Today’s telecom news includes announcements on TRAI, NTRA, Etisalat, Vodafone, Orange, WE, PLI Scheme, among others.
TRAI Introduces 1601-Series Numbers to Strengthen Trusted Service Calls
India’s telecom regulator TRAI has directed telecom operators to begin onboarding eligible utilities and logistics companies onto the new 1601-series numbering framework for transactional and service calls. The system is intended to help consumers distinguish legitimate service calls from regular mobile numbers, reducing impersonation and fraud risks. Phase I covers electricity distribution companies, water utilities, city gas distributors, LPG distributors, courier companies, express logistics providers and freight operators. The Department of Telecommunications has allocated the 1601-series, while telecom service providers must complete onboarding and migration of eligible entities within 90 days. Numbers will be assigned directly to verified entities, and TRAI has prohibited their use for promotional voice calls, strengthening the framework’s role in trusted customer communications.
Egypt Escalates Action Against Four Mobile Operators Over Personal Data Misuse
Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has referred the country’s four mobile operators – Etisalat, Vodafone, Orange and WE – to the Public Prosecution over alleged violations involving the registration of mobile numbers using citizens’ personal data without their knowledge or consent. The action follows complaints from users who discovered that SIM cards had been registered using their information. The regulator has ordered operators to notify affected subscribers and require them to sign new contracts in the names of the actual users, with non-compliant numbers facing permanent deactivation. It has also directed operators to accelerate biometric verification through mobile applications. The measures are designed to strengthen SIM registration controls, protect customer data and curb unauthorized use of mobile identities.
India’s Telecom PLI Scheme Draws ₹5,200 Crore Investment as Sales Surge
India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom and networking products has attracted more than ₹5,200 crore in investment and generated sales exceeding ₹1.1 lakh crore, highlighting growing domestic manufacturing capacity. According to the Department of Telecommunications, the scheme has supported production and investment across the telecom equipment ecosystem as India seeks to reduce import dependence and strengthen local supply chains. For fiscal 2025-26, the budget allocation for the telecom PLI scheme was revised to ₹1,944 crore, while actual utilization stood at ₹1,597.93 crore as of March 31, 2026. The results underscore the government’s continued push to expand indigenous telecom manufacturing, improve industry competitiveness and support the development of a stronger domestic equipment ecosystem.
SHAFANA FAZAL
