The latest telecom news includes announcements on Jio, Bharti Hexacom, Indus Towers, ZTE and GO Telecom, among others.
Jio Reshapes India’s Telecom Tariffs with Cheapest Data Plans, Driving 5G Push
A BNP Paribas report shows Reliance Jio remains the lowest-cost telecom operator in India as Airtel and Vodafone Idea have similar tariffs but Jio provides more data at the same price points; at ₹299 for a 28-day plan Jio offers 1.5 GB/day while Airtel and Vi provide 1 GB/day; Jio also has other plans including ₹209 with 1 GB/day for 22 days, ₹299 with 1.5 GB/day for 28 days, and ₹349 with 2 GB/day for 28 days; some plans are only available online through the MyJio app while others are offered offline in retail stores; Jio also maintains a ₹189 voice-only plan with unlimited calls, SMS, and 2 GB data for 28 days; Jio’s pricing strategy is influencing tariff adjustments across the telecom industry and is linked to sustaining revenues and supporting 5G investments, Economic Times reports.
Bharti Hexacom Shareholders Approve Tower Sale to Indus Towers
Bharti Hexacom shareholders have approved the sale of 3,400 telecom towers to Indus Towers. The transaction is part of a wider deal in which Indus Towers will acquire 16,100 towers, including 12,700 from Bharti Airtel and 3,400 from Bharti Hexacom, for INR 33.087 billion in cash. The proposal received 88.28 percent shareholder approval. Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL), a minority shareholder, had earlier raised concerns regarding the valuation of the towers, delaying the deal. With the latest approval, Indus Towers will expand its tower portfolio, supporting greater consolidation of telecom infrastructure in India. Bharti Airtel and Hexacom will proceed with their strategy to focus on core telecom operations while Indus strengthens its position in tower management.
Saudi Arabia Marks Milestone with First 6km 5G-A mmWave Trial by ZTE and GO Telecom
ZTE and GO Telecom have completed Saudi Arabia’s first long-distance 5G-A millimeter-wave (mmWave) trial, covering 6 kilometers using 200 MHz bandwidth in the 26 GHz band, where a single user device sustained nearly 1 Gbps downlink speed. The trial shows the capability of 5G-A mmWave to extend high-capacity coverage and support telecom services. GO Telecom can use this technology for private 5G-A networks in industries such as stadiums, industrial automation, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, and critical infrastructure, enabling real-time data processing, automation, and integration with cloud systems. The trial also highlights the role of mmWave in enterprise-grade fixed wireless access (FWA), providing fiber-like connectivity where fiber deployment is difficult.
Nokia Targets Paramount in Global Patent Battle Over Streaming Tech
Nokia has sued Paramount Skydance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging infringement of 13 patents related to video streaming technologies. The patents cover encoding and decoding methods used in Paramount+, Pluto TV, BET+, and other services. Nokia stated that it began licensing discussions with Paramount in 2022 but did not reach an agreement, leading to the lawsuit. Nokia has also filed a related case in Brazil. The company has taken similar actions against Acer, Asus, and Hisense this year, while reaching confidential settlements with Amazon and HP. Paramount has not issued a public response, Reuters reports.
Shafana Fazal
