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European MVNO Status: Best Practices, Models, and Trends

Alejandro Cadenas — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Perspective examines the current state of the European mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) market, drawing on IDC’s tracking of mobile connections across the region 2021–2025. It provides a quantitative view of MVNO growth at both the aggregate European level and across the five largest national markets (Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain) and analyses the structural business models, positioning archetypes, and driving trends shaping the segment through 2026. It concludes with recommendations for MNOs and MVNOs on how to capture the emerging opportunities and defend against the associated competitive risks.

The MVNO segment is expanding across Europe at more than twice the pace of the wider mobile market, driven by cloud-native platforms, eSIM adoption, and a wave of new entrants from fintech, retail, and other adjacent digital sectors. But the growth is heterogeneous, and the strategic implications differ sharply for MNOs, wholesale teams, and existing MVNOs. According to Alejandro Cadenas, associate vice president, European Telco Research, IDC, “The European MVNO story of 2026 is no longer only about price competition, it is about who is best positioned to serve the increasingly specialized and cross-border demand that scaled MVNO groups and embedded-telco brands are creating. MNOs that treat wholesale as strategic, and MVNOs that evolve beyond reseller models, will define the next phase of the market.”

Wholesale Access Models and Opportunities in EMEA

Jan Hein Bakkers, Tolga Yalcin — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Perspective analyzes major trends and dynamics in wholesale access markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). It presents IDC’s view on strategic developments and market outlook.

As fiber coverage grows, the focus of operators and investors will shift to returns and network utilization.

Cinven's Acquisition of Salsify: A Bet on a Retail Network Marketed as a Bet on Bots

Heather Hershey — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

IDC Survey: 2026 Commercial XR Survey — Extended Reality Headsets

Bryan Bassett — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey provides insight into commercial extended reality (ER) headset adoption, deployment maturity, software value, procurement models, and the key factors shaping workplace ER scale. Based on IDC's 2026 Commercial XR Survey, this presentation examines how organizations are moving beyond pilots, where ER is being used for work-related tasks, and what continues to limit broader deployment across employees and sites.

"Commercial ER is clearly progressing beyond experimentation, but adoption remains role based rather than workforcewide," said Bryan Bassett, research manager with IDC's Enterprise Mobility. "The next stage of growth will depend less on headset novelty and more on reducing deployment friction, validating security and governance, and proving repeatable workflow value around productivity, collaboration, knowledge transfer, and task execution."

IDC Survey: U.S. Enterprise XR Survey, 2026 Training

Ramon T. Llamas — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

IDC's U.S. Enterprise XR Survey, 2026 Training draws on IDC's XR Commercial Survey, fielded among U.S. professionals who used a VR, MR, AR, or ER headset for work in 1Q26, narrowed to those who named workforce training on company-specific processes, hard- and soft-skill simulations included, as their primary use case.

The study covers which headsets this group has standardized on and how many hours a week they spend in one, how far their deployments have progressed and how much of the workforce those programs reach, how training software is acquired (in-house, through a partner, or off the shelf) and where it runs, and how expected outcomes such as skill retention, error reduction, productivity, and collaboration compare with what organizations report once programs are underway.

Headset makers, software vendors, and the integrators and L&D partners between them can use it to see how enterprise training XR is structured today.

Market Analysis Perspective: 中国AI游戏云市场，2025

Eric Wei — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

本IDC市场分析观点（MAP）报告深入剖析了中国AI游戏云市场的现状和未来发展趋势。报告内容包括当前市场格局概述、技术买家视角、市场展望以及IDC对技术供应商/服务提供商的建议。

IDC云计算领域研究经理魏云峰表示："AI云服务正在重塑中国游戏行业。在研发管线、游戏发行、游戏运营的离散场景中使用AI仅仅是一个开始，游戏工作室与发行商已经开始尝试使用AI技术产品打破静态叙事，将世界观从既定设计转变为无限生成，或者尝试发行完全由AI与智能体创造的项目，而这也为AI游戏云市场带来更广阔的想象空间。"

Verizon 2Q26 Earnings: Strong Subscriber Growth, Broadband Momentum and Lower Churn Drive Improved Outlook

