Today’s telecom news includes announcements on TRAI, Vodafone Idea (Vi), COAI, Safaricom, Airtel, among others.
TRAI Imposes Second Financial Penalty on Vodafone Idea in Two Months
India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) has imposed a financial disincentive of Rs 8.9 million on Vodafone Idea (Vi) for alleged violations of rules governing commercial communications and unsolicited promotional messages during the quarter ended December 2024. The rules protect subscribers from unwanted promotional calls and SMS. In a regulatory filing, Vi said it was reviewing the order and assessing the appropriate course of action. This is the second penalty imposed on the operator within two months. In September 2026, TRAI fined Vi Rs 200,000 for failing to meet quality-of-service benchmarks across certain service areas for November 2025. That earlier action was taken under the 2024 access and broadband service quality regulations.
Indian Telcos Seek Eightfold Increase in International Call Termination Charges
Indian telecom operators, represented by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have urged TRAI to hold separate consultations on raising international call termination charges to at least Rs 5 per minute, from the current ceiling of 65 paise. The charge is paid by an overseas carrier when an international call terminates on an Indian network. Operators say rupee depreciation has reduced their dollar-linked receipts. Foreign carriers currently pay Indian operators 35–65 paise per minute, while Indian carriers reportedly pay Rs 3–3.5 per minute for calls terminating abroad. Executives argue that the imbalance is significant because incoming international call volumes exceed outgoing volumes. They say higher charges would not burden Indian recipients, as incoming calls are free for subscribers.
Kenya Proposes Ending Spectrum Payment Installments for Safaricom and Airtel
Kenya’s ICT Ministry has proposed removing the option that allows telecom operators to pay spectrum license fees exceeding Sh1 billion in installments over as long as 10 years. If Parliament approves amendments to the Kenya Information and Communications Act, operators including Safaricom, Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya could be required to pay billions of shillings upfront for frequency rights. The installment facility, introduced in 2019, was designed to ease financing pressure on eligible applicants, including company’s majority-owned by Kenyan citizens. The proposed changes would remove the payment flexibility and ownership conditions. Spectrum fees vary according to bandwidth, transmitter type and geographic coverage. The shift could increase the immediate capital requirements for operators seeking new spectrum or renewing existing licenses.