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 […]
Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell has told EarthSky that one or two Starlink satellites are falling back to Earth every day. McDowell’s website, Jonathan’s Space Report, is widely regarded as a definitive source on spacecraft that go up … and eventually come down. The lifespan of low-Earth orbit satellites, such as Starlink, is only about five […]
Two massive AST SpaceMobile (AST) satellites will take place shortly. The first called BlueBird 6 (also known as FM1) will be on its way to India for a launch. The second, BlueBird 7 (aka FM2) will be launched by SpaceX and will be delivered to Cape Canaveral during October. But these two AST satellites are […]
Quilty Space has published its 2025 financial overview and 2026 forecast for Starlink, SpaceX’s broadband-by-satellite system. Quilty described Starlink as enjoying a “subscriber stampede”. “Part checkup, part roadmap, our analysis reviews traction across consumer, maritime, aviation, government, and DTC segments, before sharing projections of where the growth curve bends next,” added Quilty’s report. Quilty highlights […]
United has announced that the FAA has certified its first mainline Starlink-equipped aircraft, and the first commercial flight is planned for October 15th. This certification comes five months since the first Starlink-equipped United customer flight on the Embraer 175 regional aircraft and less than a year since United signed the industry’s largest agreement of its […]
Broadband satellite operator Starlink is reported locally to launching its service over India later in 2025. Starlink has received provisional spectrum from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Competition is likely to be tough with similar services promised by Reliance’s Jio Platforms (in conjunction with SES), Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Amazon Kuiper. Satellite-based Internet services are likely […]
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued its Spectrum Approval authorisation for Starlink. But, separately, there’s a major sting in the tail. The DoT approval allows Starlink to initiate its services in India. This reportedly marks the first time any company will be providing satellite-based broadband internet to Indian consumers. However, India’s Minister of State […]
A detailed report from analysts at Bank of America (BoA) says that the global Total Addressable Market (TAM) is currently worth around $200 billion (€169.5bn) annually for the planet’s telcos. The bank suggests that the satellite operators with global coverage with their low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites are potentially targeting every dollar’s worth of these […]
SpaceX has filed a formal application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch thousands of extra satellites into very low Earth orbit (VLEO). The scheme will take some time to implement but suggests that Starlink would then be able to manage greater coverage of its direct-to-consumer connectivity. Starlink already has about 650 […]
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has thrown a spanner in the launch plans for Starlink in the country. A cynic might suggest that India doesn’t really want Starlink in its neighbourhood. Specifically, the DoT is requesting more information. The telecom department’s highest decision-making body has sought clarification from the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) on certain […]