Helios Towers expects satellite technology to complement terrestrial networks as data demand grows
AFRICA 31 JUL

Helios Towers expects satellite technology to complement terrestrial networks as data demand grows

Helios Towers has published a white paper detailing how communications infrastructure should evolve to meet surging connectivity demand across Africa and the Middle East. It says terrestrial networks will continue to provide core capacity but that satellite technologies will support them by providing backhaul service and filling coverage gaps. Over the past five years, data consumption has climbed six-fold on Helios' footprint, driving record tenancy additions in the first quarter of 2026. Driven by populat

Hispasat's Arganda del Rey teleport achieves WTA Tier 4 certification
SPAIN 31 JUL

Hispasat's Arganda del Rey teleport achieves WTA Tier 4 certification

The World Teleport Association (WTA) has granted Tier 4 Full certification to Hispasat's Arganda del Rey teleport near Madrid, the highest level in the industry body's independent assessment scheme. The designation, which will remain valid for three years, follows an on-site audit that validated the facility's infrastructure, redundancy and operational procedures against the programme's rigorous standards. 

Canadians expect reliable connectivity in remote areas for emergencies
CANADA 30 JUL

Canadians expect reliable connectivity in remote areas for emergencies

Rogers Communications has published new research showing that 8 in 10 Canadians expect connectivity when it matters; with no connectivity during an emergency causing two thirds of Canadians to abandon trips. The research was conducted to promote the Rogers Satellite service, which helps customers stay connected in areas without traditional cellular mobile coverage.

Azercosmos boosts satellite service exports by 54% in H1
AZERBAIJAN 30 JUL

Azercosmos boosts satellite service exports by 54% in H1

Exports of satellite telecommunications services by Azerbaijan's Space Agency (Azercosmos) totaled USD 13.1 million in the first half of this year, according to the July edition of the Export Review published by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, reports Report.az. The figure represents a 54.1 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025. During the January-June period, around 90 companies from 33 countries used Azercosmos' satellite telecommunications services. Compare

Brazil becomes Starlink's second-largest global market - Ookla
BRAZIL 30 JUL

Brazil becomes Starlink's second-largest global market - Ookla

Starlink has established Brazil as its second-largest global market, reaching 791,000 fixed broadband subscriptions (a 1.4% national market share) by May, according to Ookla research. Starlink has captured significant market share in both rural regions, where it holds nearly 10 percent of the market due to low fibre availability, and major urban hubs like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

SES confirms FY guidance despite 13% like-for-like revenue decline in Q2
GLOBAL 30 JUL

SES confirms FY guidance despite 13% like-for-like revenue decline in Q2

Satellite operator SES reiterated the full-year financial outlook published in early March despite a "softer than expected" performance in the second quarter, which it attributed to delays in the timing of certain contracts. Following a "solid start" to the year, the company now expects sales to accelerate in the second half. Second-quarter revenue declined across all business segments on a like-for-like basis, resulting in an overall decrease of 12.8 percent to EUR 755 million.

SES to provide multi-orbit Wi-Fi on 60+ LatAm Airbus, Embraer jets
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 30 JUL

SES to provide multi-orbit Wi-Fi on 60+ LatAm Airbus, Embraer jets

SES has been selected by LatAm Airlines to supply multi-orbit inflight connectivity across the latter's expanding fleet of Airbus and Embraer aircraft. Under the deal, more than 60 aircraft, including Airbus A320neo and A321XLR models as well as Embraer E195-E2 jets, will be fitted with SES services in the coming years.

Skywave to offer Iridium LEO satellite access for manufacturing IoT/OT services
GLOBAL 29 JUL

Skywave to offer Iridium LEO satellite access for manufacturing IoT/OT services

Iridium Communications is partnering industrial IoT enabler Skywave, an Orbcomm subsidiary, to equip manufacturing equipment with more resilient connectivity backed by its LEO satellite network. The partnership pairs Iridium's satellite capacity and Short Burst Data (SBD) service for IoT data messages with Skywave' satellite IoT terminals and its intelligent network orchestration interface OGx IoT. 

