Expanding rideshare capacity promises flexibility in uncertain times

16 June, 2020

Rideshare is an important tool for an industry dealing with uncertainty while waiting on smallsat launch providers to ramp up their operations.

An expanding partnership between mission broker Spaceflight and prolific satellite launcher SpaceX promises to add more capacity and flexibility to address one of the market’s greatest weaknesses: exposure to delays that are typically...

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Online channel focus helps Xiaomi escape global smartphone decline

2 June, 2020

An aggressive online channel focus helped China’s Xiaomi buck a trend that saw the global smartphone market’s worse ever decline in Q1 2020. With analysts predicting further shifts to online stores post-pandemic, its growth strategy will be closely followed by other vendors.

“There will be some geographic differences but I am expecting a more favourable mix towards online sales vs. offline,” Gartner research VP Annette Zimmermann told Connectivity Business. “As stores start to re-open...

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Digital infrastructure becoming its own asset class as investment surge looms

22 May, 2020

COVID-19 is accelerating digital infrastructure’s transition into a new asset class, and helping fan the flames of M&A rumours such as those surrounding UK-based BT’s Openreach fibre unit.

While Openreach’s CEO dismissed the reported talks, cableco Virgin Media  and MNO O2’s £31bn (US$38.4bn) JV plans have also been adding fuel to the deal-making speculation. “Digital infrastructure is no longer the...

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Satellite launch sites opening back up for business to clear packed backlogs

15 May, 2020

As many parts of the world begin to relax COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, satellite launch sites are ramping up operations to unfreeze business cases and unclog pressured supply chains.

Arianespace’s site in French Guiana plans to reopen in June after being closed since 16 March, while those that continued to operate – under caveats – such Cape Canaveral in the US are accelerating work after missions faced...

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