AI network impact on mobile operators is intensifying, according to the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance, which flagged growing concerns about the strain that rapid artificial intelligence adoption is placing on existing infrastructure.
Laurent Leboucher, chairman of the NGMN Alliance Board and group CEO and EVP Networks at Orange, said the industry faces significant uncertainty. “AI brings many challenges and questions,” Leboucher said. “We don’t have all the answers. We’re working hard to better understand what the implications of AI are, and what is presently unclear.”
Uplink Capacity Emerges as a Key Concern
Leboucher said that uplink capacity will play a far greater role than it has historically. Mobile telecommunications networks were traditionally sized for downlink traffic, but AI workloads are shifting that balance. “We don’t yet know what will be the size of the impact, but we need to be prepared for this kind of change,” he stated.
He added that networks will need to become more agile, delivering capacity dynamically rather than through fixed provisioning. The NGMN said operators must prepare to adjust their infrastructure strategies as AI adoption continues to accelerate.
6G Standards Must Be Value-Driven, NGMN States
Turning to 6G development, Leboucher said the NGMN recognises the need to ensure that technology does not drive the definition of standards. “We must make sure that our standards are really driven by value, by use cases, by critical examples of situations where we can make a real difference for our customers,” he stated.
The NGMN chairman said the organisation intends to be vocal in shaping the direction of 6G policy and standardisation. This position reflects broader industry concern that commercial and technical pressures could distort the standards process.
Fragmentation Risk Identified as Top Challenge for 2026
Leboucher identified ecosystem fragmentation as the most pressing challenge facing 6G development in 2026. He warned that the 6G ecosystem could potentially fragment across different technology stacks, undermining global interoperability. “We need to make sure that we keep interoperability at the core,” he stated.
The risk of fragmentation is a recurring concern in telecom standardisation, particularly as geopolitical tensions influence technology development across different regions. The NGMN said avoiding this outcome requires coordinated industry action.
Industry Outlook: Preparing for Dynamic Change
The NGMN’s statements reflect a broader acknowledgment within the mobile operator community that AI is reshaping network planning assumptions. Operators face pressure to invest in infrastructure upgrades while managing uncertainty about the scale and timing of AI-driven demand.
Leboucher summarised the organisation’s position: “On networks or AI, we don’t know everything. There is a lot of uncertainty, and we need to be prepared to adjust dynamically to address those uncertainties.” The NGMN said it will continue working to clarify the implications of AI for network design and 6G standardisation throughout 2026.