Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Bangladesh lowering turnover tax, SK Telecom facing user exodus, VodafoneThree planning £1.3 bn year-one investment.
Bangladesh Lowers Turnover Tax on Mobile Operators to 1.5%
Bangladesh’s government proposed reducing the turnover tax on mobile operators from 2 percent to 1.5 percent for companies that are not profitable, as part of the FY26 national budget. Among the country’s three main private mobile operators — Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink — only Banglalink qualifies for the tax reduction, as the others already pay corporate tax on profits. This fiscal adjustment aims to improve the financial health of smaller telecom companies, potentially encouraging more investment in network expansion and service improvements, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported.
SK Telecom Faces Massive User Exodus After Data Breach Exposes 20 Million
SK Telecom experienced a data breach exposing the personal data of over 20 million users, leading to a loss of more than 500,000 subscribers over April and May. The breach triggered an increase in users switching to competitors KT and LG Uplus, with 943,509 people changing providers in May alone. Despite the loss, SK Telecom remains South Korea’s leading mobile operator with a 40.25 percent market share in the first quarter of 2025. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won apologized and committed to strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, The Korea Herald reported.
VodafoneThree plans £1.3 bn Year-One Investment
Vodafone and CK Hutchison completed their UK merger, forming VodafoneThree, which will invest £1.3 billion in network infrastructure in its first year. The merger creates the largest mobile operator in the UK, surpassing BT’s EE and O2. Over the next 10 years, VodafoneThree plans to invest £11 billion to build a 5G network aimed at improving digital infrastructure and expanding network coverage across the UK. Vodafone Group CEO Margherita Della Valle emphasized that this merger positions the UK to lead in connectivity and accelerates deployment of next-generation mobile services. The company introduced a new logo combining Vodafone’s “speechmark” with Hutchison’s “3” to represent the new brand, Reuters reported.
TelecomLead.com News Desk