NATO’s HEIST initiative enhances global internet resilience by integrating subsea cables and satellites, aiming to safeguard against data traffic disruptions. GoTo harnesses generative AI to improve customer experiences, while China Unicom and Huawei launch a 5.5G network in Beijing, and Swisscom and Nokia deploy a nationwide drone network in Switzerland for safety and industrial monitoring.
Chinese telecom engineers claim to have built the world’s first 6G field test network, as reported by China Daily. This experimental network demonstrates advancements in communication capacity and efficiency, leveraging existing 4G infrastructure. China aims to commercialize 6G by 2030, aspiring to set technology standards by 2025.
Amazon has inaugurated a new facility in Kirkland, Washington, dedicated to the production of satellites for its Project Kuiper. This project aims to establish a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide internet connectivity.
Filtronic, a UK-based manufacturer of RF, microwave, and mmWave components, projects substantial growth in both revenue and earnings for its recently concluded financial year, driven by its involvement in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite market and sales to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The company forecasts an EBITDA of £4.8 million for the year ending May, marking a notable increase from the £1.3 million recorded in fiscal 2023.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper has entered into an agreement to offer low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services across seven Latin American countries. This distribution deal with Vrio, the parent company of DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brasil, will see high-speed Internet services provided to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.
Last month, AST SpaceMobile secured a partnership with Verizon to leverage its upcoming satellite network for comprehensive connectivity across the U.S. Since then, the company’s value has surged, with its share price climbing 70%, marking its highest level since November 2022.
Verizon has entered into a $100 million agreement with AST SpaceMobile to extend satellite coverage across the United States. This partnership aims to achieve 100% geographical coverage by utilizing the 850 MHz spectrum, particularly in areas lacking traditional terrestrial service.
SES has announced agreements with several regional satellite network operators to create the SES Open Orbits™ Inflight Connectivity (IFC) Network, promising seamless connectivity services to airlines globally. This innovative Ka-band platform will integrate SES’s geostationary earth orbit (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite networks with those of NEO Space Group (NSG) from Saudi Arabia, AeroSat Link (ASL) from China, and Hughes Communications India (HCI).
AT&T takes a significant leap forward in its plans to offer satellite direct-to-phone services following the finalization of commercial terms with low Earth orbit (LEO) operator AST SpaceMobile. The agreement sets the stage for AT&T to provide non-terrestrial network (NTN) coverage through SpaceMobile’s constellation until 2030. Although a firm launch date for SpaceMobile’s network is yet to be confirmed, AT&T anticipates the delivery of the first commercial satellites to Cape Canaveral this summer.
In a significant development, Hong Kong residents now have access to China Telecom’s satellite direct-to-phone service, marking a pivotal step in the operator’s expansion strategy. China Telecom has long provided satellite options to mobile customers through a range of devices, including dongles, dedicated satphones, and smartphones equipped with built-in satellite antennas from manufacturers like Huawei.
