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Telecom networks, spectrum and internet infrastructure

Mobile generations, rural broadband, fibre, subsea cables and their landing stations, and the rules of the net. It serves GS3 answers on infrastructure and communications.

Foundation note: The Telecommunications Act, 2023 and how spectrum is assigned

All 3 articles shown; the 2 that changed from 1 July to 30 September 2026 are marked.Show only these

Cable landing stations

Prelims

A cable landing station is where a subsea fibre cable comes ashore and joins the domestic network.

Almost all traffic between countries travels on subsea cables rather than by satellite.
A country's few landing points are where its entire international capacity is concentrated.
Data centres cluster near a landing station, because content stored close to the cable reaches users with the least delay.

What changed

28 Aug 2026BriefMost of the cables on India's east coast are old and nearly full, and instability in West Asia is pushing operators towards routes that avoid it. The India and Southeast Asia (I-2SEA) system is expected to land at Visakhapatnam and be ready for service by late 2029. Andhra Pradesh's data centre buildout came first, and the new cables are following it to the coast. The Hindu, 28 Aug 2026: Andhra set to emerge as third subsea hub following datacentre buildout (opens in a new tab)

Bharat 6G

Prelims and Mains

Bharat 6G is India's programme for the sixth generation of mobile technology, with a spectrum roadmap, a terahertz testbed and an alliance of research and industry bodies, working within the International Telecommunication Union's IMT-2030 framework.

What changed

28 Jul 2026BriefThe Department of Telecommunications released a spectrum roadmap for 6G. A terahertz testbed is being built at the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER), Kolkata. India secured ubiquitous connectivity as one of the six usage scenarios of IMT-2030, the International Telecommunication Union's framework for 6G. PIB, 28 Jul 2026: Government Reiterates Commitment to Making India a Global Leader in 6G Technologies (opens in a new tab) · PIB, 22 Jul 2026: Bharat 6G Alliance and Spectrum Roadmap for 6G in India (opens in a new tab)

The one time spectrum charge

Prelims and Mains

Spectrum is a public asset of the Union, divided into frequency bands and assigned by the Department of Telecommunications through auctions.

Under the National Telecom Policy of 1994 operators paid fixed licence fees; the 1999 policy moved them to revenue sharing.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended a one time charge on holdings above 6.2 MHz in 2010.
After the 2012 2G judgment the Cabinet approved the charge in November 2012, retrospective from July 2008.

What changed

9 Jun 2026BriefThe Bombay High Court quashed the Centre's one time spectrum charge demands on Airtel and Vodafone Idea, holding the government cannot retrospectively change licence financial terms. The wider dispute remains before the Supreme Court. Mains: Obligations on operators must rest on licence terms and established policy, which improves regulatory certainty. The Indian Express, 9 Jun 2026: Big win for Airtel, Vodafone Idea: The case of retrospective spectrum charge, which Bombay HC quashed (opens in a new tab)