India bolsters digital infra, over 6.34 lakh villages covered with mobile connectivity

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New Delhi, (IANS): The optical fibre cable network has expanded from 17.5 lakh kms in March 2018 to 42.36 lakh kms in September 2025, while the number of Base Transceiver Stations has increased from 17.3 lakh in March 2018 to 31.4 lakh in October 2025, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

This has led to significant growth in its digital infrastructure over the years.

As of October 2025, out of 6,44,131 villages in India, 6,34,019 are covered with mobile connectivity, of which 6,30,676 have 4G services, informed Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, in the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Broadband subscriptions have risen sharply from 48 crore in September 2018 to 98 crore in June 2025. Additionally, 3.80 lakh PM-WANI Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed across the country as of October 31, 2025, the minister said.

Data consumption has also grown substantially, increasing from 8.32 GB per subscriber per month in September 2018 to 25.24 GB per subscriber per month in September 2025, while the average wireless data tariff has declined from Rs 10.91 per GB to Rs 8.27 during the same period.

Further, to ensure equitable digital access across the country the government is implementing various schemes under Digital Bharat Nidhi such as 4G saturation projects and Amended BharatNet Programme to expand digital connectivity in rural and remote areas, said the minister.

The government has undertaken several measures to strengthen the telecom sector in the country which has led to the growth of telecom sector.

These measures include rationalisation of adjusted gross revenue; rationalisation of bank guarantees (BGs); rationalisation of interest rates and removal of penalties; Dispensing with the requirement of BGs (for auctions held after 15.09.2021) to secure instalment payments and permission for surrender of spectrum after 10 years (in future auctions), among others.Other measures are dispensing with the requirement of Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for spectrum acquired in spectrum auctions held after 15.09.2021; removal of additional SUC of 0.5 per cent for spectrum sharing; permission for 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in telecom sector under automatic route subject to safeguards; and requirement of licenses under 1953 Customs Notification for wireless equipment replaced with self-declaration. India bolsters digital infra, over 6.34 lakh villages covered with mobile connectivity | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → December 05, 2025

Macquarie Technology explores JV, capital recycling for $3bn data centre

Posted by Harry Baldock : The Australian technology giant is considering “a range of potential funding alternatives” to support the project

Earlier this week, Macquarie Technology Group revealed to investors that it was exploring funding options for a new 150MW data centre campus project, aiming to meet the expected boom in demand for AI and cloud computing.

The new campus would require between $2.5 billion and $3 billion in capital, excluding land value.

Speaking to investors on Tuesday, CEO David Tudehope said that the company was currently exploring its options for financing the data centre build out at the optioned location. One possibility would be to recycle capital by selling off a stake in the company’s more mature data centre assets. Alternatively, Macquarie could also partner with a third-party to create a joint venture.

“Funding for the new campus […] will come from recycled capital from the existing data centres and/or a development partnership,” said Tudehope, as reported in the Financial Review. “Both of those ideas are quite common overseas but are less common in Australia.”

The tech company has already struck a deal for the required land in Sydney for $240 million earlier this year, to be funded through cash reserves and debt.

Macquarie has been investing in data centres since 2018, with its flagship project taking place at the Macquarie Park Data Centre Campus in Sydney. Phase 1 of the site’s development, known as Sydney IC3 East, was completed in 2020, providing over 12MW of capacity. Phase 2, will see the site scaled further with the construction of the IC3 Super West data centre, bringing total capacity to 65MW.

Construction on C3 Super West began last year and is expected to be complete by Q3 2026. Macquarie extended its loan facilities to $450 million last year to facilitate this expansion.Combining these existing assets with the planned 150MW would make Macquarie one of the largest data centre providers in Australia. Macquarie Technology explores JV, capital recycling for $3bn data centre

Read More........ → December 04, 2025

More than 1 billion 5G subscriptions expected in India by 2031: Report

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New Delhi, November 20 (IANS): India is set to cross 1 billion 5G subscriptions by the end of 2031, a new report said on Thursday.

This would give the country a 79 per cent 5G subscription penetration, reflecting rapid growth in adoption just three years after the service began rolling out nationwide, according to the November 2025 edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report.

The report highlights that India is one of the fastest-growing 5G markets globally. By the end of 2025, the country is expected to reach 394 million 5G users, accounting for 32 per cent of all mobile subscriptions.

Ericsson India MD Nitin Bansal said that mobile data usage in India is the highest in the world, with average consumption at 36 GB per month per smartphone, projected to rise to 65 GB by 2031.

He added that affordable 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) equipment and heavy data usage are driving this surge.

Globally, the report forecasts 6.4 billion 5G subscriptions by 2031, making up about two-thirds of all mobile subscriptions.

In 2025 alone, global 5G subscriptions are expected to reach 2.9 billion, rising by 600 million in a single year.

Network coverage is also expanding quickly, with 400 million more people gaining 5G access in 2025.

By the end of that year, half of the global population outside mainland China is expected to be covered.

Mobile network data traffic rose 20 per cent between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, driven mainly by India and China.

By 2025, 5G networks will handle 43 per cent of all mobile data, a number expected to jump to 83 per cent by 2031.

Fixed Wireless Access continues to grow as a major 5G use case. The EMR estimates that 1.4 billion people will be connected through FWA by 2031, with 90 per cent of these users on 5G networks.Currently, 159 service providers already offer 5G-based FWA services, representing about 65 per cent of all FWA operators worldwide, the report said. More than 1 billion 5G subscriptions expected in India by 2031: Report | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → November 21, 2025