O2 Satellite supports wildfire response teams in Derbyshire
UNITED KINGDOM 29 JUL

O2 Satellite supports wildfire response teams in Derbyshire

Virgin Media O2 said that firefighters in Derbyshire have been using the O2 Satellite service to stay connected as respond to a wildfire near Tintwistle, an area with no traditional mobile coverage. O2 has provided Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service with 100 satellite-enabled phones, which are helping crews stay connected during the emergency response. 

Meo and Thales bid to supply ground gateways for Iris2 satellite network
PORTUGAL 29 JUL

Meo and Thales bid to supply ground gateways for Iris2 satellite network

Portuguese telecom operator Meo and defence technology group Thales are submitting a joint proposal via the Portuguese Space Agency to supply critical satellite gateway infrastructure for Iris2, Europe's flagship sovereign satellite constellation designed to rival Starlink, reported Economia Online. Under the bid, the partners plan to leverage existing teleports in Alfouvar (near Sintra) and Santa Maria (Azores) to route signals from the constellation into terrestrial networks. The 12-hectare Alfouvar facil

AT&T completes spectrum buy from Echostar for USD 23 billion
UNITED STATES 29 JUL

AT&T completes spectrum buy from Echostar for USD 23 billion

AT&T has completed the acquisition of spectrum rights from Echostar to help strengthen its 5G mobile network coverage. As announced in August last year, AT&T paid USD 23 billion for the 30 MHz of nationwide spectrum in the 3.45 GHz band and 20 MHz of nationwide 600 MHz spectrum.

Telstra expands satellite-to-mobile service to selected apps
AUSTRALIA 29 JUL

Telstra expands satellite-to-mobile service to selected apps

Telstra has expanded its satellite-to-mobile service to support selected apps, allowing eligible customers with compatible devices to use services including Apple Maps, Google Maps, AllTrails, WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Signal, Google Messages and weather applications when outside the operator's mobile network coverage. The service, launched in collaboration with Starlink, is available when a compatible device is connected to Telstra Satellite and has a clear line of sight to the sky. 

POLAND 28 JUL

Eutelsat and Poland sign MoU supporting Poland's participation in IRIS2

Eutelsat announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Poland to deepen cooperation in support of Europe's future secure satellite communications infrastructure under the IRIS2 programme. The MoU was signed in Warsaw by Jean-Francois Fallacher, the CEO of Eutelsat, and Tomasz Szymanski, the secretary of state at the Ministry of the Interior and Administration. The MoU complements the agreement signed on the same occasion between the European Commission and Poland on Poland's additional

ARGENTINA 28 JUL

Starlink to connect 6,000 rural schools in Argentina

Argentina's president Javier Milei said the government has reached an agreement with SpaceX's Starlink to provide satellite internet to 6,000 rural schools, as part of efforts to improve connectivity in underserved areas. The announcement was made during the 138th International Livestock, Agriculture and Industry Exhibition in Buenos Aires, where Milei highlighted satellite technology as key to reaching regions where traditional infrastructure is limited or unfeasible.

UNITED STATES 28 JUL

Telesat GEO to implement Upper C-band transition plan

Telesat GEO, subsidiary of satellite operator Telesat, is planning to implement its Upper C-band transition after the US FCC's adopted its Upper C-band Report and Order. This FCC order creates a framework for reusing 160 MHz of Upper C-band spectrum in the US for next-generation terrestrial wireless services.

