Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Optus Outage, Vodafone Qatar, India to launch satellite monitoring facility, among others.
Optus Outage Sparks Australia-Singapore Talks on Telecom Accountability
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed Optus emergency call outages with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Canberra. The outages occurred twice within two weeks, disrupting emergency “000” services and were linked to four deaths. Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecom provider, is owned by Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel), which is majority-owned by Singapore’s state-run Temasek Holdings. Wong emphasized corporate accountability and compliance with Australian regulations. The outages led to an inquiry, calls for Optus CEO Stephen Rue’s resignation, and suggestions to review the company’s operating license. Singtel’s CEO met with Australian officials to address the situation, Reuters reports.
Vodafone Qatar and Dohatna Join Forces to Revolutionize Telecom Retail
Vodafone Qatar has partnered with Dohatna Innovative Distribution to enhance the telecom retail sector in Qatar. Dohatna will manage Vodafone’s Consumer Direct Sales operations, handling end-to-end services for customers. The collaboration focuses on improving service delivery, expanding reach, and supporting retail operations across the country. The partnership enables Vodafone to leverage Dohatna’s operational capabilities to increase efficiency and streamline customer interactions.
India to Launch ₹900 Crore Satellite Monitoring Facility to Boost Telecom Connectivity
The Indian government will invest ₹900 crore to establish a National Satcom Monitoring Facility to secure the country’s data and spectrum assets. Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that satellite communication is essential in the digital age. The Indian satellite communication market, covering telecom and broadcasting, was valued at USD 4.3 billion last year and is projected to reach USD 14.8 billion by 2033. The government has issued licenses to three private satellite constellations—Eutelsat OneWeb, Jio SGS, and Starlink—for satellite broadband services, and these companies are awaiting spectrum allocation to launch services, Economic Times reports.
Shafana Fazal