Duty hike on telecom gear: Vi’s 5G network rollout cost set to go up

A hike in the customs duty from 10% to 15% on printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) used in telecom equipment is expected to increase the 4G and 5G network rollout costs of telecom operators, analysts said, adding that the impact may be particularly high for Vodafone Idea.

This is because the telecom operators are currently dependent on network equipment vendors which import PCBs, which are then used in routers, switches, towers, etc, they said.