Cairo-based Middle East satellite operator Nilesat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RASCOM (Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation) with the intention of boosting satellite technology collaboration across Africa and the Mid-East. The MoU is, in essence, a Marketing Service Contract, marking the beginning of a “dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership in the field […]
UK consumers are facing a surcharge of almost £200 (€235) over and above the initial signing on fee because of Starlink network congestion in some parts of the country, according to a report from Fibre Compare, Geoff Pestell, CEO at comparison site Fibre Compare, has commented on Starlink’s new surcharge and its impact on new […]
AST SpaceMobile (AST) activated one of its first BlueBird satellites over Japan in order to make a video call with staff from cellular telco Rakuten, its partner operator in Japan. Abel Avellan, CEO at AST, commented: “Another historic first! We completed our initial activation of our first BlueBird satellites in Japan with Rakuten Mobile to […]
Iridium, already a popular satellite system and in favour with military and first responders, says it will begin testing its satellite direct-to-device (D2D) service this summer with Norway’s Nordic Semiconductor. How long it will take before Iridium’s L-band D2D narrowband solution – which starts with just texting – will be integrated into chipsets for mobile […]
Satellite communications specialist Viasat has successfully performed what it say is the first successful direct-to-handset (D2H) communication test using direct-to-device (D2D) technology in L-band in Brazil. The demonstration showcased two smartphones connecting directly via satellite using 3GPP NTN standards without the involvement of other terrestrial infrastructure. According to Viasat, his signifies the start of a […]
High-speed inflight connectivity and worldwide entertainment solutions provider Anuvu has upgraded its Dedicated Space platform, saying it drives over a 35 per cent increase in peak speed. Introduced in 2022, Dedicated Space optimises network performance by dedicating satellite capacity to individual aircraft and passengers, enabling a low-latency and reliable Internet experience. Now, Dedicated Space is […]
New Zealand-based (but Nasdaq-listed) Rocket Lab has confirmed that it intends attacking the Direct-to-Consumer market currently dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its Starlink broadband system. Rocket Lab, founded by Sir Peter Beck, has recently unveiled its ‘Flatellite’ satellite, which it claims will deliver a long life in orbit and low-latency, with high-speed connectivity and […]
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, speaking at the commissioning ceremony for the country’s home-produced TÜRKSAT 6A on April 21st, said that Turkey was now one of only a few counties capable of producing its own satellites. “With TÜRKSAT 6A, which we developed with a domestic production rate of over 80 per cent, Türkiye has become […]
AST SpaceMobile (AST) already has five of its Mark 1 ‘BlueWalker’ satellites in orbit but they are far from enough to provide even close to decent coverage of its direct-to-consumer cellular coverage. Key to its 2025 strategy is to launch the larger and more powerful BlueBird satellites. India was initially reported to launch the first […]
Germany has already made it known that it believes the EU-backed IRIS2 mega-constellation of super-secure satellites is too expensive. Now it seems that Italy is also having thoughts about its own satellite fleet. A report in German newspaper Handelsblatt suggests that the German army (Bundeswehr) is backing an alternate orbiting satellite system, and may not […]