The latest telecom news includes announcements on SpaceX, telecom tax in Nigeria, Vodafone Idea, Airtel, Ericsson, among others.
SpaceX Boosts Indonesia’s Connectivity with Nusantara Lima Satellite Launch
On September 11, 2025, SpaceX launched the Nusantara Lima satellite for Indonesian telecom company Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 rocket deployed the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite will support PSN in providing communication services across Indonesia’s archipelago. The launch followed previous delays due to weather conditions. The Nusantara Lima satellite is part of PSN’s effort to expand network coverage to remote regions.
Nigeria Scraps 5 percent Telecom Tax to Boost Mobile Access
The Nigerian government has removed the 5 percent excise duty on telecom services. The tax had been applied to mobile phone services, raising costs for users. Its removal is intended to reduce expenses for telecom subscribers and increase access to communication services. The policy change responds to public concern over the financial burden of the tax. Telecom companies are now able to adjust billing and focus on service delivery without the additional tax. Analysts expect that eliminating the tax could increase mobile phone usage and encourage wider adoption of digital services.
Vodafone Idea and Airtel Contest AGR Levies in India
Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are challenging a ₹94.5 billion AGR (Adjusted Gross Revenue) levy demand from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Vodafone Idea petitioned the Supreme Court, claiming the demand exceeds a 2020 ruling and affects its financial position. The operator stated part of the demand was addressed in the court’s previous decision and questioned the DoT’s revised calculations, which include liabilities up to fiscal 2019 after its merger with Idea Cellular in August 2018. The Supreme Court had earlier rejected petitions by both operators to recalculate AGR levies. To support Vodafone Idea, the Indian government converted ₹369.5 billion of outstanding spectrum auction liabilities to equity, increasing its stake to 49 percent, Mobile World Live reports.
Ericsson Deploys AI Assistant to Transform 5G Network Management
Ericsson has upgraded its NetCloud platform with an AI-powered NetCloud Assistant (ANA) to manage 5G networks. The assistant interprets high-level administrator commands, executes tasks, manages workflows, and learns in real time. ANA integrates multiple AI agents that plan and execute tasks under administrator direction. The assistant includes automated troubleshooting workflows to address issues such as offline devices and poor signal quality. ANA can generate graphs to display trends and query results. It also provides real-time feedback on AI actions. NetCloud AIOps monitors fault, performance, configuration, and accounting anomalies for Wireless WAN and NetCloud SASE. For Ericsson Private 5G, it tracks service health, KPIs, and device connectivity.
Shafana Fazal
