Virtual RAN gathers pace, but obstacles lie ahead

Mobile is now central to economic diversification across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The region has some of the world’s most advanced 5G markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council states, but large parts of MENA's population remain offline, and the 2026 regional conflict has shown how vulnerable digital infrastructure is. In addition to exploring these areas, this report examines how 5G, AI infrastructure and digital identity are transforming the region and explores what policymakers need to do to support operators.

Mobile operators face a defining moment in authentication. SMS one-time password (OTP) remains widely used and commercially important, but fraud, rising costs and competition from passkeys and app-based solutions are weakening its position. At the same time, the customer authentication market is growing. This presents operators with an opportunity to build on the reach and trust of the mobile number to secure a larger role in a rapidly expanding market. API-based solutions will be central to this.

GTC Berlin 2026 was this year’s European edition of Nvidia’s flagship event series. Blog posts from GSMA Intelligence provided timely analysis of key messages across the event, as well as the rationale for the telecoms vertical taking a major role in the event’s messaging. However, it is still important to reflect on what GTC conveyed on the evolution of Nvidia’s telco proposition and how its efforts align with market requirements.