Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Bharti Airtel, DoT, Ericsson, SBB, Huawei, among others.
Airtel Waves Goodbye to Ultra-Cheap Plans, Boosts Premium Content Access
Bharti Airtel has discontinued its ₹121 and ₹181 prepaid data-only recharge packs in India, which offered 30-day validity data benefits along with a free Airtel Xtreme Play Premium subscription, aggregating content from 25+ OTT platforms. The new lowest-cost 30-day data pack is ₹100 for 6 GB, while higher-data or longer-duration plans remain available. This move signals Airtel’s shift away from ultra-low-cost, minimal-data options, while still maintaining affordable entry-level plans with bundled content, enhancing customer access to premium digital entertainment.
India Unleashes Unused Airwaves with New Spectrum-Sharing Rules
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has proposed new spectrum-sharing rules in India to unlock unused airwaves. The draft rules allow one-way, cross-band sharing among operators within the same telecom circle, expanding flexibility beyond the current same-band restriction. Operators holding at least 80 percent of spectrum in a band for two years can share it, paying a simplified fee of 0.5 percent of the shared spectrum’s cost.
Swiss Railways Leap into the Future with Europe’s First IMS/VoLTE Integration
Ericsson and SBB have completed Europe’s first live integration of legacy railway communication system GSM-R with a modern IP‑Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) using Voice over LTE (VoLTE), serving Switzerland’s 3,100 km rail network and supporting onboard 4G on around 1,000 trains. The upgrade replaces reliance on public 3G roaming (shutting down by end‑2025) while preserving all rail‑specific communication features, including emergency calls, group calls, functional numbering, and onboard announcements, ensuring uninterrupted, mission‑critical operations.
Huawei’s 5G Comeback: Tech Giant Reclaims Edge After Five-Year Chip Struggle
Huawei signals a strong recovery after a five‑year struggle following U.S. sanctions, marking its return to 5G chip production. The company ramped up R&D to develop its own AI and chipset technologies, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers. CEO Ren Zhengfei emphasizes that these advancements demonstrate China’s capability to contribute to global tech even under restrictions. The reintroduction of 5G chips strengthens Huawei’s competitiveness against global tech leaders and supports its smartphone and AI ambitions.
Shafana Fazal