ZTE-Airtel Gabon 5G Upgrade, Starlink Security Objection, and BSNL 5G Plans

ZTE and Airtel Gabon deployed a commercial FDD-TDD Massive MIMO system on a live network, reporting higher throughput and capacity while preparing for future 5G services. Swadeshi Jagran Manch urged India to block Starlink over national security concerns, as the government reviews satellite internet applications from Starlink and rivals backed by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. BSNL is preparing an indigenous 5G rollout while continuing its 4G expansion, an official said at India Mobile Congress 2026, where the operator also showed its Vani AI customer support interface.

ZTE and Airtel Gabon deployed a live-network system combining FDD and TDD bands in one active antenna unit. Reported gains: site throughput up 107%, traffic capacity up 20%, resource-block efficiency up 41%; at 2.6 GHz, throughput rose 86%, capacity 92%, efficiency 60%. It strengthens 4G and prepares for future 5G.

In India, Swadeshi Jagran Manch urged blocking Starlink, citing emergency internet controls and domestic traffic routing. Authorities are assessing Starlink and rival satellite proposals tied to Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. BSNL is developing indigenous 5G while expanding 4G, and at India Mobile Congress 2026 displayed Vani AI support, Saptang-linked core filtering, and Bharat Sandesh.