UNITED STATES 28 JUL

Amazon Leo files FCC bid to launch D2D service by 2028

Amazon Leo plans to add another satellite constellation containing up to 5,105 regenerative direct-to-device (D2D) units, providing capacity for global D2D services in alliance with mobile network operators. At this stage, the company is filing an application with the US regulator, the Federal Communications Commission, with a view to commencing D2D services sometime in 2028. The announcement follows Amazon's definitive merger agreement with Globalstar in April, in which D2D expansion was cited as a key pri

SPAIN 27 JUL

Vodafone Spain backs 5G satellite research project at University of Malaga

Vodafone Spain has announced the deployment of new research infrastructure at the University of Malaga (UMA) to study the integration of 5G mobile networks with satellite technologies, as part of the 6G-Expanse project backed by EU recovery funds. The equipment builds on the university's existing testbed to explore non-terrestrial networks, including satellites and high-altitude platforms, together with software-defined radio systems, processing servers and a ground station for satellite communications.

UNITED STATES 27 JUL

SES, Eutelsat to receive over USD 6 bln for clearing upper C-band spectrum

Satellite operators SES and Eutelsat are set to receive a combined USD 6.1 billion for clearing upper C-band (3.98-4.14 GHz) spectrum in the US market. The incentive payments are expected to total approximately USD 5.6 billion for SES and USD 504 million for Eutelsat on a pre-tax basis, in addition to reimbursements for eligible expenses incurred during the spectrum-clearing process. The development follows the recent announcement by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of plans to auction 160 MHz

SPAIN 27 JUL

Starlink providing satellite mobile coverage for fire-hit users in Spain

Starlink, the satellite internet division of SpaceX, has confirmed the activation of its coverage for Movistar (Telefonica) and Orange Spain customers affected by a series of devastating wildfires to the south and west of Madrid. In a short post on X, Starlink said it is providing free connectivity to MasOrange and Movistar customers in the regions affected by the forest fires. It said families, communities and businesses with compatible LTE smartphones can stay connected via SMS even if terrestrial network

EUROPE 24 JUL

Latest two Galileo satellites enter service

The European Space Agency (ESA) said two new satellites have officially joined Europe's Galileo satellite navigation constellation, boosting system resilience and data continuity for billions of users worldwide. The satellites, dubbed SAT 33 and SAT 34, were launched on 17 December from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana and have since undergone months of in-orbit testing and validation.

NEW ZEALAND 24 JUL

New Zealand ISPs call for LEOsat regulation amid Starlink growth

The Internet Service Providers Association of New Zealand (ISPANZ) has called for greater regulation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers, arguing that Starlink's rapid growth could weaken competition and reduce the resilience of New Zealand's telecommunications infrastructure. In an open letter to the regulator, ISPANZ said the Commerce Commission should undertake a market study of the country's changing connectivity market. The association said Starlink had become the largest rural ISP and that fu

CAMEROON 23 JUL

Camtel holds talks with AWS on potential collaboration

State-owned operator Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) is in preliminary talks with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to explore potential collaborations in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and satellite technologies, Business in Cameroon reported. The move comes as Camtel seeks to broaden its digital service offerings and drive national digital transformation. An AWS African delegation comprising Raya Nassar and Terrence Naidoo recently met with Camtel CEO Judith Yah Sunday to discuss potential areas o

KAZAKHSTAN 23 JUL

Kazakhstan allocates over USD 20 mln for KazSat replacement satellite

Kazakhstan's government has allocated KZT 10.4 billion (about USD 22 million) from its reserve fund for the development of the KazSat-3R communications satellite, the press service of the Kazakh government said. The corresponding resolution was signed by the prime minister Olzhas Bektenov, reports Trend. 

SPAIN 23 JUL

Indra revenues surge 30% to EUR 3.2 bln in H1

Spanish ICT group Indra reported revenues up 30 percent year on year to EUR 3.18 billion in the first half of 2026, attributed to growth across all divisions, led by space (+403% following the acquisition of satellite operator Hispasat), defence (+156%), air traffic management (+15%), mobility (+2%) and technology (+4%). The state-backed company's net profit came in at EUR 219 million in the January to June period, up 2.1 percent year on year, while EBITDA and EBIT posted respective 72 percent and 51 percen

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