Optimum is expanding its MVNO agreement with T-Mobile to add access to T-Mobile’s 5G standalone (SA) core—while still keeping Optimum’s own in-house mobile core. Optimum says the move will unlock a wider device portfolio (phones, wearables, tablets), improved international roaming options, and new product launches starting early next year after platform upgrades. Optimum ended Q2 2026 with 724,000 mobile lines.

FirstNet, Built with AT&T, launched what it calls the first and only nationwide 5G standalone (5G SA) network core dedicated to public safety. Built with direct feedback from first responders, the core is physically separate from AT&T’s commercial core to deliver enhanced security, reliability, and operational control. AT&T says the architecture uses multiple geographically distributed core sites for redundancy and supports faster upload speeds and improved responsiveness—fou