Today’s telecom news includes announcements on MTNL, D-Link’s 5G CPE shipments, Ericsson, BT’s 5G service, Huawei, among others.
MTNL Defaults ₹8,585 Crore Loan to 7 PSU Banks, Triggers Major NPA Crisis
MTNL has defaulted on ₹8,585 crore in loan repayments to seven public sector banks as of June 2025. The amount includes ₹7,794 crore in principal and ₹791 crore in interest. The banks affected are Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, UCO Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, and Indian Overseas Bank. The largest default is with Union Bank of India, where MTNL owes ₹3,733 crore, including ₹3,335 crore principal and ₹399 crore interest. Other banks’ dues range from ₹185 crore to ₹2,434 crore. MTNL’s total debt is ₹34,484 crore, including ₹24,071 crore in sovereign bonds and ₹1,828 crore in loans from the Department of Telecommunications for bond interest payments. These defaults have led to classification of the loans as non-performing assets by the banks. The Department of Telecommunications is working on rescue funding. MTNL is exploring asset monetization and restructuring to manage the situation, Economic Times reports.
D-Link Targets 150,000 5G CPE Shipments in Middle East by 2025
D-Link has expanded its presence in the Middle East by introducing 5G customer premises equipment (CPE), aiming to ship 150,000 units in 2025. This move addresses the growing demand for 5G connectivity in the region. The company focuses on providing equipment that supports private 5G networks, which offer specific connectivity solutions for businesses. D-Link also supports Open RAN (O-RAN) technology to enable flexible and cost-efficient network infrastructure. Additionally, D-Link’s 5G solutions facilitate machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, allowing devices to exchange data without human intervention. The company promotes the use of these technologies to support urban infrastructure through smart city applications, integrating Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This strategy positions D-Link to address the growing telecom market needs in the Middle East, particularly in sectors requiring reliable and scalable 5G network solutions.
Ericsson and BT Power SailGP with Advanced 5G Network Slicing and Real-Time Data
Ericsson and BT enhanced the SailGP event in Portsmouth using 5G technology. Ericsson’s private 5G network connected the race stadium and F50 catamarans, managing over 53 billion data points per race day. Each catamaran had Cradlepoint edge routers that sent real-time data, including IoT metrics and video streams, to support race operations and fan engagement. BT implemented two dedicated network slices on its public 5G Standalone network to prioritize event communications. This setup ensured connectivity for race operations, media, and fan experiences during network congestion. The integration of Ericsson’s private network with BT’s public slices enabled reliable communication across multiple event sites.
Spain Awards Huawei €12.3mn Contract for Judicial Wiretap Data Management Despite 5G Ban
Spain awarded Huawei a €12.3 million contract to manage the storage and classification of judicial wiretaps using Huawei’s OceanStor 6800 V5 servers. The contract was awarded through a public procurement process that complied with Spain’s ICT security regulations. Despite Huawei being excluded from Spain’s 5G network due to security concerns, the company remains involved in managing certain infrastructure projects. This involvement has caused concern among Spanish law enforcement agencies, who worry about entrusting sensitive data to a company with links to the Chinese government. Huawei’s OceanStor servers are designed to handle large volumes of data and offer an alternative to Western technology providers such as Dell EMC, IBM, and Hitachi.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
