Ookla: Starlink is elevating in-flight Wi-Fi
Ookla Research today published a study of in-flight Wi-Fi. It found that Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways far outperformed other air carriers in their in-flight download and upload speeds. It is by no coincidence, Ookla says, that both Hawaiian and...
Telco M&A shows ‘remarkable’ resilience this year
Telecom M&A defies economic headwinds in 2025, says PwC Aside from the “mega deals,” a lot of smaller M&A moves are happening Private equity rethinks rural fiber bets amid BEAD changes Despite global economic uncertainty and rising interest rates, telecom...
Looming new BEAD rules slash hopes for faster deployment
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said a new BEAD funding notice is coming soon States will likely have to redo their grant proposals from scratch BEAD money probably won’t flow until 2026 or later, said New Street’s Blair Levin The wait...
AST SpaceMobile and the problem of delivering broadband from space
AST SpaceMobile will have 60 BlueBird satellites up by 2026 The firm is promising the launch of its next generation of satellites from summer this year Mobile Experts analyst Joe Madden finds that data from the BlueBirds will still be...
Hazardous waters lie ahead for the broadband equipment market
Broadband providers are likely to spend slightly more on satellite equipment than optical line terminals (ONTs) and optical networking terminals (ONTs) What was supposed to be a good year for the broadband access market is now up in the air,...
Is the OTT juice worth Starlink’s squeeze? Not really
Strand Consult thinks Starlink could enter the over-the-top service game in the coming years OTT features may include streaming/gaming add-ons or premium services on X But there’s really no need for Musk to create OTT services on Starlink when he...
Top 5 places you CAN’T use direct-to-device services
D2D satellite services are here and now But there are still plenty of places they won’t work We’ve compiled a list for you Direct-to-device (D2D) services between satellites and 5G — and even 4G — phones are actually something to...
With changes looming, NTIA sets the record straight on alternate BEAD tech
NTIA published its final rules on alternative BEAD technologies just weeks before the start of Trump’s second term Providers using unlicensed fixed wireless spectrum can apply for BEAD – as long as they use licensed spectrum as well Low-earth orbit...
Charter CEO thinks satellite has an edge in rural areas
Charter CEO Chris Winfrey shared some positive remarks about satellite broadband’s potential in rural areas The operator has already deployed a lot of fiber through RDOF, but it’s less enthusiastic about BEAD Despite the challenges in 2024, Winfrey remains optimistic...
New Mexico doesn’t want to just sit around and wait for BEAD
New Mexico wants $70 million to subsidize satellite broadband deployments, and Maine already stood up a similar program These satellite subsidies aren’t meant to replace fiber deployments, but BEAD program policy will likely undergo significant changes in the next year...