Ericsson and Nokia remain downbeat about operator spending on networks in 2018 (see separate item), and warn that they will also see pressure on profits from making 5G investments which will not pay off, to any great degree, until 2020. However, others are offering a slightly more hopeful outlook. Respected mobile infrastructure analysts at Dell’Oro Group have predicted a positive five-year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) in the sector, for the first time since 2011. And the US operators, especially AT&T and Sprint, look set to invest more than expected during this year in capex terms. Sprint’s increased budgets come against a context of severely reduced spending in 2016 and 2017 of course, but AT&T said last week that it…