- Will telcos shift their business model focus from consumers to enterprises?
- Will BEAD money finally roll?
- Will anything stop the data center boom?
- BONUS BULLET POINT: We have a new kitten on the team
The Fierce Network editorial crew completed the first-ever virtual team Vulcan mind meld to bring you our predictions for 2026. This mind meld wasn't easy to pull off, considering the limitations of Microsoft Teams and its less than lackluster ability to transmit brainwaves so, dear readers, consider yourselves lucky that our predictions made it to this page.
Here is how it worked: I was Spock. I always wanted to be a science officer, anyway, and I did have a four-year stint as a Solar System Ambassador for the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. That's me on the left, doing a mind-meld with Mitch Wagner, chief analyst, of data center, AI and cloud, for Fierce Network Research, who is first on the list for predictions. Here is what Mitch's brain told me:
The year of the enterprise pivot
Mitch said, "2026 will be the year the communication service provider industry pivots from the consumer sector to enterprise. Everybody and their pet monkey already has a mobile phone, but service providers can find new opportunities in industry, going beyond mere connectivity and delivering business outcomes. By 2026, 5G Standalone (SA) will be mature enough to support network slicing at scale, to guarantee specific SLAs. Private 5G will deliver connectivity for hard-to-connect industries. And AI will be the driver of service provider enterprise growth as networks orchestrate AI agents, AI provides closed-loop automation for manufacturing and robotics, and AI enables new levels of bespoke service."
More private 5G and 5G SA
Turns out Dan Jones' brain and Mitch's work similarly. Dan predicted: "We will see more Chinese-style 5G private networking in the U.S. and beyond in 2026. T-Mobile has already rolled out its Edge Control 5G-Advanced service to deliver a virtual private network-like experience over T-Mobile’s public network using local breakouts to deliver the service. Other major U.S. mobile operators, who now have 5G SA infrastructure in place to roll pure 5G and 5G-Advanced features on their networks, will roll out 5G-Advanced services like T-Mobile already has. Thus, U.S. operators – as well as many Asian and European carriers moving to 5G SA – should be able to use their licensed spectrum to provide hybrid public-private networks to interested enterprises, much like Chinese operators are already doing."
BEAD funding fumbles turn finally fruitful
Masha Abarinova, who focuses on broadband, was slightly distracted by her new kitten (see below!) but she did take time to make predictions on BEAD funding, which has been the bane of her existence for the last few years.
"Despite all the tension around BEAD, I think the money — one way or another — will end up in state hands. Broadband offices, Congress and trade groups are itching for the program to get going, and NTIA is probably under pressure to push funding out the door. The GAO's decision that BEAD requires congressional approval could hold up disbursement, but given how the Trump administration is running things, I wouldn't be surprised if NTIA ignores that and proceeds as scheduled. I think 2026 will also bring a lot more conversations around non-deployment. The debate about what to do with the leftover money, whether it's for AI, infrastructure improvement or digital literacy, is only going to heat up."
The AI dive is coming
Although AI is on a tear at the moment, my own prediction is that AI will deep dive into the trough of disillusionment due to a number of factors — a key one being profitability. The cost of deploying AI isn't matching up with the potential profitability due to supply chain issues and construction delays — not to mention permitting — when it comes to data centers and fiber. The second factor is infrastructure and scalability. M&A activity has been booming as companies scramble to grab AI infrastructure like data centers, cell towers, fiber networks and edge infrastructure, and of course, talent (see prime examples from Dec. 30, 2025: Meta buys AI agent startup Manus for $2 billion; Softbank grabs Digital Bridge for $4 billion). But will this be enough? My Magic 8 ball says: NOT LIKELY. 2026 is going to be a wild ride that's for sure. Expect January to be busy.
BONUS: Meet our new kitten
This really isn't a prediction so much as a brag, but please meet Masha Abarinova's new kitten Masik. He's been keeping the team focused on our work using his skills as a trained hypnotist. He has joined the roster of the Fierce Network animal support crew, which you can see here. Welcome Masik!