Satellite Networks

Subsea cable provider Seacom tapped satellite firm Q-KON to enhance its LEO satellite services, and bolster the resiliency of its network across its footprint in Africa.

Global satellite operator Viasat announced on Thursday it has completed a trial in Brazil with ecosystem partners GuardianSat, Quectel, and Acceleronix to showcase direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity for the automotive industry.

GCT Semiconductor, a leading designer and supplier of advanced 4G and 5G semiconductor solutions, and mobile satellite and communications services provider Globalstar, both showcasing their solutions at MWC25, have announced a partnership to develop two-way satellite messaging systems for Globalstar’s mobile devices and modules.

International operator Orange Africa and Middle East (OMEA) and satellite operator Eutelsat have announced a strategic partnership to bridge the digital divide through satellite connectivity in Africa and the Middle East.

At Mobile World Congress 2025 on Monday, UAE-based Space42’s satellite mobility arm Thuraya launched its latest hybrid 5G-satellite smartphone, Thuraya One, as it continues to position itself in the direct-to-device (D2D) satellite space.

Satellite operator Eutelsat Group announced on Monday it has conducted what it says is world’s first successful trial of 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology over its Eutelsat OneWeb LEO satellites.

Indian media have reported that SpaceX’s Starlink will imminently receive clearance from the country’s authorities to launch satellite broadband services.

The chairman of Hungarian operator 4iG, Gellért Jászai, has revealed that he met with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to explore a potential deal involving Starlink and space technologies.

The role of satellite communications in keeping aircraft connected just keeps on growing. Satcoms specialist Viasat has announced that it is expanding its long-standing relationship with Aeromexico, Mexico’s global airline.

Space42, the UAE-based AI-powered spacetech company, has announced a strategic collaboration with FADA, an entity that is part of UAE’s EDGE, a technology company established to develop the UAE’s sovereign geospatial analytics capabilities, to significantly advance the UAE’s Earth observation (EO) downstream capabilities.

Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry is reportedly planning to crack down on scammers using LEO satellite services like Starlink to provide connectivity for their operations.

Thai technology company True Corporation has announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GalaxySpace, a leading Chinese company in the low Earth orbit (LEO) internet satellites sector.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX withdrew from a planned public hearing where it was set to propose a new licensing framework for satellite services in South Africa, drawing criticism from an industry body representing MNOs.

Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT said on Thursday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with aspiring Chinese LEO satellite operator Shanghai SpaceSail Technologies to offer multi-orbit services to MEASAT’s customers.

The European Commission has announced the Africa-EU Space Partnership Programme, an initiative, backed by a €100 million (about US$103.8 million) investment, that, the EU says, forms a critical part of its Global Gateway strategy to deepen space cooperation between the EU and Africa.

Vodafone Group has unveiled a new satellite connectivity service designed to eliminate coverage blackspots across its footprint.

Orange said on Tuesday it has launched a project to replace the existing satellite infrastructure of the Wallis and Futuna Islands in the South Pacific with connectivity from satellite operator SES’s O3b mPOWER system.

Telecom Namibia says it has restored the satellite feed for its Satlink VSAT platform after it lost connectivity in October following the failure of Intelsat’s IS-33e satellite.

Start-up satellite manufacturer and operator Astranis announced on Monday it has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch five more of its MicroGEO broadband satellites later this year.

Satellite communications provider Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) and Eutelsat Group, a global leader in satellite communications, have announced what they describe as a groundbreaking multi-year, multi-million-dollar partnership to deliver low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services in Nigeria.

Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has reportedly struck a multi-year, multi-million-dollar partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb to deliver LEO satellite services across Nigeria.

Satellite operator Arabsat says it has established a partnership with UAE-based digital and ICT solutions provide ZainTech to provide satellite-powered cloud, IoT, AI, drones, digital and data services across the MENA region.

UAE-based satellite firm Space42 said on Wednesday it has successfully deployed the second of its Foresight earth observation LEO satellites in partnership with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation operator ICEYE.

Indian space data company Pixxel says it is about to launch three of its six hyperspectral imaging satellites in a first for the private satellite market.

LEO satellite operator Eutelsat OneWeb says last week’s service outage that lasted for 48 hours was down to a software glitch in its ground segment that didn’t take leap years into account.

UAE-based Space42 says it successfully launched its Thuraya 4 (T4) geostationary satellite, which it says will be key for launching new services across Africa, Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East.

Before the end of 2025 Ukraine is expecting to be one of the first countries to have the Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service up and running, thereby enhancing the resilience of the country’s connectivity landscape, thanks to a deal between Starlink and local operator Kyivstar.

Satellite operator SES has added two more satellites to its next-gen O3b mPOWER constellation that are also the first two satellites with new designs to address power issues in the first six satellites.

UAE-based satellite operator Space42 announced on Tuesday it has signed a new AED18.7 billion (US$5.1 billion) contract with the UAE government to provide satellite services until 2043, which will also help fund construction of two new satellites in the pipeline.

Global satellite operator Viasat said on Wednesday it has demonstrated its direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity technology for the first time in the United Arab Emirates, marking its third such demo in the last two months.

Thai satellite operator Thaicom says that its subsidiary IPSTAR India has been granted approval by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) to provide broadband satellite services in India.

Chile is now home to an optical telescope for global satellite tracking coverage. It’s been installed and activated by Neuraspace, a leading name in space traffic management (STM).

Direct-to-device (D2D) LEO satellite operator AST SpaceMobile said on Monday it has signed a definitive ten-year commercial agreement with Vodafone Group to roll out its services in Vodafone’s markets worldwide.