Spark’s partnership with Lynk Global marks a major milestone in mobile connectivity for New Zealand, testing direct-to-consumer satellite services to enhance network coverage and combat challenges posed by climate change.
In order to extend mobile service to isolated rural regions, the Belgian communications operator BICS has inked a deal with the satellite-direct-to-phone telecoms business Lynk. This agreement will make it possible for mobile network operators (MNOs) to provide services to subscribers in rural areas in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, South-East Asia, and a number of rural African regions. BICS focuses on cloud, mobility and IoT, while offering digital communications on a worldwide scale. The company also collaborates with MNOs and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). This collaboration aims to solve the problem of remote locations that currently lack any form of mobile connectivity. BICS will use its network to connect the cell carriers with the Lynk satellite constellation. Lynk’s solution enables conventional roaming partner integration without requiring that the mobile operators’ networks undergo hardware or software upgrades, thereby expanding coverage to outlying regions, islands, and…
Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which birthed two prototype satellites aimed to test potential satellite broadband service, operates similarly to Space-X’s Starlink and OneWeb. The venture is set to increase internet connectivity in remote areas using an extensive satellite constellation. Still, the delay in launching has welcomed accumulating competition. Rabid advancements by competitors including satellite direct-to-device technology pioneers and those concentrating on 5G NTN IoT services could tilt the scales. Would adopting the 5G NTN-compatible network give Project Kuiper a competitive edge? Or will the ongoing innovations by industry leaders overshadow it? However, underlying operational challenges and time constraints might hamper Amazon from contemplating a substantial shift in direction.
Spark reveals plans to trial satellite-to-mobile services, offering additional coverage and network resilience. Working with satellite provider Lynk, the initial trial focuses on text messaging before expanding to voice and data services, assessing the technology’s potential impact on telecommunications.
The ViaSat-3 Americas satellite has completed its Final Integrated Satellite Test (FIST) and has now advanced to the Flight Final phase of integration, where it is undergoing final build-up for its flight configuration, according to the satellite communications provider Viasat. The satellite had previously passed mechanical environmental testing and thermal vacuum testing, which replicated vacuum and extreme heat and cold temperatures in orbit, where the satellite is projected to operate for the next 15 years. FIST is intended to test all of the satellite’s payload and bus systems to ensure they perform correctly after the pressures of mechanical environmental testing, which simulates the spacecraft’s launch. Following the mechanical and thermal strains of the previous test phases, FIST confirmed that the satellite continued to function as intended. The Ka-band satellites of the ViaSat-3 class are anticipated to offer the finest bandwidth economics in the sector with significant flexibility…
