Broadband

In this session of Gurugyaan, Mr TV Ramachandran, President, Broadband India Forum shares his views on “How sub-sea cable and digital cloud is indispensable for today’s digital economy"

Broadband gear maker GX Group has partnered with US chip company Qualcomm for rolling out AI-enhanced Wi-Fi 7 solutions that will be made in India, the European firm said on Wednesday. GX is one of the beneficiaries of the telecom production-linked incentive scheme. The company's made-in-India Wi-Fi 7 broadband platform was launched by Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the Mobile World Congress 2026, being held at Barcelona, in Spain. GX Group Director for Global Account Sales, Sambit Swain, said that India's opening of the lower 6 GHz band marks a decisive step in strengthening its position as a global broadband innovation hub, as it enhances domestic connectivity while reinforcing India's role in building resilient, diversified technology supply chains. "GX Group's AI-powered Wi-Fi 7 Gateway solutions, engineered in India, combine performance with scalable manufacturing, enabling partners to accelerate deployments, improve subscriber experience, and unlock new revenu

Jio and Airtel scale up for 100 million homes, with Vi and Starlink joining the race

Broadband India Forum (BIF) on Tuesday flagged "serious concerns" over the government directive mandating a continuous, active SIM for use of messaging apps, and urged the Centre to pause implementation timelines and hold stakeholder consultations on the SIM-binding issue. BIF said that, while well-intentioned in its stated goal of curbing cyber-fraud originating from abroad, the directions raise significant questions of jurisdiction, consumer impact, and risk, creating obligations that extend far beyond the mandate of the Telecom Act or the purpose of the Telecom Cyber Security Rules. BIF represents major technology firms like Meta, Google, and others, and its latest stance marks another standoff with the telcos' body COAI, which believes the government's latest directive would bolster national security and safeguard citizens. COAI on Monday pledged telecom operators' commitment to supporting the seamless implementation of the directive. "BIF expresses serious concern over the ...

Broadband gear maker GX Group on Friday said it will set up a photonic module and chip arm in India with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore. The new subsidiary, headquartered in Manesar, Gurgaon, is expected to create over 300 direct jobs, GX Group CEO Paritosh Prajapati said. The group currently has about 250 employees in India. The Phase 1 investment of Rs 500 crore will be deployed towards establishing a manufacturing facility in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, and expansion of its existing R&D centre in Chennai, Prajapati told PTI. "We will start operating the facility and the R&D centre by Q1 FY27. And we will start rolling out chips immediately after. The local market will get the chips by October 2026," he said. Quantum Photonics eyes a USD 50 billion addressable market in India, with GX Group's existing customer base, including tier I telecom operators and data centre companies, already showing interest. GX Group's existing customer base includes Airtel, ACT, and Tata Play.

Miniaturised GEO satellites could reshape connectivity in India and attract demand from over 20 countries

Earlier this year, in May, the DoT released the draft rules to delicense the 5925-6425 MHz portion of the 6 GHz spectrum band

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Industry body has alleged that the mandatory testing has been deferred again amid reluctance by foreign vendors to go for security testing but NCCS has denied the charges

Billionaire Elon Musk-led Starlink will use Aadhaar authentication for customer verification in the country before onboarding them, an official statement said on Wednesday. The government has given approval to Starlink to start providing satellite-based broadband services in the country. "The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has onboarded satellite-based internet provider Starlink Satellite Communication Pvt Ltd. Starlink will use Aadhaar Authentication for customer verification, which will make the entire process smooth, secure and very easy," the statement said. Starlink can onboard around 20 lakh customers in India at present capacity, according to an official estimate. "Starlink's onboarding with Aadhaar authentication signifies a powerful synergy: India's trusted digital identity joining hands with global satellite technology. Aadhaar e-KYC will facilitate the onboarding of users seamlessly, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements while delivering ...

Union Minister says Starlink will be limited to 2 million users in India, offer 200 Mbps, and won't affect telecom services due to high costs and focus on rural, remote areas

The largest unused spectrum block so far, 6 GHz has seen a tug-of-war between telecom and Wi-Fi operators; the Centre's move favours broadband and low-power devices

New guidelines may pose fresh hurdle for Starlink, Project Kuiper

With 5G FWA making up 25 per cent of overall 5G data, the findings solidify home broadband as the only major segment where 5G can be quickly monetised by telecom companies

In a surprise move earlier this week, Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Airtel announced a partnership Musk-led SpaceX to offer the Starlink service in India

Airtel expanded 5G FWA to 2,000 cities, 70% of Jio's new subs in the category from rural India

Vaishnaw's remarks coincide with shifts in the Indian telecom industry, as Jio Platforms Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd. have unexpectedly partnered with SpaceX to incorporate Starlink's services

DoT allows intra-circle roaming at Digital Bharat Nidhi-funded towers

Airtel service outage: The outage caused major problems for mobile internet users, who made up 39 per cent of the complaints. It also affected businesses that rely on Airtel's broadband services

The Manipur government has conditionally lifted the suspension on broadband services three days after imposing it, considering the hardships faced by common people, healthcare facilities, educational institutions and other offices. Mobile internet services, however, remained suspended, according to an order issued by Home Commissioner N Ashok Kumar. Amid escalating violence, the administration clamped the restriction order in seven districts on November 16. "Considering the sufferings of the common people as the internet ban had affected functioning of important offices, institutions, and people who work from home, the state government has made a considered decision to lift suspension in case of broadband services conditionally, the order said. A subscriber shall not accept any connection other than the one allowed, and no Wifi or hotspots shall be allowed, it said. The government, however, decided to keep the ban on mobile internet data, according to the order. The administratio