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The satellite industry is delving into technologically advanced applications, increasingly large constellations and high-volume production to pave the way for increased flexibility of users in connectivity. A problem is that these trends are coalescing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the concomitant economic fallout, though one recent report suggests that the impact…  |
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Uncertainty shades 5G connectivity in emerging markets as the Asia Pacific represents a significant opportunity for the standard amid questions about the readiness of some regions. APAC embodies among the ripest sectors for 5G as mobile operators are set to invest more than…  |
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Activist shareholder action around US towerco Crown Castle highlights a wider connectivity debate, between those sticking to a pure-play ‘steel and grass’ business model and others pursuing diversification. Towers are seen as an attractive and resilient market for connectivity investors because  |
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The space economy has soared to record heights according to new research, but the upcoming Q2 results season will be the real measure of the satellite industry’s trajectory. Investors are especially keen to see how maritime and aero revenues have been affected, as well as guidance for those segments for...  |
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OneWeb will pursue US$1bn-1.5bn in further financing as the smallsat operator develops a next-gen payload and broadens its business strategy following its buyout, a source familiar with the deal said. The US$1bn sale of the UK-based bankrupt operator is likely to have global implications, with the biggest impacts to be felt keenly in the UK and India and more broadly in…  |
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Car manufacturers and other industrial companies are revving their engines for 5G private wireless networks, with more expected to give superfast connectivity a test run. Multiple approaches to 5G private networks are in the works, with Germany’s among the…  |
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A dedicated aerospace and satellite business unit under Amazon Web Services promises to be a galvanising force for connectivity, bolstering cloud capabilities that are behind accelerating digitisation trends. It signals a broader push by Amazon into the space industry, and comes as analysts expect cloud-based satellite services to...  |
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A battery of networks and technologies in connectivity is being developed to provide digital contact tracing, a new twist on an old tool, as concerns mount about the coronavirus. This includes deployments and collaboration among providers, such as an ambitious programme that would use smartphones to…  |
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A consortium that includes UK venture and private equity firm Unbound and Indian entrepreneur Shravin Bharti Mittal is bidding on bankrupt smallsat operator OneWeb, a source familiar with the situation said. Representatives connected to US entrepreneur Jeff Bezos were also in a…  |
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As MNOs urge governments to prioritise 5G rollouts in COVID-19 recovery plans, cybersecurity and data privacy came out as more important in research that suggests dimming enthusiasm for the standard. It comes as the US steps up efforts to reduce China’s role in next-gen networks, with the FCC designating Huawei and ZTE as threats to the country’s security. 5G came bottom of...  |
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The media segment is seeing mixed trends in demand and measures of growth but meagre investor confidence as the COVID-19 pandemic casts a wide shadow. The sector is in reshuffling mode as European satellite operator SES recently announced that long-time…  |
 Firefly Aerospace, the smallsat launch startup backed by serial entrepreneur Max Polyakov’s Noosphere Ventures, is shrugging off a recent test stand fire and pandemic-related disruption to carry out its first launch this year. As analysts forecast a major cull of newspace startups in the economic downturn, Firefly CEO Tom Markusic speaks to Connectivity Business about how it is not only tackling these pressures but expanding its offering, with spacecraft that will see it also compete with heavier lift launchers...  |
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The amount of satellite capacity contracting in the commercial and dedicated military communications sectors is likely to emerge as key amid an era of expanded defense spending. Several programmes in the US and other nations promise to drive increased spending for satellite communications for military use, including a new alliance in the UK to…  |
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Increasing applications of intelligent connectivity, private networks and the introduction of new technologies are forging ahead, pointing to a trend with sweeping implications for the industry. Intelligent connectivity is likely to be transformational, fusing 5G, AI and IoT into a hyper-connected ecosystem while…  |
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Team Telecom’s call to stop the first direct subsea cable between North America and Hong Kong sheds light on the recently empowered US multiagency’s priorities, and how it is remapping connectivity infrastructure beyond its borders. The first measure from the group of government agencies, since it was formalised in an April Executive Order, leaves Google, Facebook and other internet giants behind the renewed wave of undersea cable investments scrambling for alternatives...  |
