Today’s telecom news includes announcements on broadband access equipment, AI-native networks meeting in India, Sterlite Technologies winning BSNL contract, among others.
Broadband equipment revenue declined to $4.4 bn
Global Broadband Access equipment revenue declined to $4.4 billion in Q1 2025, marking an 8 percent drop quarter-over-quarter but remaining flat year-over-year, according to Dell’Oro Group. While cable operators significantly reduced spending on Remote PHY Devices (RPDs) in anticipation of DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades, fiber expansion continued steadily in North America and EMEA, with strong demand for new OLT ports. Spending on 5G Fixed Wireless CPE hit a record high, driven by growing deployments in the US, India, and other markets. Meanwhile, DOCSIS infrastructure spending dropped 34 percent from the previous quarter, and PON ONT shipments saw a 1 percent year-over-year increase, marking five straight quarters of growth.
India Hosts Key AI-Native Networks Meeting, Pioneering Telecom Innovation
India has hosted the third meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on AI-Native for Telecommunication Networks (FG-AINN), led by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC). The meeting included participants from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), ITU, academia, and industry. Key discussions focused on embedding AI into telecom network design to enable automation, real-time optimisation, and intelligent orchestration. India highlighted efforts like Bharat Gen — an AI-based multilingual model — and AI research by CDOT and IITs. Topics included federated learning, AI for 6G, and AI-driven network verification. The FG-AINN Build-a-Thon on June 13, 2025, will develop applied AI-native telecom solutions. Participants stressed the importance of secure, ethical, and inclusive AI integration, with attention to sovereignty and standards.
Sterlite Technologies Secures ₹2,631 Crore BSNL Contract
Sterlite Technologies, in partnership with Dilip Buildcon, signed a ₹2,631.14 crore contract with Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) for the BharatNet middle-mile network in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh telecom circles (package 13). The contract covers design, supply, construction, installation, upgradation, operation, and maintenance of the network. The project includes a three-year construction phase followed by a 10-year maintenance period.
Ericsson and Supermicro to accelerate Edge AI deployment
Ericsson and Supermicro have announced plans for a strategic collaboration to accelerate Edge AI deployment by combining Ericsson’s 5G connectivity with Supermicro’s Edge AI platforms. The companies aim to create commercial bundles that integrate pre-validated AI compute and 5G connectivity, simplifying deployment for enterprises. This joint solution targets the growing demand for low-latency AI processing at the network edge, supporting applications in sectors like retail, manufacturing, and healthcare. Supermicro will contribute a range of Edge AI infrastructure products capable of delivering wired-level performance in diverse deployment environments.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
