COVID-19 has heightened awareness of how critical telecoms infrastructure is for enabling economic growth, and how a lack of access disadvantages communities. It means funding is no longer the main constraint to deploying digital infrastructure in countries like the US, according to Sam Pratt, CEO of fibre deployment solutions provider Render Networks.

Amid a spike in demand for connectivity and supply, the challenge has..

Regulatory and spectrum challenges threaten to disrupt a satellite-to-device connectivity market that has been attracting billions of dollars to create new revenue streams. After the C-band auction in the US reaped record proceeds, added pressure on finite spectrum resources could make it more difficult to open new markets.

Direct and affordable satellite connectivity to mobile...

In stark contrast to frontier space, many traditional satellite companies have been under distress from a pandemic that has hit key markets such as aero and maritime.

However, those that fell into bankruptcy in 2020 are beginning to emerge with healthier balance sheets that position them to invest in high-growth parts of the connectivity ecosystem.

“I would expect to see some industry consolidation,” Mark Boggett, CEO of VC firm Seraphim Capital, told Connectivity Business. “The acquisition of...

Connectivity Business compiles the most notable M&A and financing deals across the various segments of the industry including mandated bankers and advisors.

Talk of SPACs and investor hype around satellite connectivity was prevalent during this year’s Smallsat Symposium, with late-stage funding routes becoming clearer for a sector that has for years fretted at conferences about a lack of exits.

But as a sense of urgency runs through the industry to avoid missing out on the action, caution needs to be taken to ensure the...

Surging satellite investment and financing activity helped push Telesat to officially enter the LEO broadband arena with a US$3bn commitment. The biggest procurement contract in the Canadian satellite operator’s 50-year history went to Thales Alenia Space, which aims to begin delivering the constellation they call ‘Lightspeed' for launch in 2023.

Years behind its initial schedule as...

Although increasingly inward-looking regimes are complicating market access for global broadband constellations, governments are also spending more in a satellite sector they see as a source of economic development.

The US$42m raised by broadband terminal maker Isotropic Systems includes equity and grant funding from the UK, which took joint ownership of LEO broadband operator OneWeb last year. The funding should help ease...

Gaming is proving to be a good bet for cloud connectivity and communications service providers as sales soar amid cross-sector alliances.

The global cloud-gaming market generated US$1.4bn in revenues in 2020, a mammoth 120% increase compared with…

SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) are becoming an increasingly important pillar for capex-heavy newspace. Startup Astra’s fast-track IPO is set to make it the first publicly traded space launch company – an accolade that had been anticipated for SpaceX before the SPAC boom.

But as ‘blank cheque’ firms help open newspace up to public markets, a social media-driven retail investor surge poses...

Investor appetite for digital infrastructure is ardent as deal sponsors eye the connectivity sector for M&A amid the expansion of data, streaming media and other services.

The interest in private equity in certain segments is a particularly buoyant trend as these firms are demanding about…

Mounting deal speculation and calls to rethink regulations for the 5G age are raising the prospect for a return to European in-market telecoms M&A. Industry warnings about Europe being left behind in an increasingly digitised world come as connectivity issues garner more attention than ever before.

A new regulatory and industrial model is needed as...

Big bidders are likely exploring reorganisation strategies amid increased debt loads as the FCC’s closely watched 5G spectrum auction advances to a critical stage.

Some connectivity players are hinting at the possibility of shedding assets to reduce debt, including…

Heaving investment activity marks the digital healthcare sector amid a splurge of funding and exits.

The bullishness of the sector amid the pandemic is so intense that mega-deals – those carrying values exceeding US$100m – have emerged as a…

The satellite-backed community Wi-Fi opportunity is coming into focus this year as governments accelerate digital divide strategies. As well as breaking open new businesses by significantly lowering access costs, this emerging market is helping broadband operators Viasat and Hughes Network Systems meet their global ambitions.

Both operators are busy ramping up...