Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband internet constellation is up and running – at last. The first 27 satellites were finally launched into space from Florida on Monday after bad weather meant an initial launch attempt on 9 April was abandoned.

The satellites are the first of 3,236 that Amazon plans to send into low-Earth orbit for Project Kuiper, a US$10 billion satellite communications offering unveiled in 2019. It targets consumers, businesses and governments and takes on the already established Starlink service as well as global telecommunications providers like AT&T and T-Mobile. 

The mission to deploy the first Project Kuiper operational satellites has been delayed for more than a year. It is now expected to miss a deadline set by the US Federal Communications Commission to deploy half its constellation, 1,618 satellites, by mid-2026. Nevertheless, more launches are planned and, if all goes well, Reuters reports that the company has said it expects to begin delivering services to customers later this year.

It’s still a late start in a market dominated by Starlink and its launch services provider SpaceX. However, some reports suggest that Amazon executives feel that the company’s deep consumer product experience and its established cloud computing business (with which Kuiper is expected to connect) could give it a competitive edge over its rival.

Like Starlink, the company has positioned the service as a boost to connectivity in remote or rural areas – if end users can afford it. At the very least, a new player in the market might bring prices down.

As it is, Starlink boasts more than 5 million internet users across 125 countries, including a presence in more than 20 African countries, though, as we recently reported, not without courting some controversy.

Nevertheless, Reuters reports that Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos has voiced confidence that Kuiper can compete with Starlink. He apparently told the news agency in a January interview that « there’s insatiable demand » for the internet.

News

Delays to BEAD forced a Louisiana broadband construction firm to layoff 80% of subcontractors, according to the organisation’s co-owner

This article was originally published by Brad Randall, Editor of our sister publication, Broadband Communities

A broadband construction firm in rural Louisiana has been forced into layoffs due to BEAD delays, according to Josh Etheridge, the co-owner of EPC.

Etheridge, who founded EPC with his brother eight years ago, is the latest Louisiana business leader to sound the alarm on delays to BEAD, the nation’s massive $42.45 billion effort to deploy broadband to all Americans.

In a new letter, addressed to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Etheridge said EPC was ready to put boots on the ground to begin BEAD deployments on January 25.

Read Etheridge’s letter to Lutnick here

“But now? The market is frozen,” Etheridge wrote. “I’ve had to release 80% of our subcontractors. We’ve paused philanthropic giving, scaled back our chamber memberships, and sadly begun to make layoffs of our full-time employees.”

Since it was founded, EPC has grown to include more than 160 full time employees, Etheridge wrote. Additionally, he said the company had built a network of more than 150 subcontractors.

Now, Etheridge says even North Louisiana-based EPC’s at-risk capital builds are “pulling back.”

“We were poised for 300% growth,” he wrote. “We prepared accordingly. And now—we wait.”

Etheridge’s letter, given to Broadband Communities on Monday, calls on the administration not to let “bureaucracy unravel everything we’ve built.”

“If this continues, you will have effectively weaponized a great ambition—meant to lift up and transform rural America—against the very people who believe in this administration,” his letter continued. “We supported our newly elected leaders— with our money, our words, and our votes — believing you would support us in return.”

‘And now? We hear nothing’

Louisiana has been highly impacted by an ongoing review to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program called by Lutnick.

In 2024, Louisiana notably became the first to award BEAD funds through a state program called GUMBO 2.0 (Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities).

It was also the first state to gain approval for their initial BEAD proposal.

Now, Etheridge’s letter to Lutnick is the latest from a Louisiana executive that warns about dire impacts from Lutnick’s BEAD delay.

With the letter, Etheridge now joins the CEO of Louisiana-based SkyRider Communications and David Herring, the founder and CEO of ClearPath Fiber, as the latest company leaders sounding the alarm.

According to Etheridge, if the silence continues “it will say what no words ever could.”

“That we were never truly understood, that our sacrifice was never truly valued, and that our votes and voices mattered only when it was time to count them — not when it came time to honor them,” he wrote.

Like Herring’s letter last week, Etheridge stresses that Louisiana “did it right.”

He said his company “followed the rules and “ran a clean process.”

“No DEI mandates. Forty percent under budget. Tech-neutral. No labor strings,” he said.

Etheridge’s letter to Lutnick ends with the EPC co-founder telling Lutnick that “it’s not too late.”

He calls on Lutnick to “let Louisiana move forward.”

“Let EPC build. Let our people work,” he wrote. “Don’t let another generation lose faith in the promises we were raised to believe in. We are still ready. We are still willing.”

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Learn more about Broadband Communities Summit 2025 in Houston.

