Satellite Networks

The China Satellite Navigation System Management Office (CNSO) has reportedly revealed its roadmap to upgrade China's Beidou positioning and navigation system by 2035 by adding next-generation LEO satellites to the mix.

Satellite communications company Viasat has announced that it has successfully demonstrated direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity in Saudi Arabia for the first time, in conjunction with its ecosystem partners.

Thai satellite operator Thaicom said on Friday it has successfully relocated its recently acquired Thaicom 9A satellite to the 50.5º East orbital slot just a few days before Thailand’s rights to the slot expired.

SpaceSail, a Chinese low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite company, has signed an agreement to enter the Brazilian market. The signing took place during Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to the capital, Brasilia.

Eutelsat OneWeb announced on Thursday it has signed a new multi-year agreement with satellite solutions and services provider Q-KON to expand LEO satellite services across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the southern region.

Global communications company Viasat has announced the launch of a home and mobile broadband service in Mexico that, they say, will boost cellular coverage in the country.

LEO satellite operator Starlink says its satellite broadband service is now available in Chad after the government approved its licence to operate in the country.

Thai Airways and Turkish Airlines have signed on for Airbus HBCplus Ka-band satellite-supported broadband in-flight connectivity.

Satellite communications company ST Engineering iDirect, says it has been selected for the Phase Two expansion of Indonesia's Satria-1 satellite network.

The Intelsat 33e geostationary high-throughput satellite (HTS) covering Europe, Africa, the Middle East and parts of the Asia-Pacific experienced a permanent power failure on Saturday and has since broken up.

Satellite and terrestrial network operator Intelsat has unveiled a new satellite cellular backhaul service platform, located at  the Open Access Data Centres facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Data centre facility provider OADC is a division of core digital infrastructure solutions and managed network services company WIOCC.

Two UAE-headquartered companies, artificial intelligence (AI) pioneer nybl and Space42, which describes itself as an AI-powered spacetech company with a global reach, have unveiled what they call a first-of-its-kind satellite-enabled AI solution for oil and gas companies that, they say, will optimise oil wells’ efficiency and productivity.

Satellite communications provider Viasat announced it has tested direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity in India for the first time, in collaboration with state-owned operator BSNL. This move aims to expand satellite services for consumer and IoT devices globally.

A new report from Berg Insight, called The Satellite IoT Communications Market, addresses a market growing at what the independent industry analyst and firm describes as “a good steady pace”.

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly allocated satellite spectrum on a provisional basis to Eutelsat OneWeb and Orbit Connect India – Reliance Jio’s satellite venture with SES – to allow them to test satellite broadband services.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) is reportedly demanding a full review of Starlink’s operations in the country after the LEO satellite operator jacked up its prices without regulatory approval.

Telkom Indonesia's satellite subsidiary Telkomsat said on Monday it is partnering with vertical services firm Bhinneka Nusantara Mandiri (BNM) to use capacity from the new Merah Putih 2 satellite to accelerate digital transformation in the maritime sector.

Globe Telecom says it has successfully conducted a trial of Lynk Global’s direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service in Zambales as of a series of planned pilots to test the service’s viability in the Philippines.

Satellite operator Thaicom announced its subsidiary Space Tech Innovation Limited (STI) had signed a deal with SpaceX to launch a satellite to provide gigabit connectivity across the Asia-Pacific.

LEO satellite operator Iridium Communications said on Tuesday that it has teamed with critical communicationss provider Satcom Direct Brasil to provide Brazilian freight train operator MRS Logística with satellite connectivity for its railway operations.

Chinese LEO satellite operator Geespace and Malaysian telecoms service provider Altel Communications have agreed to establish an R&D centre to develop use cases for direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications technology.

SpaceX has reportedly said it plans to invest US$1.5 billion in Vietnam in the near future as an apparent sweetener to convince the government to allow the company to launch its LEO satellite broadband service Starlink in the country.

The market for Starlink’s LEO satellite services in Fiji is getting more competitive as Digicel Fiji began offering Starlink services for its enterprise customers on Tuesday, just two months after rival telco Telecom Fiji did likewise.

Global satellite player Intelsat has revealed a new satellite terminal strategy that it claims will make it the first satellite player to offer global multi-orbit solutions for all relevant verticals by the first half of 2025.

Chinese LEO satellite contender GalaxySpace has signed a deal with Hong Kong carrier PCCW Global to expand its market reach overseas by integrating its LEOsat connectivity with PCCW’s worldwide network.

Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) said on Monday that it has connected more than 100 rural base stations in Nigeria to Starlink’s LEO satellite network, which has resulted in a 45% boost in traffic on those sites.

In a rather unusual turn of events, a Kenyan lobby group has apparently filed a lawsuit against operator Safaricom, along with regulator the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), and Kenya’s Competition Authority, demanding that they allow satellite operator Starlink access to the Kenyan market.

Chinese LEO satellite operator Geespace said on Friday it has launched a third batch of satellites for its planned LEOsat constellation that it says now covers 90% of the planet.

Space X subsidiary Starlink reversed course and agreed to block access to fellow Elon Musk-owned company X (formerly Twitter), to maintain its satellite internet service in Brazil.

Highlighting an increase in natural disasters in the Pacific Region, Digicel Pacific and SES have announced an agreement to bolster Digicel Pacific’s network with SES's service to enable critical communications to be restored quickly in the event of natural disasters. This agreement is an extension of the companies' long-standing partnership.

LEO satellite operator Starlink has scored another licence in the Pacific Islands to offer services – this one in the Solomon Islands, after two years of discussions with the government.