NEW YORK, March 3, 2026, 07:44 EST — Premarket
- Intel slipped roughly 0.3% ahead of the bell, with shares most recently at $45.50.
- Intel and Ericsson revealed they’re teaming up on “AI-native” 6G network technology at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
- Intel CFO David Zinsner is set to speak at Morgan Stanley’s TMT conference on March 4, and investors are keen for any remarks.
Intel shares slipped 0.3% to $45.50 before the bell Tuesday, as the company pointed to fresh telecom partnerships unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
This conference carries weight for Intel. It’s among the rare venues where network operators and equipment suppliers nail down short-term spending, while chipmakers like Intel push to convert their roadmaps into real design wins.
Intel’s move into networking and data centers comes as the company faces pressure to prove itself following a rocky start this year. Back in January, it admitted it couldn’t keep up with demand for server chips in AI data centers and projected first-quarter sales and profit that fell short of expectations. Shares slid 13% after hours on the news. Reuters
Ericsson and Intel on Monday said they’re ramping up their ongoing partnership to push forward development of “AI-native” 6G, stretching from the RAN—the radios and base stations linking devices—to the network core itself. Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm called 6G “the infrastructure that will distribute AI across devices, the edge and the cloud.” Intel chief Lip-Bu Tan, for his part, flagged plans for future Ericsson silicon “powered by Intel’s most advanced process nodes,” referring to new semiconductor manufacturing generations. ericsson.com
Intel said in an updated Mobile World Congress press kit Tuesday that it’s set to show off “live-network AI inference” using its Xeon 6 platforms—essentially running AI models for results, not training—and is touting upgrades that sidestep full “rip-and-replace” hardware swaps. The event is scheduled for March 2–5. Newsroom
The timeline here stretches out. Marie Hogan, who heads up 6G at Ericsson, expects the first commercial 6G networks to show up “towards the end of this decade.” She points to AI-driven services as a key force, saying operators will need “more advanced networks” and “a lot more uplink” to keep up. IT Pro
Equity investors have a straightforward dilemma here: will the telecom ambitions feed into actual Xeon and networking silicon orders, or will these efforts linger in demos and standards discussions as spending hesitates.
Intel’s data-center chips are up against tough rivals at Advanced Micro Devices, with Nvidia holding sway in the AI accelerator space. Signs that Intel might gain ground in AI inference workloads, even within telecom networks, usually surface through customer deals or shipment updates.
The stock has seen a sharp rerating. On Monday, Zacks noted on Nasdaq.com that Intel shares are up roughly 100% in the past year—a surge that now gives the company little margin for error when it comes to execution. Nasdaq
But teaming up on 6G isn’t risk-free: network operators could easily push back major upgrade cycles, while “AI-native” initiatives risk getting stuck in testing if they miss on power, cost, or security. Intel’s timeline for manufacturing is still closely watched, especially with its process nodes pitched for outside chip contracts.
Premarket action was subdued, with investors apparently holding off until updated figures and firmer timelines came through; trading on the initial headline took a back seat with the regular session still a few hours out.
Looking ahead, the next scheduled catalyst lands Wednesday. Intel has CFO David Zinsner lined up for a fireside chat at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, set for March 4 at 8:30 a.m. PT. Investors will be listening for any fresh insight on demand signals, supply bottlenecks, and how Intel is shaping its network and foundry roadmap. intc.com
