{
  "id": 13896097,
  "title": "GSMA Urges Lower Smartphone Taxes As AI-Driven Memory Costs Threaten India's Mobile Market",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/gsma-urges-lower-smartphone-taxes-as-ai-driven-memory-costs-threaten",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-12T05:55:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/gsma-urges-lower-smartphone-taxes-as-ai-driven-memory-costs-threaten-indias-mobile-market"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Global telecom organization GSMA has urged governments to reduce taxes on affordable smartphones, implement financing programs, and promote second-hand devices to combat rising memory chip prices. These cost increases are making mobile phones more expensive, particularly impacting mobile internet accessibility in developing nations, where high handset prices prevent millions from gaining access to the internet. GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath emphasized that alternative approaches are needed to improve smartphone affordability, especially in countries where costs hinder millions from utilizing mobile internet. The growing demand for AI-driven memory chips has resulted in a supply-demand imbalance, driving up manufacturing costs, making it challenging to produce affordable smartphones. India's 4G smartphone shipments are expected to increase as the price gap with 5G widens, exacerbating the affordability challenge. IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker predicts a potential decline of 12% to 15% in India's smartphone market in 2026, marking its steepest annual decrease since 2019. To tackle this issue, GSMA suggests lowering taxes on entry-level smartphones, exploring financing programs, and encouraging refurbished and second-hand devices to expand digital access while reducing electronic waste.",
  "summary": "Global telecom industry body GSMA has called for lower taxes on entry-level smartphones, affordable financing options and greater adoption of second-hand devices as rising memory chip prices make mobile phones increasingly expensive. According to a report by Moneycontrol, GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath said the industry must explore alternative approaches to improve smartphone…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}