Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Vodafone Idea, Starlink, South Africa, EdgePoint Towers, Telenor IoT, TRAI on M2M, among others.
Vodafone Idea must pay all its dues: India
India government says Vodafone Idea must pay all its dues. It will not increase its 49% share in the company. There will be no merger with BSNL. BSNL made ₹262 crore profit in the December quarter. It has rolled out 76,000 4G towers and plans to reach 100,000 by July. BSNL 5G will start after 4G is stable and will use only Indian-built technology.
Starlink’s License to Operate in India on Hold
Starlink, the satellite internet service from SpaceX, does not have permission to operate in India. The Indian government has put its license on hold until Starlink builds gateway stations in India and registers its user devices. These steps are necessary to comply with India’s security and telecommunications regulations. Starlink is working to meet these requirements and hopes to offer service in India once the steps are completed. The company has partnered with Bharti Airtel to explore bringing satellite internet to underserved areas, contingent upon government approval.
South Africa Improves Mobile Network
South Africa moved to 60th place on a global mobile network index. Its 4G speed went up by 11 Mbps, but 5G speed dropped. The report shows changes in how networks handle user traffic and coverage.
EdgePoint Uses Solar Power for Telecom Sites
EdgePoint Towers launched a solar hybrid telecom site in Malaysia. The site runs on solar energy and batteries instead of diesel. It can fully power telecom equipment. EdgePoint will build more of these sites by the end of 2025. This will help expand telecom access and cut fuel use. EdgePoint runs over 15,000 towers in Southeast Asia, including 1,800 in Malaysia.
Telenor IoT Adopts SGP.32 eSIM Standard
Telenor IoT will use the GSMA’s SGP.32 eSIM standard in autumn 2025. It helps businesses manage IoT devices without physical SIM cards. SGP.32 is ideal for remote devices, like in smart cities or industrial IoT. It allows remote SIM management, saves power, uses one SIM globally, and switches networks without changing SIM cards.
TRAI Issues Recommendations for M2M Sector
TRAI has released new recommendations for the M2M sector. These include identifying important IoT services needing reliable connections and making M2M SIM transfers easier during business changes. TRAI suggests using different technologies for these services and ensuring device security. It also recommends making SIM transfers smoother during mergers or acquisitions.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