Jitesh Bhayani — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Verizon announced its 2Q26 financial results on July 24, 2026, reporting total operating revenue of $34.3 billion, a 0.7% year-over-year decline. The decline was driven entirely by lower equipment revenue, which fell nearly 20% year over year, reflecting longer device replacement cycles and Verizon's reduced reliance on subsidy-driven customer acquisition. In contrast, mobility and broadband service revenue increased 2.8% to approximately $23.4 billion, while total service revenue and other revenue grew 3.5% to $29.2 billion. The continued shift toward service-led growth and lower equipment dependence reflects Verizon's strategy to improve customer economics and reduce reliance on promotional activity. Supported by strong operational execution and improving customer trends, the company raised its full-year 2026 guidance for the second consecutive quarter.

For 2Q26, Verizon reported adjusted EPS of $1.30, up 6.6% from $1.22 a year earlier. Reported EPS declined to $0.92 and net income fell 22.9% to $3.9 billion, primarily due to approximately $1.8 billion in pre-tax special items, including charges related to the planned divestiture of its international wireline connectivity and managed network services business, asset rationalization initiatives, and workforce restructuring. Excluding these items, underlying performance remained strong, with adjusted EBITDA increasing 7.2% to a record $13.7 billion and adjusted EBITDA margin expanding to a record 40.1%. IDC views the divergence between reported and adjusted results as a reflection of strategic portfolio optimization rather than any weakening in core operating performance.

Cash generation remained strong in 2Q26, with cash flow from operations increasing 16.3% YoY to $10.4 billion and free cash flow rising 24.4% to $6.4 billion. First-half cash flow from operations reached $18.4 billion, up 9.9%, while free cash flow increased 16.0% to $10.2 billion. The stronger cash flow profile supported continued network investment, ongoing debt reduction, and shareholder returns. Verizon also expanded its full-year share repurchase target to up to $4.5 billion, reflecting confidence in the sustainability of its cash generation.

Reflecting strong first-half execution and improving operating trends, Verizon raised its full-year 2026 guidance for a second consecutive quarter. The company now expects mobility and broadband service revenue growth of 2.5%–3.0%, with growth accelerating through the second half of the year. Adjusted EPS guidance was increased to $4.99–$5.04, up from $4.95–$4.99 in 1Q26. Verizon also raised its outlook for cash flow from operations and free cash flow while reaffirming capital spending of $16.0–$16.5 billion. Operationally, the company continues to expect retail postpaid phone net additions in the upper half of its 750,000–1.0 million range, reinforcing management's confidence in sustained subscriber and service-revenue momentum.

AT&T 2Q26 Results: Accelerating Growth, Record Convergence, and Capital Discipline

Jitesh Bhayani — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

AT&T reported second-quarter 2026 consolidated revenue of $31.6 billion, up 2.3% year over year (YoY); adjusted EPS of $0.65, up 20.4%; and adjusted EBITDA of $12.3 billion, up 5.2%, for an adjusted EBITDA margin of 39.1%. The company added more than 1 million Advanced Connectivity customers across fiber, fixed wireless, and postpaid phone in a record quarter for combined fiber and fixed wireless net adds and accelerated its planned 2026 share repurchases to approximately $10 billion.

Samsung Pushes AI-Powered Experiences on New Smartwatches and Smartglasses at Unpacked July 2026

Ramon T. Llamas — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

At its Unpacked event in London, Samsung introduced its Galaxy Watch 9, Galaxy Watch Ultra2, and teased its upcoming AI smartglasses. The common thread across them was how artificial intelligence has become a key ingredient to the experience, with the smartwatches analyzing health and fitness data to provide actionable advice and the smartglasses capturing and organizing memories. IDC believes Samsung's announcements highlight the company's capabilities and strategy to bring AI front and center and create more personalized experiences while meeting and beating the competition at their own game.

IDC Survey Spotlight: What Are the Hidden Costs of Disconnected Guest Experience and Data in Restaurants?

Dorothy Creamer — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey Spotlight examines the hidden costs of disconnected guest experience and data in eating and drinking establishments. Drawing on IDC’s 2026 Retail Technologies and Business Processes Trends Survey, it finds fulfillment friction, data privacy, and weak loyalty topping operators’ urgent commerce challenges. IDC argues that unified commerce platforms, governed guest data, and closed-loop loyalty are essential to converting personalization ambition into sustainable retention.