AST SpaceMobile and Vodafone Form European JV
The joint venture, called SatCo, said in a statement that it has already received interest from network operators in 21+ European countries.
Satcom
Stories about the satellite communication industry.
IonQ Buys Capella Space For Quantum Comms Gambit
The all-stock deal valued Capella at $311M, according to SEC filings and yesterday’s $IONQ closing price.
Lockheed Martin Invests $2M in Farcast
Farcast’s technology aims to increase the US military’s satcom connectivity, especially for highly mobile troops. The company’s main competitive advantage, however, may lie in its high-quality user terminals produced at low cost.
Iridium Is Fighting Starlink and Trump’s Tariffs
Despite beating market expectations with first quarter revenue growth of 5% year-on-year, Iridium’s stock fell nearly 7% in the face of competition and trade wars.
NanoAvionics to Build Sats for SpinLaunch
The Lithuania-based company will build the satellites—which will be the first batch of a planned 1,200-satellite constellation—in its newly expanded production facilities in Vilnius.
Starlink Faces an Uphill Battle in Italy
Starlink’s potential five-year €1.6B ($1.72B) deal to provide the Italian government with secure telecom capabilities is in jeopardy.
What’s Next With The Head of Gilat Defense
Israeli satcom firm Gilat Satellite Networks is preparing to move hundreds of employees to the US as part of its new defense division, according to Gilad Landsberg, the head of the new division.
Rivada to Fly Outernet Demo Mission in 2026
The company announced plans to fly the first demonstration mission of its 600-sat laser-linked “Outernet” in 2026 and offer connectivity services by 2027.
UTVate Rebrands to Farcast to Expand Its Customer Base
UTVate, a CA-based startup developing next-generation user terminals, has changed its name to Farcast in an effort to attract a wider range of customers as it ramps up to full production next year.
CTO Unveils First Regenerative 5G mmWave Telecom Payload
Constellation Technologies and Operations (CTO), a Paris-based startup attempting to build a constellation of VLEO telecom satellites, announced its first tech demo flight aboard a D-Orbit ION sat launching in June.
New Satellite Constellation Companies are in Decline
The number of new satellite constellation businesses has sharply declined over the past decade as the space market matures and new startups struggle to find angles to differentiate.