Viasat partners with Microsoft to connect the unconnected

Viasat and Microsoft have formed a partnership to help deliver internet access to underserved communities.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, approximately one-third of the world’s population – around 2.7 billion people – have never accessed the internet.

Internet access is increasingly seen as a human right. Without a reliable connection, an individual’s education, work, and social opportunities are limited. Other fundamental rights, such as...

14 December 2022 | Networks

Boeing delivers first O3b mPOWER satellites to SES

Boeing took a sneaky jab at Starlink while announcing the delivery of its first two O3b mPOWER satellites to Luxembourg-based telecoms provider SES.

“SES's O3b mPOWER system is a true gamechanger and will transform the way people think about connectivity,” said Ruy Pinto, CTO at SES.

“Delivering performance above all, O3b mPOWER will offer connectivity services to government organisations and enterprises based in the most remote regions. In times of natural...

6 December 2022 | Networks

OneWeb successfully deploys 36 new LEO satellites

OneWeb has successfully added 36 new LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites to its constellation.

With the UK not set to bring its vertical space launch capabilities online until next year, the British satellite operator turned to NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to conduct the launches from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

Radhakrishnan D, Chairman-cum-Managing Director at NewSpace India Limited, said:

“The successful launch of 36 OneWeb...

24 October 2022 | Networks

OneWeb seeks £3B for GEN2 satellites that could support navigation

OneWeb is looking to raise around £3 billion to expand its constellation with second-generation satellites that could support navigation.

The British firm is part-owned by the UK government and currently has 428 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) at around 1,200km. By the end of 2023, OneWeb aims to have increased the size of its constellation to 648.

OneWeb is already able to provide speeds exceeding 100Mbps and with sub-100ms latency. While impressive, OneWeb can’t...

19 September 2022 | Broadband

FCC authorises nearly $800M from RDOF to Nextlink, Starry and others

The FCC has announced the approval of nearly $800 million from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) that will go to providers including Nextlink and Starry.

Fixed wireless access (FWA) providers are the main beneficiaries of the RDOF fund as the FCC bets on their ability to achieve rural broadband availability targets.

"We are excited to partner with the FCC to deploy gigabit connectivity to households across rural America," said Nextlink CEO Bill Baker in a...

1 September 2022 | 5G

US Air Force hands SpaceX $1.9M for battle-tested Starlink services

The US Air Force has awarded SpaceX with a $1.9 million contract for its now battle-tested Starlink satellite broadband services.

As part of the contract, the US Air Force will use Starlink to support operations at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. SpaceX will provide Starlink terminals and service access for both fixed sites and mobile users.

Starlink is currently designed for use at fixed sites. A new ‘Portability’ feature was launched earlier this year – for an...

17 August 2022 | Networks

FCC rejects Starlink’s bid for RDOF cash

The FCC has rejected Starlink’s bid for a share of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).

“After careful legal, technical, and policy review, we are rejecting these applications.  Consumers deserve reliable and affordable high-speed broadband,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.

“We must put scarce universal service dollars to their best possible use as we move into a digital future that demands ever more powerful and faster networks.  We cannot afford to...

11 August 2022 | Broadband

Eutelsat confirms OneWeb merge plan

French satellite firm Eutelsat has confirmed plans to merge with British low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite innovator OneWeb.

Eutelsat operates 36 geostationary (GEO) satellites, of which the first launched in 2000. The high altitudes of GEO satellites cover large geographic areas but have slow speeds and high latency.

LEO satellites – like those operated by OneWeb, SpaceX, and Telesat – require larger constellations to provide adequate coverage but support more...

25 July 2022 | Networks

Jurassic Fibre unveils fibre network growth plans as Rishi Sunak visits headquarters

Rushi Sunak being given a tour of Jurassic Fibre's HQ.

Jurassic Fibre, a broadband internet network developer, has announced ambitious plans to increase the rollout of its ultrafast fibre network to cover 500,000 homes and businesses across 30 towns and villages in the South West by 2026.

The announcement coincided with a visit from The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP to Jurassic Fibre’s Devon headquarters in Honiton.

During the Chancellor’s visit, Michael Maltby, CEO of Jurassic Fibre, outlined the...

21 June 2022 | Broadband

Meta promised free internet but it ended up costing

Meta (formerly Facebook) promised free internet access to cash-strapped users in developing countries, but it ended up costing them.

The company profits from having as many people as possible online and using its services—so while the initiative is welcome to help individuals get connected who may not otherwise be able to afford to, it’s not entirely altruistic.

However, according to documents obtained by whistleblower Francis Haugen and published by The Wall Street...

26 January 2022 | Networks