Focus: Telecom

A Colorado hiker in distress was recently rescued, in part due to satellite technology and the partnership of Skylo, Motorola, and Bullitt Group.  A group of friends were recently hiking […]

SpaceX is targeting direct-to-cell service that enables text messaging with the Starlink constellation in 2024, and voice and data and IoT service by 2025. SpaceX updated Starlink’s website with a […]

AST SpaceMobile claims it achieved a 5G connection for voice and data between an unmodified smartphone and its BlueWalker 3 satellite in space.  The company announced Tuesday that its engineers […]

PARIS — Direct-to-device, satellite-to-cell, NTN/non-terrestrial networks — the satellite industry hasn’t come to a consensus on what to call this type of connectivity, but players are making bold projections for its […]

Amazon’s Project Kuiper landed a deal with multinational telco Vodafone to expand 4G and 5G services to Vodafone’s customers in Europe and Africa.  The companies announced the deal Tuesday, with […]

The first O3b mPOWER terminal built for Galapagos telco CNT was inaugurated last week, SES recently announced. This comes after CNT recently signed a deal to increase its capacity agreement […]

Lynk Global released a video on Tuesday demonstrating two-way voice calls over satellite. In the video, Lynk’s team makes voice calls using unmodified phones, connected via its satellites in orbit.  […]

Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) has selected the Hughes Network Systems’ Jupiter System ground platform to backhaul 2G, 3G, and 4G cellular network traffic in Madagascar and Nigeria. AMN will use […]

GSMA and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a new memorandum of intent to strengthen partnerships between mobile and satellite industries to collaborate on technologies that bring the two solutions […]

Keysight Technologies is working with Skylo Technologies to expand its cellular testing expertise to non-terrestrial networks (NTN). The companies announced an MoU on Wednesday to create a certification program for […]

Starlink will play a pivotal role in expanding connectivity throughout Australia. Optus, one of Australia’s leading telcos and satellite providers, signed a deal with SpaceX to deliver mobile connectivity using the […]

Rivada Space Networks and has signed an MoU with satellite service provider IEC Telecom to work together on land and maritime communications. According to a Monday announcement, IEC Telecom plans […]

Lynk Global has started initial satellite-to-cell service in Palau, an island nation in Oceania with mobile network operator PNCC. This  is the first MNO in the world to launch Lynk’s […]

AST SpaceMobile reports that it has demonstrated 4G capabilities from its satellite direct to unmodified cell phones on Earth. The company said Wednesday it demonstrated 10 Mbps download speeds and […]

Speedcast is expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia to meet demand for connectivity from the energy market. The company announced Tuesday it has secured an Internet Service Provider license from […]

AT&T has filed with the FCC to lease spectrum to AST SpaceMobile for satellite direct-to-cell service.  In filings to the FCC on Thursday, AT&T notified the commission it has a […]

Axess Networks is helping bringing more connectivity to hard to reach areas in Mexico. The company announced May 4 that it will connect more than 700 new 4G nodes via […]

CNT, a telecom provider for the Galapagos Islands, is increasing its capacity agreement with SES from 1.5 gigabits per second to 2.5 gigabits on the O3b constellation, with plans to […]

Canadian wireless provider Rogers Communications is testing Lynk’s satellite-to-cell service ahead of offering the connectivity to expand its network across remote locations in Canada.  Rogers said in a Wednesday announcement […]

AST SpaceMobile successfully made two-way voice calls to unmodified smartphones using the BlueWalker 3 satellite — a critical milestone for the company’s test satellite. AST SpaceMobile announced Tuesday that the first […]

Lynk Global has signed an agreement with Vodafone Ghana to bring mobile coverage to all of Ghana’s population with Lynk’s “cell tower in space” satellite connectivity. This is Lynk’s second […]

The United Kingdom has unveiled sweeping plans for communications technologies such as satellite, in a huge new policy initiative. Its latest Wireless Infrastructure Strategy details the roles technologies such as […]

The FCC proposed a new regulatory framework at its March meeting to facilitate satellite-to-cell service and collaboration between satellite operators and wireless companies — part of the Commission’s “single network future.”  […]

Mexican connectivity services provider Apco Networks ordered two Astranis MicroGEO satellites to provide telecommunications services in Mexico, Astranis announced March 14. The Ka-band satellites are expected to launch in 2024.  […]

Satellite industry executives are eager to partner with mobile network operators (MNOs), but they disagree on the timing of the opportunities those partnerships will represent. Some see significant near-term potential […]

Satellite direct-to-cell is an area that has dramatically increased in activity in the past year, with new demonstrations, services, and partnerships launched. The promise of satellite-to-cell is connecting unmodified cell phones directly […]

Globalstar announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Qualcomm Technologies on Tuesday, involving a portfolio of 5G private network technologies. Qualcomm Technologies plans to make select Qualcomm FSM Platforms commercially available […]

The Airbus HAPS subsidiary Aalto HAPS has signed a new deal to bring its connectivity solutions to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company announced a new MoU with the […]

Digital solutions company Globe tested Lynk’s satellite connectivity for SMS texts and emergency alerts in a trial in the Philippines, the companies announced March 2. In the trial, standard mobile […]

Viasat, Ligado Networks, and Skylo Technologies plan to work together to offer direct-to-devices services, the companies announced Thursday. The three companies have signed a non-binding MoU to offer direct-to-device (D2D) […]