Open Cosmos has announced ConnectedCosmos – a new LEO constellation that will provide sovereign and secure communications and resilient capabilities for businesses and government bodies across the globe. Counteracting over-reliance on transcontinental mega-constellations, ConnectedCosmos will also connect Open Cosmos’ Earth Observation (EO) capabilities deployed in the Open Constellation with a new Sovereign Connectivity LEO backbone […]
Ukraine has reportedly begun the formal international regulatory process for a planned low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite system. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) filing shows that the system (called UASAT-NANO) will operate at approximately 550 kms altitude. The first satellite is scheduled for launch in October 2026, with a rocket slot already booked. This test […]
According to business commentator Sawyer Merritt, the SpaceX Starlink WiFi system is now available – or waiting to be fitted – on more than 5,700 aircraft. This equates to around 19 per cent of the world’s active global commercial aircraft. SpaceX has already won two of the top four largest US airlines to adopt Starlink […]
SpaceX launched its 500th Starlink satellite of the year during a flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base on February 25th. The Falcon 9 rocket carried 25 Starlink Version 2 ‘Mini’ satellites, and later confirmed the successful touch-down of the booster stage. The number of active Starlink satellites in orbit now exceeds 10,000. The launch used […]
Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES has expanded its service to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and adding some 5.8 million users via 1,100 base stations, and in the process increasing its population coverage by 27 percent. SES is working with Africa Mobile Network (AMN) locally. “There is a clear demand for connectivity across the region, a […]
UK multiplay operator Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) has switched on O2 Satellite, a new satellite-to-mobile service powered by Starlink Direct to Cell. This makes VMO2 the first operator in the UK and Europe to launch satellite powered data services, enabling customers to stay connected in areas with no traditional mobile coverage, known as ‘not-spots’. The […]
DirecTV Latin America and SKY Brazil have announced the expansion of their strategic collaboration with Amazon to offer satellite broadband services powered by Amazon Leo to a potential 15 million businesses in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Amazon Leo will expand its existing agreement to provide service to residential customers, […]
Luxembourg-based satellite-to-smartphone specialist OQ Technology has received a €25 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The sum is in the form of EIB venture debt. The cash will help further development of OQ’s network of low-earth-orbit satellites, offering 5G coverage and connectivity for direct-to-device Internet of Things and smartphones. The financing, supported by […]
SpaceX has announced it is targeting peak speeds of 150 Mbps per user for its next-generation cellular Starlink service, a roughly 37x jump over the current ~4 Mbps, according to SpaceX satellite policy lead Udrivolf Pica speaking at the ITU Space Connect conference. The upgrade depends on newly acquired radio spectrum from EchoStar and a […]
Microsoft has partnered with Starlink to expand internet access in rural and remote regions around the world. The first rollout is already underway in Kenya, where 450 community hubs are being connected to Starlink. “Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” commented […]