Today’s telecom news includes announcements from Tune Talk, Mavenir, Sistema Shyam Teleservices, and others.
Andhra Pradesh Accelerates Rural Connectivity with Amended BharatNet Rollout
India and the Andhra Pradesh government have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to accelerate deployment of the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in the state, a major push to expand rural digital connectivity. The project, backed by ₹2,432 crore, will extend optical fibre broadband and network services to thousands of Gram Panchayats and more than 5 lakh rural homes, strengthening last‑mile access, enhancing 4G coverage, and supporting affordable digital services. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia emphasized the initiative’s role in advancing rural connectivity, while the framework aims to expedite rollout with state support on right‑of‑way and infrastructure coordination.
Tune Talk Makes History as ASEAN’s First Fully Cloud‑Native Mobile Operator
Malaysia’s mobile operator Tune Talk has completed its transition to a fully cloud‑native mobile network, claiming to be the first in the ASEAN region to do so through a partnership with telecom software provider Mavenir. The move replaces traditional hardware‑centric systems with software‑based, cloud‑native operational and business support platforms (OSS/BSS), enabling faster service deployment, greater agility, and improved network reliability. The cloud transformation gives Tune Talk end‑to-end control of its network functions, supports zero‑touch automation and scalability, and paves the way for AI‑driven features and personalised customer experiences, including MyDigital ID integration, insurance, and in‑app streaming benefits.
Supreme Court Forces 2G Defaulter to Pay Spectrum Charges Retroactively
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited must pay spectrum usage charges from February 2, 2012, the date on which its 2G licence was quashed, not from the later date the levy was formally imposed. The bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran allowed the Union Government’s appeal against a TDSAT order that had limited liability to February 15, 2013. The Court held that because the operator continued commercial operations after its licence was invalidated, it was liable to pay the reserve price fixed in the 2012 spectrum auction for the period of unlawful usage.
SHAFANA FAZAL
