Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week as Indian authorities rejected Elon Musk’s allegations about Starlink’s regulatory roadblocks, BT rescued TalkTalk in a £400 million deal and Deutsche Telekom (DT) looked to capitalise on sovereign AI demand.

India hits back at Musk over Starlink oligarch claims

What happened: India’s Ministry of Communications rebuked Elon Musk’s accusation that Indian oligarchs were blocking Starlink’s launch in the country and seeking to preserve a “monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people”, stressing its satellite communications framework is “fair and non-discriminatory”.

Why it matters: The watchdog explained Starlink, along with Indian telecom incumbents Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, are all at the same stage of the regulatory process. Each operator must complete security assessments before they can seek spectrum, with final clearances pending. Musk has previously clashed with Reliance Jio owner Mukesh Ambani over satellite spectrum access in the country. Starlink’s protracted approval process in India has lasted four years, with security requirements and spectrum access among key issues. Its presence in the country has also been complicated by reports that Starlink equipment was recovered across parts of the country, claims Musk said do not indicate an illegal active service in India.

Manas Mody, founder of business consultancy FX & Float, said the regulatory debate was “broader than a contest between Musk and operators” because “there could be legitimate regulatory and security considerations behind the resistance”, adding India “has done considerable work to secure its critical digital infrastructure”. “While Musk’s concerns may have some merit, I believe there’s likely more to this than just a conspiracy involving oligarchs,” he argued, adding Starlink is “unlikely to make a significant dent in India’s consumer telecom market” at its planned pricing as its “real opportunity lies in improving connectivity in underserved regions and remote hubs”.

India hits back at Musk over Starlink oligarch claims

BT strikes £400M deal for TalkTalk

What happened: BT Group agreed a £400 million deal to acquire TalkTalk’s consumer and wholesale businesses out of administration, bringing 2.5 million customers and around 900 employees under its ownership.

Why it matters: The acquisition prevents the UK broadband provider from folding and potentially disrupting services for millions of customers. TalkTalk reported £1.2 billion in revenue in the past 12 months but was loss-making following a prolonged, unsuccessful sales process. BT CEO Allison Kirkby called the situation “genuinely unprecedented”, warning millions of citizens, businesses and public services were at risk if TalkTalk collapsed. She said the acquisition was “the only viable option to keep millions of customers connected and supported”, with the BT adding the business can become value accretive if it is stabilised.

Kester Mann, director of consumer and connectivity at FDM CCS Insight, said the deal “will inevitably also evoke scrutiny from regulators keen to ensure a fair and competitive playing field”, given BT’s “strong position in the broadband market”. He added that this was particularly relevant after competition authorities raised concerns over Nexfibre’s planned acquisition of fellow broadband player Netomnia.

For TalkTalk, Mann said the deal “cements a painful decline” as the company “failed to respond sufficiently to a fast-changing and increasingly competitive market”. Its demise, he warned, should be “a stark warning to any value-focused telecom provider”.

BT strikes £400M deal for TalkTalk

DT eyes sovereign AI revenue bump

What happened: DT set out plans to turn rising demand for sovereign AI into a new revenue stream, targeting around €250 million in non-US AI-related revenue this year and approximately €800 million by 2030.

Why it matters: The German operator noted European businesses and public institutions seeking AI capabilities while retaining control of data and operations presented a key opportunity, describing sovereign AI as a “growth business”.To that end, DT said it is developing an automation platform for SMEs and expanding AI customer service offerings. CEO Timotheus Hoettges stressed it is crucial AI “delivers measurable value” across the business.

Jamie Escott, account director at Vodafone Business Security Enhanced, said DT’s projected €2.5 billion reduction in indirect costs by 2030 highlights “the growing importance of AI moving beyond experimentation and into large-scale operational deployment”. He added organisations are increasingly focusing on “measurable outcomes such as productivity, efficiency and service quality”. Meanwhile, Jean-Philippe Romieu, executive director for cloud and AI professional services at Microsoft Germany, described DT’s strategy as a “telco blueprint”, pointing to use cases included network integrated AI, autonomous infrastructure and AI-assisted operations. However, he flagged issues including volatile compute costs and market adoption, warning DT’s success “relies heavily on European enterprises prioritising data localisation over hyperscaler pricing and performance”.

DT eyes sovereign AI revenue bump

The post The Friday File: Starlink; TalkTalk; DT appeared first on Mobile World Live.