News 

Octopus Group, the investment group behind Octopus Energy, is preparing to make its move into the UK mobile market, The Telegraph reported over the weekend. 

According to the article, the company is exploring plans to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that could challenge the dominance of the UK’s current biggest four operators,  EE, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, and Three. 

Octopus’s mobile service would operate by leasing capacity from an existing network, instead of investing in its own infrastructure. Sources speaking to The Telegraph indicated that discussions have taken place via Fern Trading, Octopus’s telecoms investment arm, with at least one major network operator. The project appears linked to Y Corporation, a mobile provider owned by Fern Trading, which currently has a wholesale agreement with Three. 

Y Corporation is reportedly considering an eSIM-only model targeting both enterprise and consumer markets. Adam Dunlop, former head of TalkTalk’s consumer division, was appointed to drive the mobile expansion earlier back in January. 

The mobile push follows Octopus Energy’s success in the utilities sector, where it now supplies over 13 million customers, and has overtaken British Gas to become the UK’s largest household energy supplier. 

A new mobile service under the Octopus brand would complement the group’s growing telecoms footprint, which includes broadband providers such as Cuckoo and AllPoints Fibre. Fern Trading recently announced plans to merge several of its altnets into a single entity to strengthen its market position ahead of expected industry consolidation. 

The move comes at a key time for the UK’s mobile sector, with Vodafone and Three’s £15 billion merger set to reshape the market landscape. Should Y Corporation continue its partnership with Three post-merger, it would gain access to the UK’s largest mobile network. 

Join us at Connected Britain, 24-25 September in London. Get tickets here! 

Also in the news:
Diversifying the UK’s data centre landscape: a path to economic growth
Connected North: Thoughts from the show floor
Connected America 2025: Is there a US–China 5G rollout race?

MTN has revealed that hackers gained access to some customers’ personal information, but emphasised that the core functions of its business remained unaffected and fully operational throughout the incident.

In a statement, the company confirmed there was no evidence that the breach compromised its core network, billing systems, or financial services, all of which continued to function normally during the attack.

MTN acknowledged that the hackers claimed to have accessed data linked to a portion of its systems. However, it stressed that there is no indication that subscriber accounts or mobile wallets were breached.

The operator stated that it had notified the relevant authorities in South Africa to assist in tracking down the perpetrators, and that affected customers have been informed.

MTN did not disclose how many subscribers were impacted by the breach.

“The privacy of information is our top priority, and MTN remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of our systems and the trust placed in us by our customers and other stakeholders,” the company said. “We will continue to contain and manage this matter carefully.”

EdgePoint Towers, part of EdgePoint Infrastructure, a leading ASEAN-based independent telecommunications infrastructure company, has announced the successful launch of its first solar hybrid site.

The company describes this launch as marking a key milestone in its renewable energy initiatives and a significant step toward advancing sustainable energy solutions in Malaysia’s telecommunications sector.

The new solution provides up to 100% of the energy required to operate telecommunications equipment, reducing dependence on diesel fuel. With a 5.9-kilowatt peak (kWp) capacity, the site operates autonomously using photovoltaic (solar) energy, complemented by battery storage.

This deployment is expected to reduce the site’s annual carbon emissions by approximately 78%, while also ensuring seamless connectivity for travellers along the highway.

As Muniff Kamaruddin, Chief Executive Officer of EdgePoint Towers, points out: “Solar energy has proven to be an ideal solution for Malaysia, given its equatorial climate and high levels of solar insolation [exposure to the sun’s rays]. By integrating solar power into telecommunications infrastructure, we are reducing reliance on non-renewable energy sources, lowering operational costs, and significantly decreasing emissions.”

He adds: “Solar hybrid solutions are an adjacent focus area for us; it is a key part of our broader strategy of implementing innovative, sustainable solutions, driving an industry-wide transformation towards cleaner, more efficient operations, and we are optimistic about future collaborations with both mobile network operators and non-MNO clients to help them meet their green objectives.”

By the end of 2025, EdgePoint says it plans to complete more full solar or solar hybrid sites across the country, in which it has a significant presence. Indeed, 1,800 of it sites are in Malaysia, where it is the second-largest tower company. It is also the fastest-growing multi-country tower company in ASEAN, with 15,800 sites in its portfolio.

Global internet backbone and data services provider Arelion and Latin American network provider Gold Data have announced a strategic partnership to leverage dark fibre infrastructure.

The partners plan to connect Arelion’s point of presence (PoP) at technology solutions group KIO Networks’ MEX 5 data centre in Tultitlán in central México, with its PoP at KIO Networks’ QRO1 data centre in Querétaro in the north-central area of the country.

