- Mike discusses Ookla data showing that 5G standalone can improve device battery life compared with non-standalone 5G.
- Anshel explores T-Mobile’s “kinetic tokens” concept, physical AI, low-latency AI workloads, ISAC, drones, edge compute, and 6G network intelligence.
- The hosts debate whether AI RAN and GPUs in base stations will become commercially viable or remain a costly experiment.
- Data center investment, AI traffic flows, power demand, natural gas, turbines, nuclear power, and telecom’s role in AI infrastructure are examined.
- Microsoft and Ericsson’s Windows 11 enterprise mobility integration could make 5G laptops easier for IT teams to manage securely.
- The episode closes with a practical discussion of why 5G laptops have not yet gone mainstream and whether Apple or 6G could change that.
Watch the full episode here:
Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, its contents should not be taken as investment advice.
