Focus: Telecom

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 with SES from 1.5 gigabits per second to 2.5 gigabits on the O3b constellation, with plans to migrate to O3b mPOWER.  Ecuador’s Minister of Telecommunications...

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.  The company completed the voice call trials earlier this year, showing calls in the video between its team members in Virginia, and in the United...

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 Hughes Jupiter gateways and remote terminals to connect several hundred cellular towers via satellite, the companies announced Tuesday.  AMN works with mobile network operators (MNOs)...

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 together, the organizations announced Wednesday. The two organizations agreed to focus on technology that integrates satellite communications with 5G and future 6G networks. The GSMA...

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 chipsets, modules, and devices using  narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) protocol over satellite.  Keysight offers 5G device test solutions, and will create a certification plan to validate...

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 Starlink satellite constellation to cover 100% of Australia. Optus said in a July 12 announcement that it will enable satellite direct-to-cell service with Starlink starting...

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 to use Rivada’s future OuterNET satellite service for the humanitarian and maritime sectors.  OuterNET is Rivada’s planned network of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in a...

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 satellite-to-cell technology as a service for its subscribers. Service will begin with periodic SMS texts, Lynk said in a June 21 announcement. It will start...

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 voice calls in tests in Hawaii. The tests used AT&T spectrum and Nokia RAN technology.  This is another milestone for the BlueWalker 3 satellite after...

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 the country’s Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST). Speedcast has previously worked in Saudi Arabia with in-country partners, but now has a new teleport facility...