Most observers in the industry agree that there are far too many smaller would-be low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operators chasing broadband delivery and the ‘holy grail’ of direct-to-smartphone business. One consultant, Dr Tim Farrar (of TMF Associates) is blunt in saying “It’s quite plausible that rationality won’t return until the industry is in a […]

Seabourn’s entire fleet of six ships are now equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband technology for its customers. The upgraded technology provides Seabourn’s guests with faster service, greater connectivity and more reliable Wi-Fi. “Following the positive feedback we received from our guests from the successful rollout of Starlink’s enhanced connectivity on our expedition ships, we […]

Last week SpaceX launched six of its Starlink satellites with ‘direct-to-device’ cellular possibilities. The technology will allow Starlink to deliver direct satellite broadband connectivity on smartphones anywhere on the planet. The technology will also connect internet of things (IoT) devices with common LTE mobile standards. One consumer journal has already described these Starlink devices as […]

Analysts at CCG Consulting report that their examination of Ookla download statistics for satellite operators, and in particular SpaceX’s Starlink, shows a “significant improvement” in download speeds in Q3 2023 when compared with the position at the end of 2022. However, there are caveats. CCG says: “Starlink’s median download speed in the third quarter of […]

India’s government is proposing that satellite spectrum over the country will be assigned without would-be operators having to bid for the bandwidth. This rule, if enabled, will be a major advantage for the likes of Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Eutelsat/OneWeb and Elon Musk’s SpaceX/Starlink. The proposed Bill was tabled for approval in India’s parliament on December […]

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC, the UAE-based satellite solutions provider, has announced that its mobility arm, Thuraya Telecommunications Company, and its satellite broadband solutions provider, YahClick have signed a new service partnership to launch their mobility and data services in South Sudan in cooperation with the South Sudanese start-up Gate for Technologies (G4T). Through […]

Analysts at MoffettNathanson Research (MN), in a deep dive into prospects for Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband mega-constellation, are asking some tough questions. They point out that as well as being head-to-head with Elon Musk’s Starlink, along with other would-be players in the orbital broadband space, Amazon is also facing considerable criticism from its own shareholders […]

The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) has announced the release of its 26th annual State of the Satellite Industry Report (SSIR), a global summary of the commercial satellite industry. For a fifth consecutive year, the commercial satellite industry launched a record number of commercial satellites into orbit. A total of 2,325 commercial satellites were deployed during […]

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has signed a 10-year contract with the low Earth orbit satellite communications company OneWeb to build and manage its Satellite Network Portal (SNP) in Yellowknife, NW, Canada. This new SNP will deliver increased bandwidth, performance and resiliency to all OneWeb services currently active across Northern Canada. The new site will be […]