Intelsat, a leading satellite connectivity firm, has joined forces with farming equipment manufacturer CNH to introduce connected tractors and other agricultural machinery to Brazil, enabling precision farming in remote regions. The initiative involves installing ruggedized multi-orbit satellite terminals on CNH farm equipment across Brazil. These terminals will leverage Intelsat’s global network to establish connectivity, facilitating the real-time streaming of data between farm equipment and cloud services.
Telecommunications operators are increasingly turning to satellite technology to expand 5G coverage, particularly in rural regions, as indicated by new data from the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA). However, despite a rising number of partnerships and commercial launches, the market’s growth is slower than anticipated.
Bridging the digital divide in vast and harsh terrains like the Scottish Highlands, VMO2 embarks on a novel approach, utilizing a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites from Starlink for critical backhaul services. Bypassing conventional, costly terrestrial infrastructure, VMO2’s tests have proven the potency of satellite technology in improving coverage across the UK.
SpaceX has hit a roadblock in its ambitious plan to connect consumer devices directly to its next-generation Starlink satellites, as the FCC rejected its request to utilize the 1.6 GHz, 2 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands. The regulatory agency has halted SpaceX’s bid citing their current policy on limiting new entrants to these bands.
The telecommunications sector leaps forward as KDDI and SpaceX bring a game-changing satellite-to-cellular service, intertwining mobile and satellite technologies. Leveraging SpaceX’s Starlink low-earth orbit satellites and KDDI’s national wireless spectrum, the partnership aims to expand urban connectivity into rural areas. While the innovation promises swift deployment and extensive coverage, it also poses challenges, including the need for costly, satellite-enabled handsets.
In a groundbreaking move, Mavenir is joining forces with Terrestar Solutions, a satellite operator based in Canada, to pioneer a project that seamlessly blends satellite connectivity with Open RAN terrestrial networks. This collaboration, revealed just before the Mobile World Congress (MWC), aims to offer users across the globe uninterrupted connectivity by merging satellite and terrestrial network capabilities.
In a significant development for remote connectivity, Telstra, the Australian telecom giant, has initiated the transition of its remote mobile sites to the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network provided by Eutelsat OneWeb. This move marks a departure from the traditional geostationary (GEO) satellites, aimed at reducing latency issues and meeting the growing demand for real-time services among customers.
In a groundbreaking move, Viasat, Inc., alongside Terrestar Solutions, Ligado Networks, Omnispace, and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), have come together to announce the formation of the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA). This new consortium is set to enhance and promote the burgeoning Direct-to-Device (D2D) communication landscape, promising to deliver unprecedented scale and diversity in mobile satellite services.
Iridium, taking the telecommunications industry by storm, aims to connect satellites directly to devices such as smartphones and automobiles through their Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite infrastructure tightly woven on 5G. The key feature here is connecting ordinary smartphones straight to satellite connectivity.
In a collaborative effort organized by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), major Japanese companies DoCoMo, NTT, Sky Perfect JSAT, and Space Compass are set to pioneer direct-to-device (D2D) services utilizing flying base stations.