This collaboration, the partners say, underscores the two companies’ commitment to supporting Latin America’s economic growth through high-capacity, low-latency connectivity. The route is a completely underground fibre construction, allowing Arelion to provide high-availability, resilient connectivity services through Gold Data’s high-performance infrastructure.

Gold Data’s dark fibre route will be integrated into Arelion’s existing network, providing enhanced diversity for wholesale and enterprise customers operating between these key data centres. Arelion’s Querétaro PoPs also serve as centralised hubs supporting access to content and applications for customers in Guadalajara in the west, San Luis Potosí in eastern and central Mexico, and Mérida in the southeast.

Gold Data brings local expertise to this partnership through its extensive fibre-optic network across Latin America. Its collaboration with Arelion bolsters Mexico’s booming cloud, ICT and manufacturing sectors through reliable, high-speed connectivity services and digital transformation.

By strengthening diverse connectivity between KIO MEX 5 and KIO QRO1, Arelion and Gold Data say they are poised to meet Mexico’s demand for robust, scalable network solutions. This collaboration, they add, enhances service resilience in the region and advances the country’s position as a leading digital hub in Latin America. 

This partnership provides Arelion’s customers in the region with enhanced access to Arelion’s number one ranked global internet backbone, as well as Arelion’s portfolio of reliable, fully diverse connectivity services, including scalable IP Transit, Wavelengths, Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), Cloud Connect, Global 40G Ethernet Virtual Circuit (VC) and DDoS Mitigation services for service providers, content providers and enterprises.

Interviews

Connected North 2025 was an enormous success, bringing together key stakeholders from accross the North of the UK to discuss the digital economy and emerging technologies.

Total Telecom’s very own Kieran Murphy was prowling the exhibition hall throughout the event, speaking to innovators helping the region on its digital journey.

Check out his interviews below!

Gareth Cottrell from CoverUp Key 

Tiffany Shurr from Calix

Steve Morris from ACOME Group

Susan Wiseman from Hutchinson

Rosemary Kavanagh from NetworkUX – Inakalum

Steve Kingdom, CTO Fixed Networks at Xantaro

Paul Howard from TP-Link

Join the industry in discussion about all of the biggest topics at Connected Britain 2025 live in London, September 24-25

Interview

At Connected America this year, we caught up with Brooke Donilon, Vice President of Government relations at the NCTA – The Internet & Television Association to discuss unlicensed spectrum and how it can benefit consumers and businesses, spectrum policy in the US, competition with China and much more. Check out the full interview below!

Bharti Airtel has announced plans to expand its international roaming (IR) portfolio by introducing unlimited data bundles available across 189 countries.

Siddharth Sharma, Bharti Airtel’s Director of Marketing and CEO of its Connected Homes unit, said: “We have dramatically simplified our IR plans to truly redefine our value proposition for customers, giving them the freedom to use data and voice generously while roaming the world.”

The new offering also includes additional benefits such as in-flight connectivity, automatic activation upon landing, and 24/7 customer support.

Airtel has also introduced a new INR 4,000 recharge plan, valid for one year, which includes 5GB of international data and 100 minutes for overseas use. Domestically, the plan offers 6.5GB of daily data along with unlimited calls. The operator said the plan is designed to deliver a seamless and hassle-free experience for subscribers.

News 

The move is part of a major European Space Agency (ESA) mission launching later this month 

A satellite developed and built in the UK is set to become the first in the world to measure the structure and condition of Earth’s forests in 3D from space.  

Known as Biomass, the satellite will use radar technology to map tropical forests over a five-year period, helping scientists understand how carbon is stored and released by forest ecosystems.  

Current satellites can only measure the tops of forest canopies. Biomass, using long-wavelength P-band radar, will be able to penetrate cloud cover and foliage to estimate the amount of carbon stored in trees more accurately than any existing satellite. 

The data is expected to support climate change research, inform policy decisions, and contribute to long-term net-zero strategies. 

The mission was proposed by professors at the University of Sheffield and has been built by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage. It will launch from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, later this month. 

Since 2016, UK organisations have secured nearly €91 million in contracts related to the Biomass mission through ESA membership. The mission has involved more than 50 companies across 20 countries, with the UK playing a leading role in design, assembly, and testing. 

“The UK is back in the business of climate leadership and protecting the world’s forests through emerging and cutting-edge technologies is crucial to tackling the climate crisis,” said UK Climate Minister Kerry McCarthy. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom daily newsletter   

Also in the news:
Virgin Media O2 to continue 3G switch off in Norwich, Telford, Guildford and Torquay
Amazon reassesses data centre expansion
Investing in the North: How Virgin Media O2 is powering a more connected, inclusive future