Airtel, Tata Firms May Seek AGR Relief From Centre

By BPN News Desk January 16, 2026

Technology Telecom

Bharti Airtel and Tata group telecom companies are considering a joint move to approach the government for relief on their Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues. The companies are assessing whether to seek treatment similar to the relief recently extended to Vodafone Idea, citing the need for a

Telecom

Starlink Clarifies India Pricing Glitch

By BPN News Desk December 9, 2025

Starlink has clarified that a short-lived display of prices on its India website was caused by a configuration glitch. The figures that appeared — including a ₹34,000 one-time hardware fee and ₹8,600 monthly plan — were described as placeholder data and not actual pricing. Service not launched yet The company said its India service has […]

Technology Telecom

Starlink Announces Residential Plan For India

By BPN News Desk December 8, 2025

tarlink has revealed the pricing for its residential satellite internet service as the company prepares for a full commercial launch in India, subject to final regulatory approvals. The plan now appears on the official portal for Indian customers. Monthly Subscription And Hardware Cost The monthly subscription has been listed at ₹8,600. To use the service, […]

Telecom

Government Mandates Sanchar Saathi Pre-Install, Minister Says Use Is Optional

By BPN News Desk December 2, 2025

The government has directed all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi app on every new device sold in India. The order applies to phones manufactured or imported into the country and also covers devices currently in the supply chain through software updates. The move has triggered a debate on privacy and user consent. What […]

Telecom

India to Enforce SIM-Binding and 6-Hour Web Logout for Messaging Apps

By BPN News Desk December 1, 2025

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued new rules requiring popular messaging apps in India — including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and others — to bind each user account to the SIM card used at registration. Under the new guidelines, the apps will not function unless that specific SIM remains active in the device. Web Versions […]

Telecom

SIM Binding Made Mandatory for Messaging Apps

By BPN News Desk November 30, 2025

The Department of Telecommunications has directed all major online messaging platforms to implement SIM binding for user accounts. Under this system, an app will only function when used with the same SIM card that was registered during account creation. Apps to Auto-Logout Web Sessions Every Six Hours The directive also states that web and desktop […]

Telecom

Indian Telcos Raise Complaint Against US Tech Giants

By BPN News Desk November 24, 2025

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have filed formal complaints with the government against major US technology companies including Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, HP and Intel. The telecom operators claim these companies are causing financial loss to Indian telcos and the exchequer through their position on the 6 GHz spectrum band. Dispute Over The […]

Technology Telecom

Starlink to Set Up Nine Gateway Stations in India

By BPN News Desk October 24, 2025

Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink is moving closer to launching its services in India, with plans to establish nine gateway earth stations across the country. Proposed sites include major cities such as Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Lucknow. Spectrum Request and Capacity Starlink has sought spectrum capacity of 600 gigabits per second over

Technology Telecom

TRAI Denies Blocking Congress SMS Campaign

By BPN News Desk September 9, 2025

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has rejected the Congress party’s claim that it blocked an SMS campaign by rejecting the application to send messages to party workers in Maharashtra. The Congress said the messages contained a link to a documentary titled How the MH 2024 Election Was Stolen. TRAI’s Clarification TRAI clarified that […]

Technology Telecom

Undersea Cable Cuts In Red Sea Disrupt Internet In Asia, Middle East

By BPN News Desk September 8, 2025

A series of undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access across parts of Asia and the Middle East, including India, Pakistan, and the UAE. Major systems affected include SMW4 and IMEWE, located near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Kuwait’s FALCON cable also impacted. Connectivity Slows, Cloud Users Affected Internet users across the region […]