Focus: Telecom

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 long-term spectrum lease agreement with AST SpaceMobile to lease certain 850 MHz cellular A and B block spectrum and certain lower 700 MHz B and...

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 satellite for CFE Telecomunicaciones “Internet for All” program, a national development plan in Mexico. The new 4G nodes will be connected throughout 2023. These new...

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 migrate to O3b mPOWER.  CNT and SES have a long term partnership and the satellite operator has been serving the island chain off the coast...

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 that it has conducted successful technical tests with Lynk satellites in remote British Columbia and will start testing in Atlantic Canada. The wireless provider plans...

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 voice call was from Midland, Texas to Rakuten in Japan over AT&T spectrum, using a Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone. The company claims this is the...

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 commercial contract with mobile network operator Telecel Group in Africa, following an agreement with Telecel Centrafrique in the Central African Republic.  Lynk’s service will expand...

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 satellite will play as the U.K. aims to be at the forefront of communications technologies and connectivity. The U.K. government released the new strategy on...

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.”  The Commission adopted a previously released notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) during the March 16 meeting, with all four commissioners voting to adopt. It deals...

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.  Astranis will build and operate the satellites, and Apco Networks will use the capacity to expand their last-mile coverage in Mexico.  “Mexico has a huge...

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 in direct-to-device connectivity, while others think backhaul remains the primary service satellites can offer mobile networks for now. Executives debated the convergence opportunity at SATELLITE...