Today’s telecom news includes announcements on AMTOB, AXIAN Telecom, Oracle, Yas, TowerCo of Africa, MVola, Nokia, among others.
Telcos Seek Relief as High Spectrum Costs Strain 5G Rollout
India’s telecom operators are pressing for lower spectrum reserve prices ahead of the next auction, warning that current pricing is unsustainable amid slow 5G returns. Despite rapid nationwide deployment, revenue growth has lagged behind heavy capital expenditure, creating financial pressure on operators. The Cellular Operators Association of India highlighted that while consumer adoption is rising, monetisation especially from enterprise use cases remains limited. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is set to auction a large quantum of spectrum across multiple bands, but telcos caution that steep prices could reduce participation and delay network expansion, potentially impacting long-term sector growth and investment capacity.
Telecom Sector Seeks Tax Cuts to Ease Consumer Costs
Bangladesh’s telecom operators have urged the government to reduce taxes on mobile services to make them more affordable and support industry growth. At a pre-budget discussion, the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) proposed removing a 20 percent supplementary duty and a 1 percent surcharge on telecom services, highlighting that the sector faces a total tax burden of about 56percent, significantly higher than global norms. The body also recommended cutting corporate tax rates and eliminating VAT on SIM-related services and spectrum fees. It stressed that high taxation discourages investment, limits digital expansion, and places a heavy financial burden on consumers, particularly affecting low-income users.
AXIAN Telecom Taps Oracle to Power Africa-Wide Digital Transformation AXIAN Telecom has partnered with Oracle to implement a group-wide enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformation across its businesses, including Yas, TowerCo of Africa, and MVola. The initiative, part of AXIAN’s NEXT 2030 strategy, aims to create a unified digital and operational backbone to support expansion across Africa. By deploying Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, the company will standardize processes, data, and operating models while enabling AI-driven capabilities. The transformation is expected to enhance governance, improve real-time visibility, and support faster decision-making in finance and supply chain operations, with rollout beginning in Tanzania.
SHAFANA FAZAL
