Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Vodafone Idea, Bharti Group, Tata Group, MTNL, Reliance Jio, BSNL, Telenor, Vodafone, e& UAE, among others.
Indian Telcos Face Rs 1.41 Lakh Crore in AGR Dues
India’s telecom operators had outstanding adjusted gross revenue dues of Rs 1,40,876.63 crore as of March 31, 2026, according to government data. Vodafone Idea accounted for the largest amount at Rs 66,149 crore, followed by Bharti Group with Rs 41,178.58 crore and Tata Group with Rs 16,649.77 crore. MTNL owed Rs 14,870.39 crore, while Reliance Jio Infocomm’s outstanding AGR dues stood at Rs 2,028.89 crore. The government said the figures remain subject to changes arising from representations, assessments, audits and court proceedings. BSNL had no outstanding AGR dues after liabilities through fiscal 2025 were settled through equity infusion under the government’s 2022 telecom revival package.
Telenor Selects Vodafone for International Voice Operations
Telenor has selected Vodafone Procure & Connect to manage international voice operations across its businesses in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, as well as Telenor Maritime. Vodafone will operate as the international voice gateway for inbound and outbound traffic across the markets, using its global voice platform and operational capabilities. The transition is expected to take place through a phased migration over six months. Telenor Linx’s existing customer and partner agreements will continue to be honored during the transition. The arrangement is designed to consolidate and streamline Telenor’s international voice operations while maintaining service continuity. The agreement expands Vodafone’s role in managing international telecommunications traffic for a major Nordic operator group.
e& UAE Becomes First Operator to Test eRedCap on Live Network
e& UAE has announced a successful live-network test of enhanced Reduced Capability, or eRedCap, becoming the first telecom operator to test the technology on a live network. eRedCap is designed to support 5G Standalone IoT applications that require more capability than traditional low-power IoT but do not need full 5G performance. Potential applications include smart meters, industrial sensors, asset tracking, payment terminals and building management systems. The technology can provide lower-cost and more energy-efficient connectivity for IoT devices while reducing reliance on legacy LTE-based deployments. e& UAE said eRedCap could extend IoT device battery life to five to 10 years, supporting broader deployment of connected devices across enterprise and industrial environments.
SHAFANA FAZAL
