UK comms regulator Ofcom has announced the outcome of the Principal stage of its auction to release more airwaves to improve 5G in the busiest places. A total of 5.4 GHz of spectrum was up for grabs – the most ever to be made available in an Ofcom auction. This spectrum, known as ‘mmWave’ because […]

EchoStar has met global regulatory conditions, unlocking the S-band sale to SpaceX and paving the way for Starlink’s 20x faster direct-to-device rollout. This is an important move for SpaceX. The S-band frequencies unlock Starlink’s direct-to-device rollout, aiming for a claimed 20x speed boost. The real benefit is S-band’s resistance to rain fade, and which can […]

Mark Jamison, Non-resident Senior Fellow at public policy think tank The American Enterprise Institute, has suggested it is time to disband the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), arguing that it has “run its course”, having become “a convenient political tool”. Writing in the AEIdeas blog, he suggests that current FCC Chairman Brendan Carr now has the […]

There are widespread reports that US cellular giant Verizon Communications is negotiating to buy wireless spectrum from EchoStar. Reuters summed up the situation saying the discussions involve EchoStar’s AWS-3 licences, which are valuable for carrying 5G wireless signals. If the deal goes through, Verizon would join AT&T and SpaceX as recent buyers of EchoStar’s wireless […]

Mobile UK, the trade body for the UK’s mobile operators, has urged the government to prioritise the industry as a critical engine for national competitiveness. In an article originally published on Politics Home, it suggests that world-class mobile infrastructure will play a key role in achieving the government’s ambitions for economic growth, innovation and inclusion. […]

UK comms regulator Ofcom has opened a consultation on proposals to revise and improve the way it licenses non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) systems. NGSO systems use satellites to provide services such as broadband to individuals, businesses, and other organisations, particularly in remote areas. Ofcom introduced the current process for licensing NGSO systems in 2021 with […]

UK comms regulator Ofcom has confirmed that it will move ahead with plans to make the UK the first country in Europe to enable standard smartphones to connect to satellites using mobile spectrum bands. It means that services could soon be offered in the UK to enable standard smartphones to make calls, send texts and […]

The news that AT&T is paying some $23 billion (€19.8bn) for terrestrial cellular spectrum to EchoStar has alerted many analysts to the implied value of EchoStar’s remaining telephony spectrum. Reports are numerous that both Elon Musk – who has long coveted EchoStar satellite spectrum – and AT&T rival T-Mobile could be next in line for […]

Pay-TV operator EchoStar is selling $23 billions-worth (€19.8bn) of terrestrial spectrum designed to improve 5G and home Internet access. AT&T and EchoStar have also agreed to enhance their long-term wholesale network services agreement, enabling EchoStar to operate as a hybrid mobile network operator providing wireless service under EchoStar’s Boost Mobile brand. AT&T will be the […]

Using its ‘Multi-Operator Core Network’ technology, VodafoneThree has already switched on over 600 sites, representing the next stage of the telco’s £11 billion investment programme. This means customers’ devices will automatically connect to the best coverage available – whether that’s on the Vodafone or Three network – effectively giving them access to two networks at […]