Eutelsat Completes OneWeb Merger
Broadband wars are heating up.
Broadband
Stories about the broadband industry.
AST SpaceMobile Notches 5G Direct-to-Cell Success
Direct-to-cell technology has taken another step forward. AST SpaceMobile ($ASTS) announced yesterday that it successfully demonstrated 5G connectivity with an unmodified smartphone from space for the first time. Call incoming Direct-to-cell capabilities have gained traction in recent years, with several companies—including ASTS, Lynk Global, and SpaceX—working on incorporating the technology into their constellations. The technology […]
Astranis’ Arcturus Satellite Malfunctions
Astranis’ first satellite, Arcturus, has run into a snag in its mission to provide internet connectivity over Alaska from GEO. An anomaly with the solar array drive assembly, which is meant to keep the solar arrays pointed toward the sun, has left the craft unable to keep its payload fully charged. Despite the power problems, […]
OneWeb and Hughes Partner on In-Flight Connectivity
OneWeb is looking to cement its place in the IFC (in-flight connectivity) market through a new distribution partnership with Hughes that will add LEO broadband connectivity to its in-flight WiFi offerings. The partnership: Under the agreement, Hughes, which already offers IFC services to airlines, will utilize OneWeb’s constellation to offer LEO-specific connectivity. Airlines will be […]
Astranis Notches MicroGEO Success
Astranis, an SF-based GEO broadband startup, has successfully deployed its first satellite in orbit to begin providing capacity over Alaska. “Our MicroGEO satellites will help get millions of people connected to the internet through our commercial customers, and importantly they are a new tool in the toolbox for the U.S. Department of Defense as it […]
Starlink Users Are Happy With The Service
Starlink users in metro and nonmetro areas are relatively happy with the service, despite a slowdown over the past year, according to data released Monday by Ookla, which analyzes internet performance metrics. Starlink’s net promoter score (NPS), which measures customers’ loyalty to a brand by asking how likely they are to recommend the service, beat […]
Starlink V2 Minis Experience Issues
Starlink’s V2 satellites are having some issues. On Tuesday, Elon tweeted an explanation for observations that some of the V2 Minis launched last month have changed the altitude and eccentricity of their orbits: The new technologies: The Starlink V2 Minis are essentially trial runs for technology that will fly on the much larger final V2 […]
Rivada Contracts Aalyria Spacetime for Network Coordination
Earlier this week, Rivada Space Networks announced that Aalyria will help manage and optimize communications across its planned LEO constellation. Aalyria emerged out of stealth late last year, with a trove of valuable IP it acquired from Google parent Alphabet. Rivada 101 Last year, Rivada announced itself to the world with a splashy plan to […]
LeoLabs Announces Argentina Radar Site
LeoLabs announced that it has selected a site in Argentina for its next ground radar for remotely identifying and tracking objects in space. The new site, called the Argentina Space Radar (AGSR), is expected to be completed later this year. Keeping an eye on orbit: The Menlo Park, CA-based startup is building out a global […]
CesiumAstro Announces IFC Plans
CesiumAstro announced this morning that it is officially getting into the in-flight connectivity (IFC) market. The company is planning to test a flat active phased array payload that can connect with satellites in orbit more easily and effectively than current systems, and has several demonstrations aboard Airbus craft set for the coming year. Active phased […]
Predicting SpaceX’s 2023 Revenue
Ed. note: This analysis was authored by Mo Islam, Payload’s cofounder and a former Wall Street analyst. This is an educated best guess, not based on access to any SpaceX internal data or proprietary info! We’re attempting the impossible yet again: predicting SpaceX’s revenue. Before we get into Act 2—aka 2023—we’re revising our 2022 projections, […]
Sovereign Constellations Make Progress
For the past few years, news of Western private constellation buildouts has become commonplace. At various stages of maturity, these constellations are intended to provide broadband across the globe. Now, though, more nations are drawing up their own plans to bring that broadband capability within the hands of their own governments. IRIS2 The EU’s sovereign […]