Today’s telecom news includes announcements on NewSpace India, XLSMART, Ooredoo Qatar, 5G+ mobile network, and others.
India Awards ₹2,563 Crore GSAT-7C Communications Satellite Contract to NewSpace India
India’s Ministry of Defence has awarded a ₹2,563 crore contract to NewSpace India Limited for the GSAT-7C communications satellite. Signed on October 15, 2026, the agreement covers an indigenously designed, developed and manufactured satellite intended to strengthen communications among Indian Air Force assets. The system is designed to provide secure, resilient and continuous connectivity for military operations. GSAT-7C forms part of a broader defense procurement announcement involving contracts totaling approximately ₹4,106 crore. The satellite agreement is separate from the ₹1,543 crore naval equipment contract announced simultaneously. The government has not disclosed GSAT-7C’s orbital position, transponder capacity, frequency allocation, launch date or expected commissioning timetable.
XLSMART Completes 96% of Indonesian Mobile Network Integration, Targets 101 Cities for 5G
XLSMART has reported completing approximately 96 percent of its mobile-network integration following the merger of XL Axiata and Smartfren. The latest milestone, disclosed on October 16, represents progress from approximately 92 percent integration at the end of June 2026. The operator is targeting completion of the remaining network integration work by December 2026. XLSMART’s 5G services now cover more than 70 Indonesian cities, supported by over 15,000 5G base stations. The company aims to expand 5G availability to 101 cities and districts by year-end. Its broader network comprised approximately 265,442 base stations at the end of June. Network consolidation includes removing overlapping sites and optimizing spectrum utilization.
Ooredoo Qatar Launches First 5G-Advanced Network with Standalone 5G Infrastructure
Ooredoo Qatar has launched Qatar’s first 5G+ mobile network, introducing capabilities associated with 5G-Advanced and 5G Standalone architecture. Announced on October 15, the network upgrade supports higher data speeds, greater connection density, increased capacity and reduced latency. Ooredoo expects the infrastructure to support industrial automation, real-time equipment monitoring, connected devices and advanced enterprise applications. The launch builds on its earlier deployment of Qatar’s first 5G Standalone core network. Ooredoo previously introduced commercial 5G services in 2018. The operator has not disclosed the investment value, number of upgraded radio sites, spectrum bandwidth or independently measured average download speeds associated with the new deployment. Nationwide coverage and completion dates were also not specified.