AST SpaceMobile attracts investments from AT&T, Google and Vodafone

AST SpaceMobile has attracted significant investments totalling $206.5 million from industry giants AT&T, Google, and Vodafone. The investment includes $155 million as a strategic infusion and an additional $51.5 million to be drawn from the company's existing senior-secured credit facility.

This latest investment round underscores confidence in AST SpaceMobile's technology and its position in the emerging space-based cellular direct-to-device market. The company aims to...

19 January 2024 | Hot Topics

FCC rejects Starlink’s bid for $886M in subsidies

The FCC has denied Elon Musk's Starlink a hefty $886 million subsidy from the Universal Service Fund, allocated for expanding broadband services in rural areas.

The rejected bid, originally intended for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) program, faced criticism as the FCC deemed Starlink incapable of proving its ability to deliver the promised broadband service.

This decision echoes a similar move by the FCC last year, prompting an appeal from SpaceX, Musk's...

13 December 2023 | Legislation & Government

Airbus secures £95M for satellite in TRUTHS mission

Airbus has clinched £95 million from the UK Space Agency, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, to spearhead the TRUTHS mission's satellite design and development phase.

TRUTHS (Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial- and Helio- Studies) aims to revolutionise Earth observation and climate monitoring. The funding marks a crucial step towards creating a groundbreaking “climate and calibration observatory in space.” 

Airbus will leverage the...

4 December 2023 | Satellites

AT&T conducts ‘space-based’ call using a regular smartphone

AT&T has achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting the first-ever two-way audio call using satellites with a standard smartphone.

The call was made from AT&T in Midland, Texas, to mobile carrier Rakuten in Japan on a Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone using AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 satellite. 

Abel Avellan, Chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile, commented:

“Achieving what many once considered impossible, we have reached the most...

25 April 2023 | AT&T

OneWeb is ready to rival Starlink after weekend launches

OneWeb successfully launched 36 new satellites over the weekend, marking a key milestone for the UK-based outfit.

The successful deployment and contact of the satellites were confirmed by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) after a launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

“NSIL would like to thank OneWeb for believing in our capabilities and giving us this important opportunity to undertake the mission,” said Radhakrishnan D, Chairman-cum-Managing...

28 March 2023 | Hot Topics

Babcock awarded £400M contract to operate military satellites

Babcock and its partners have been awarded a £400 million contract to operate the Skynet military satellite communications system.

Skynet is the UK’s satellite system that enables communications to be sent from anywhere in the world back to the UK and its allies.

Defence Procurement Minister Alex Chalk KC said:

“Space is increasingly important for maintaining battlefield advantage.

The UK’s next-generation military satellite communications...

15 February 2023 | Legislation & Government

UK announces £50M satellite industry boost

The UK Space Agency has announced a £50 million fund to boost the satellite communications industry.

Funding from the initiative will be used for projects including satellite constellations, ground systems, and entirely new end-to-end systems.

Science Minister George Freeman said:

“Developing UK space capabilities and maximising commercial opportunities are key to the National Space Strategy, as part of our plans to become a leading power in space and build...

23 January 2023 | Broadband

Qualcomm and Iridium bring satellite-to-cellular services to Android

Qualcomm and Iridium have unveiled Snapdragon Satellite, a solution that brings satellite-to-cellular services to next-generation Android smartphones.

Snapdragon Satellite will support two-way messaging from pole to pole in remote, rural, and offshore locations.

“Robust and reliable connectivity is at the heart of premium experiences. Snapdragon Satellite showcases our history of leadership in enabling global satellite communications and our ability to bring superior...

6 January 2023 | Hot Topics

Vodafone working on satellite tech that can locate IoT devices within centimetres

Planet Earth as seen from Space.

Vodafone and Topcon Positioning Group are developing a new mass-market precise positioning system that will locate Internet of Things (IoT) devices, machinery, and vehicles with a greater degree of accuracy than using only individual global navigation satellites systems (GNSS).

Vehicles, scooters, and even robot lawn mowers can be securely monitored in real-time to within a few centimetres when connected to Vodafone’s global IoT network and using technology from Topcon which...

12 September 2022 | IoT

SpaceX and T-Mobile partner on ‘satellite-to-cellular’ service

SpaceX is partnering with T-Mobile on an ambitious plan to offer “satellite-to-cellular” service.

Connectivity will be provided by SpaceX’s second-generation Starlink satellites in combination with T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G spectrum.

T-Mobile says the “vast majority” of existing smartphones will be compatible with the new service. If all goes to plan, customers should expect “near complete coverage” across the US, including territorial waters.

"Our...

26 August 2022 | 5G