Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Virgin Media O2, MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, Rostelecom, Dom.ru, MaximaTelecom, HFCL, among others.
O2 Expands Standalone 5G+ Across Newcastle, Tyneside and Sunderland
O2 has switched on its 5G+ network across Newcastle, wider Tyneside and Sunderland, extending faster speeds, lower latency and improved reliability to potentially 890,000 people around Newcastle and Tyneside and more than 288,000 people in Sunderland. The rollout uses standalone 5G infrastructure rather than relying on existing 4G technology and is available to customers with compatible devices and plans at no additional cost. The deployment forms part of Virgin Media O2’s £700 million Mobile Transformation Plan for 2026, which includes new masts, small cells, 4G and 5G upgrades, automation and spectrum deployment. The company said towns and cities included in the programme have at least 90 percent outdoor 5G+ coverage.
Russian Operators Face 580 Billion Ruble 5G Investment Bill by 2027
Russia’s major telecom operators are preparing for a major network investment cycle as 5G deployment and equipment replacement raise infrastructure costs. Capital expenditure by MTS, MegaFon, Beeline, Rostelecom, Dom.ru and MaximaTelecom is expected to rise about 10 percent in 2026 to 460 billion rubles. Spending could increase another 25 percent in 2027, approaching 580 billion rubles. Much of the investment will support 5G construction and replacement of foreign equipment with domestic alternatives. The share of Russian-made base stations is expected to rise from around 1 percent in 2027 toward full domestic deployment by 2031. Foreign equipment in the allocated 4.63–4.99 GHz 5G band will remain permitted until early 2029.
HFCL Raises Planned Optical-Fiber Expansion Capex to ₹1,800 Crore
HFCL’s board has approved an additional ₹820 crore capital expenditure to expand manufacturing capacity for optical fiber, optical fiber cable and preform, taking total planned investment to about ₹1,800 crore. The expansion is funded through internal accruals, bank borrowings and promoter warrant and backed by strong domestic and international demand. Once completed, annual capacity is expected to reach 43.10 million fiber-kilometres for optical fiber and 62 million fiber-kilometres for optical fiber cable, significantly expanding output. The company will also add 300 metric tons of annual performance capacity. The investment reflects rising demand for high-capacity fiber infrastructure. HFCL’s expansion is supported by a strong order book and growing opportunities in domestic and international markets.
