Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Bharti Airtel, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Huawei, ZTE, Cogent Communications, among others.
Airtel Hit with DoT Penalty Amid Fresh Subscriber Verification Violations
Bharti Airtel has paid a ₹1.57 lakh penalty imposed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) after a Customer Application Form (CAF) audit identified alleged breaches of subscriber verification norms in the Maharashtra telecom circle. The company received the notice on May 26 and decided not to challenge the order, noting that the financial impact remains limited to the penalty amount. Telecom operators are required to strictly verify customer identities before activating mobile connections under licensing regulations. Airtel disclosed the development under SEBI listing norms, reflecting ongoing regulatory oversight of compliance procedures. The latest action adds to a series of similar penalties the telecom major has faced in recent months across different circles over verification-related lapses.
Europe Split on Huawei Ban: Germany and Spain Push Back Against EU Crackdown
Germany and Spain are leading opposition to European Commission plans to ban Chinese telecom suppliers like Huawei from EU networks under proposed cybersecurity rules. Officials from both countries argue that such a bloc-wide restriction should remain under national control and warn it could provoke retaliation from Beijing. They also caution that removing Huawei and similar vendors could significantly increase the cost of building Europe’s AI and digital infrastructure. The European Commission has labelled Huawei and ZTE as “high-risk suppliers” and is pushing for stricter oversight through revisions to the Cybersecurity Act. While member states currently decide telecom security individually, Brussels is seeking binding rules to reduce dependency on Chinese technology across critical infrastructure.
Cogent Communications to sell 10 data center facilities for $225 million
Cogent Communications has signed a definitive agreement to sell 10 data center facilities to an entity sponsored by I Squared Capital for $225 million in cash. The facilities are located across major U.S. markets including Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Nashville, and Anaheim. The transaction is expected to close after June 12, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The deal comes as infrastructure investors accelerate investments in AI-focused data center capacity. Reuters reported that I Squared Capital plans to use the acquired assets as part of a new U.S. AI inference and edge colocation platform backed by an additional $1 billion investment commitment. The acquired portfolio includes around 259,000 square feet of colocation space and 53 megawatts of power capacity. Cogent currently operates in 306 markets globally.
SHAFANA FAZAL
