Satellite Networks

SpaceX’s LEO satellite operator Starlink has shut off service in Papua New Guinea – at least for now – and has reportedly withdrawn from the market amid ongoing legal tangles that have delayed approval of its licence to operate there.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Bahrain has announced the launch of satellite direct-to-device (D2D) services in the country, although ‘launch’ may mean ‘authorisation’ in this case.

Dialog Axiata announced on Friday it has signed a partnership deal with SpaceX to resell its Starlink LEO satellite internet service to enterprises and underserved communities in Sri Lanka.

Omani operator Omantel and Archangel Lightworks, a UK-based pioneer in optical and laser communications, have announced the signing of an agreement to accelerate the future of satellite and optical communication services.

Airtel Africa announced on Tuesday it has signed a deal with SpaceX to launch Starlink’s Direct to Cell (D2C) LEO satellite service across all of its 14 markets across the continent sometime next year.

UAE-based satellite firm Space42 announced on Tuesday it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Telkom Satelit Indonesia (Telkomsat) to explore ways to collaborate on direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity.

Veon-owned digital operator Beeline Kazakhstan said on Monday it has completed its field test of Starlink Direct to Cell (D2C) LEO satellite service ahead of a planned commercial service launch in the country next year.

Q-KON, an African provider of satellite communications, has signed a strategic trilateral agreement with China’s Guodian Gaoke, a low-orbit communication satellite developer and operator, and satellite communication terminals and antennas specialist StarWin.

Australia-headquartered satellite IoT company Myriota has announced the general availability of what it says is the world’s first commercial 5G non-terrestrial network engineered for IoT.

Telkomsat, Indonesia’s leading satellite service provider, has formally signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australia-headquartered satellite IoT company Myriota, to bring its connectivity and solutions platform to the country.

Amazon has started trialling its Leo (Project Kuiper) satellite broadband service with selected enterprise customers, marking the first phase of a broader commercial rollout planned for later this year to take on Starlink.

China has launched a two-year commercial trial programme for satellite Internet of Things (IoT) services, a move designed to expand low-Earth-orbit (LEO) connectivity and speed up adoption of non-terrestrial IoT across key industries.

Space Communication Technologies (SCT), Oman’s national satellite operator, has awarded a contract to Airbus Defence and Space, a major player in the aerospace industry, for OmanSat-1, the first Omani satellite.

The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has announced plans to collaborate with UAE-based satellite company Space42.

Mira Aerospace, the high altitude platform systems (HAPS) subsidiary of Space42, the UAE-based space technology company, has announced the successful completion of the first public test flight of its advanced, solar-powered HAPS model, ApusNeo18.

Eutelsat says it has signed a new distribution agreement with Angolan telecoms service provider MSTelcom, to deliver Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO connectivity services across key vertical sectors such as oil & gas and maritime, as well as fixed land operations.

It’s clearly been a busy week in Cape Town, where a number of deals have been announced at the Africa Tech/ AfricaCom event, including a strategic agreement between Vanu and Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

Eutelsat and pan-African telecoms network services provider Paratus Group say they have signed a new multi-million, multi-year agreement to expand delivery of Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite connectivity services across Southern Africa.

Vodacom Group revealed on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with Starlink to leverage its LEO satellite service across Africa for enterprise connectivity and mobile backhaul, although not yet in its home base of South Africa, where Starlink has yet to receive regulatory approval.

Thuraya, a subsidiary of Space42, the UAE-based AI-powered spacetech company, has announced the commercial rollout of its next-generation mobile communications satellite, Thuraya-4, in South Africa.

Satellite technology company Avanti Communications announced on Tuesday it has expanded its partnership with Türksat with a new agreement that aims to extend high connectivity solutions across Africa, particularly underserved regions in Southern Africa.

SES and Africa Mobile Networks (AMN) announced on Tuesday they have successfully upgraded over 200 telecoms sites across Côte d’Ivoire to deliver 2G and 3G mobile data services to over 500,000 people in rural and previously underserved areas.

Veon Group’s Beeline Kazakhstan has partnered with Starlink to deliver mobile connectivity across Kazakhstan, extending service to remote regions currently beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.

SpaceX’s satellite internet unit Starlink is reportedly in talks with operators in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to expand coverage to remote and underserved areas.

Satellite communications provider Globalstar has announced the addition of eight new six-metre C-3 tracking antennas to its ground stations across Brazil, supporting its third-generation mobile satellite services across Central and South America.

Multinational telecommunications corporation Orange and satellite operator Eutelsat have announced the inauguration of a new teleport hosting Eutelsat's satellite gateway in the Caribbean island Martinique. This strategic project aims to strengthen satellite coverage for the Eutelsat OneWeb constellation in the Caribbean region.

UAE-based Space42 announced on Wednesday that its next-gen Thuraya-4 satellite is now globally available for customers in Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, with new markets including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia.

Ukrainian telco Kyivstar said on Friday that it’s preparing to expand its testing of Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell (D2C) satellite service to all areas of Ukraine, apart from border zones, temporarily occupied territories and areas where fighting is happening amid the ongoing invasion by Russia.

Saudi Arabian telco stc Group announced on Wednesday it has signed a strategic agreement with LEO satellite operator AST SpaceMobile to develop direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity services across Saudi Arabia and select markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Communications and technology provider Liberty Caribbean, part of Liberty Latin America, has announced a partnership with satellite communications company Starlink to support emergency communications on the storm-hit island of Jamaica.

PLDT’s mobile arm Smart Communications announced on Tuesday it has partnered with direct-to-device (D2D) LEO satellite operator Lynk Global to provide its services in the Philippines, starting with basic text messaging over LTE.

EMIS, a provider of geospatial information systems (GIS) in Slovakia, and ICEYE, a leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data, have announced a strategic partnership to expand access to critical, near real-time hazard information for Slovak authorities.