NEW YORK, March 3, 2026, 07:44 EST — Premarket
- Shares of Intel edged down about 0.3% in premarket trading, last changing hands at $45.50.
- Intel and Ericsson said they’re joining forces on what’s being billed as “AI-native” 6G network tech, making the announcement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
- Intel CFO David Zinsner will appear at Morgan Stanley’s TMT conference on March 4. Investors are watching for his comments.
Intel edged down 0.3% to $45.50 in premarket trading Tuesday, after the company flagged new telecom partnerships announced during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
This conference matters for Intel. Few gatherings let network operators and equipment suppliers lock in near-term spending, and it’s one of the places chipmakers such as Intel get to press their roadmaps into actual design wins.
Intel is pushing further into networking and data centers, a pivot that lands after a rough patch earlier this year. In January, the company acknowledged it couldn’t meet demand for server chips aimed at AI data centers, forecasting first-quarter sales and profit below what analysts had hoped. That announcement sent shares tumbling 13% after hours.
Ericsson and Intel said Monday they’re stepping up their partnership, aiming to accelerate work on “AI-native” 6G tech that spans everything from RAN—meaning the radios and base stations that tie devices together—all the way to the network core. Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm described 6G as “the infrastructure that will distribute AI across devices, the edge and the cloud.” Intel’s Lip-Bu Tan pointed to future Ericsson silicon tapping “Intel’s most advanced process nodes”—that’s the newest generation of chip manufacturing. ericsson.com
Intel, in a Tuesday update to its Mobile World Congress press kit, said it will demo “live-network AI inference” on its Xeon 6 platforms—basically, AI models running for output instead of training. The company is also highlighting platform upgrades designed to avoid a complete “rip-and-replace” of existing hardware. The showcase is slated for March 2–5. Newsroom
That timeline looks long. Marie Hogan, who leads 6G at Ericsson, figures commercial 6G networks probably won’t arrive until “towards the end of this decade.” AI-powered services are the main catalyst, she says, pushing operators to build “more advanced networks” and accommodate “a lot more uplink” to meet demand. IT Pro
Equity investors face a clear-cut question: do the telecom plans translate into concrete Xeon and networking chip orders, or will these moves stall at the demo stage and in standards talks while spending stays cautious.
Intel’s data-center chip business faces stiff competition from Advanced Micro Devices. Nvidia still dominates the AI accelerator market. Any hint that Intel is clawing back share in AI inference workloads, including inside telecom networks, typically shows up in new customer announcements or shipment figures.
The stock’s been sharply rerated. Monday brought a note from Zacks on Nasdaq.com highlighting Intel’s near 100% jump over the past year—a rally that leaves little room for missteps as the company moves forward.
But working together on 6G brings its own set of risks. Operators might decide to delay major network upgrades. There’s also the chance that these “AI-native” projects stall in trials if they don’t deliver on power, cost, or security. Intel’s manufacturing schedule remains under scrutiny, given that its process nodes are being marketed for external chip deals.
Premarket trading barely budged. Investors mostly stood aside, waiting for updated numbers and clearer timelines. The initial headline barely moved the needle with the regular session still hours away.
The calendar points to Wednesday for the next scheduled event. Intel’s CFO David Zinsner is set for a fireside chat at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, with the session on March 4 at 8:30 a.m. PT. Investors are expected to tune in for any updates on demand trends, supply snags, or what’s next for Intel’s network and foundry plans.
