The UK’s 4G networks are performing “much better” than 3G but a study has highlighted significant variations between operators. Ofcom’s test of smartphones in five towns and cities found EE delivered the fastest average 4G download speed at 18.6Mbit/s, followed by Vodafone (16.4Mbit/s), O2 (13.9Mbit/s) and Three (8.5Mbit/s). Overall, 97 per cent of test samples […]
The UAE’s broadband and sat-phone operator Thuraya is up for sale. There’s even a prospective buyer lined up in the shape of satellite giant Inmarsat. The problem is the two are very wide from reaching an agreed sale price. While Thuraya has been on the sales forecourt for some time, the asking price – of […]
BT is preparing to launch its own 4G network, even before it has completed the £12.5 billion takeover of EE. The telco will reportedly unveil its 4G service by this week, according to a report in The Telegraph, and will likely undercut many of its rivals. BT will initially launch its 4G service as a […]
UK regulator Ofcom has issued formal warnings to Inmarsat and Solaris Mobile that they must bring into use their planned services by December 2016, or else risk losing the frequency rights. The transmission rights cover the intended supply of satellite radio and transmissions to hand-held devices proposed some years ago. Solaris Mobile’s S-band orbital assets […]
SES has released its annual ‘Satellite Monitor’ numbers and say they have expanded their worldwide reach to 312 million (up 7 per cent) which means the 6500 channels they carry on their satellites are collectively reaching more than 1.1 billion people The market research shows that the growth is coming from emerging markets of Africa, […]
March 13th was a good day for satellite operators in that the French government announced a series of measures designed to supply and improve broadband connectivity into French rural areas. Investment bank Exane BNP-Paribas, in a note to clients on March 16th, said this was good news for satellite operators Eutelsat and SES. “We believe […]
A new would-be satellite operator, LeoSat, has talked about placing 120-140 Ka-band satellites into orbit at heights of 1800 kms, but deliberately not seeking business from the billions of under-connected users around the planet. Instead, says Vern Fotheringham, CEO at LeoSat LLC, he wants to target “the top 3000 businesses, rather than the other 3 […]
Satellite has a key role to play in the architecture of future networks and the acceleration of digitisation, according to Karim Michel Sabbagh, President and CEO of SES. Sabbagh’s comments came as he delivered a keynote address at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. “Satellite is a key actor for digitisation and an integral […]
A Nokia Networks report on mobile broadband performance in India reveals a 74 per cent increase in mobile data traffic generated by both 2G and 3G mobile broadband services at the end of 2014, compared to the beginning the same year. This rise was primarily driven by a strong 3G growth with 114 per cent […]
Satellite operator SES is buying three satellites in a series of orders that will cost around $1 billion in total to build and launch. One new craft, the hybrid SES-14, will replace and expand the role undertaken by NSS-806 at 47.5/48 degrees West, and add capacity to the location including backing up and providing extra […]