Advanced Television

starlink

New Zealand offers Starlink mobile service

New Zealand telco one.nz is offering clients a new collaboration with SpaceX to provide Starlink satellite to mobile service. Beta testing is available now for emergency messages. “When the service goes live, there will be a Starlink satellite to mobile service for far greater coverage than available now. Whether you’re out on your boat, climbing […]

February 12, 2024By Chris Forrester

Starlink cuts prices in South Africa

SpaceX’s Starlink broadband services is officially not allowed in South Africa. However, various reports suggest that it already has around 14,000 users. One report says that StarSat Africa, the Mozambique-based Starlink importer, will be servicing South Africa with equipment, is set to cut prices for Starlink equipment by 13-20 per cent by the end of […]

February 9, 2024By Chris Forrester

Starlink gets tough with Apple/Globalstar

Currently SpaceX’s Starlink system dominates satellite-based broadband and the potential for ‘direct-to-device’ (MSS: Mobile Satellite Service) communications. However, Globalstar is rolling out its smaller constellation and has Apple helping finance its expansion. The initial problem is that both outfits use the same frequencies (as does Dish Network). SpaceX formally complained to the FCC on February […]

February 8, 2024

Germany Military halts Starlink talks

Germany’s Military (Bundeswehr) has ended talks over using Starlink despite reportedly successful test usage by the Cyber Innovation Hub der Bundeswehr. The Bundeswehr, in a statement, said that there has been a disagreement on certain “key issues”. Other national governments are also refusing Starlink access. Additionally there are reportedly fears that Starlink might present security […]

February 6, 2024By Chris Forrester

SpaceX reveals Starlink laser capacity

SpaceX now has a mega-constellation of some 5,400 Starlink satellites in orbit. Some of these are its Version 2 craft with sophisticated laser links and extremely rapid inter-satellite links. The 9,000+ installed laser links amount to a massive throughput for the fleet which Starlink says is 42 PetaBytes (PB) per day or 1260 PB/month. There […]

February 2, 2024

Filing explains SpaceX’s Direct-2-Cell service

Chris Forrester There’s considerable interest in what various heavyweight suppliers might be doing in terms of Direct-2-Cell satellite telephony. Apple, Google, AST SpaceMobile and others, including SpaceX’s Starlink, are very busy in this area. A filing with the FCC from T-Mobile on January 18th (which is linked with Starlink) explains their intentions, and the practical […]

February 1, 2024By Chris Forrester

Zimbabwe threatens arrest to Starlink users

Zimbabwe’s Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has issued a warning to users of Starlink broadband equipment that they risk being arrested for the illegal import and usage of the kit. Zimbabwe has not licensed Starlink. The threat extends to companies and individuals who are importing or advertising the equipment. The regulator says […]

January 31, 2024By Chris Forrester

Starlink eating HughesNet subs

EchoStar-owned broadband-by-satellite service HughesNet has reportedly lost more than 30 per cent of its subscribers over the past three years with Starlink seemingly picking up the cancellations. Some of the comments suggest that for HughesNet subscribers “in a deep valley with limited potential visibility of Starlink” they will have to stay with HughesNet. Other HughesNet […]

January 25, 2024

Starlink set for approval in India

Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system is reportedly set to receive regulatory approval “in the next few days” for operation over and in India. The Musk-backed satellite business has reportedly agreed to comply with a key regulatory issue to not “offer services to a bordering country,” (likely to mean Pakistan). A separate Indian company would need […]

January 22, 2024By Chris Forrester

Forecast: FWA equipment spend to surge

According to a report by Dell’Oro Group, a source for market information about the telecommunications, security, networks and data centre industries, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has surged in recent years to support both residential and enterprise connectivity due to its ease of deployment along with the more widespread availability of 4G LTE and 5G Sub-6GHz […]

January 17, 2024