Satellite operator SES has added two more satellites to its next-gen O3b mPOWER constellation that are also the first two satellites with new designs to address power issues in the first six satellites.

SES had put four mPOWER satellites in orbit before discovering in August 2023 that a design glitch was causing power modules to switch off, which shortens their operational life. Two more satellites with the same glitch were launched in April this year so that the mPOWER constellation could commence commercial service, which was already behind schedule.

SES says it has put mitigations in place to compensate for the power glitch in the first six satellites, to include adding two more satellites to the mPOWER constellation, which will now comprise 13 satellites instead of 11.

The two new O3b mPOWER satellites – which were launched on Tuesday by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida – feature redesigned payload power modules. The remaining five satellites based on that design are currently being manufactured and are scheduled for launch over the next 18 months, SES said.

SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh said the commercial launch of mPOWER service is already paying off for its customers, particularly in developing markets banking on LEO and MEO high-throughput satellites to connect underserved and unserved areas, as well as supply mobile backhaul capacity.

“Ever since the start of service of O3b mPOWER earlier this year, we have seen how it has become an integral part of the connectivity experience of our customers,” he said. “We have also learned a lot and have put all of those insights to work as we progress in our innovation journey to scale up our services and meet even the most sophisticated requirements of our customers.”

SES has signed mPOWER deals with operators in Ecuador, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, the Cook Islands, Senegal and other countries in Africa, among others. India’s Reliance Jio Infocomm plans to use O3b mPOWER satellites for its satellite broadband service JioSpaceFiber.

Ufone 4G, the mobile unit of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), said on Thursday it has partnered with local assistive technology startup ConnectHear for a GSMA-funded project that will use AI to improve disaster-response communications for deaf people.

Under the project – which is backed by funding from the GSMA Innovation Fund for Humanitarian Challenges – the two companies will enhance ConnectHear’s virtual interpretation services to function in low-bandwidth environments and develop an AI-powered system that automatically generates early warning messages in sign language.

Ufone said this will allow deaf individuals to receive critical, real-time updates during emergencies, bridging a critical gap in disaster communication. Ufone will also zero-rate the ConnectHear app on its network, so that even users with no data package or mobile balance can use it.

Syed Atif Raza, group chief commercial officer for PTCL and Ufone 4G, said the partnership will break down financial and technical barriers for the over 10 million people in Pakistan who are deaf or hard of hearing, who are frequently excluded from early warning systems due to communication barriers.

“By enabling AI-driven sign language alerts and providing zero-rated access to the ConnectHear app, we are removing barriers that often isolate vulnerable communities during critical times,” he said in a statement.

“By optimizing our services for low-bandwidth environments and generating automated sign language alerts, we are ensuring that deaf communities receive the life-saving information they need in real time,” said Arhum Ishtiaq, co-founder and CTO of ConnectHear.

Pakistan is becoming increasingly prone to weather-related natural disasters, according to recent reports that list Pakistan among the ten most affected countries by climate-related disasters.

This year alone, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the monsoon season from July to September has resulted in flooding that has displaced over 600,000 people. Two years ago, over 30 million people in Pakistan were impacted by severe floods in 2022 .

Phillipe Bellordre, head of GSMA Innovation Fund, GSMA, said successful implementation of the project will serve as a model for other countries and humanitarian organizations looking to improve disaster preparedness for vulnerable populations.

All the benefits of next generation technologies that are becoming available from the cloud won’t benefit anyone unless they are integrated into operations successfully.  From automation to AI, there are always resistance to change and fear of the unknown to overcome.  How does a large organization make the transition successfully? And what happens if they don’t?  With us today to talk about it is Farès Sakka, Director of Smart Industries, Americas for Orange Business. … [visit site to read more]

Pan-African service provider MTN Group has announced some key leadership changes among its operating companies and at its digital infrastructure business, most notably at MTN Group’s wholesale fibre optic subsidiary Bayobab.

Mitwa Ng’ambi, CEO of MTN Cameroon since September 2022, will move to the same position at MTN Côte d’Ivoire, effective 1 March 2025, as Djibril Ouattara takes early retirement. Wanda Matandela, chief commercial operations officer at MTN South Africa, has been appointed as the new CEO for MTN Cameroon, effective 1 March 2025.

Most significant perhaps is the announcement that, effective 1 January 2025, Mazen Mroue, MTN group chief technology and information officer (GCTIO), will assume additional responsibilities as CEO of Digital Infrastructure (Infraco). This dual role will incorporate the mobility and fibre businesses of Bayobab, along with executing MTN’s data centre strategy as the MTN Group positions itself for growth and profitability in the development of AI across Africa.

Since joining MTN in 1998, Mazen has held various senior positions within the Group’s regional operations in Africa and the Middle East and served as a board member of various companies within the MTN Group. 

What this means is that Frédéric Schepens, current CEO of Bayobab, will be leaving the group effective immediately. This is described by news resource ITWeb Africa as “a surprise move” – and indeed this departure has been the main headline for a number of African news outlets reporting these changes. 

ITWeb Africa mentions a number of setbacks this year – and certainly the conflict in Sudan the depreciation of the naira, and disruptions caused by multiple subsea cable cuts have been challenging. However, another news source, TechFinancials, reporting on Bayobab’s financial results in August, said: “In this challenging environment, Bayobab achieved a resilient financial performance”, and added that in the first half of the year it had secured a number of new fixed connectivity infrastructure deals

MTN Group, however, simply notes that the changes are “aimed at addressing succession, operational execution, and advancing the Ambition 2025 strategy”.

One equipment trial and three data center development project items to catch up with: … [visit site to read more]

UAE-based satellite operator Space42 announced on Tuesday it has signed a new AED18.7 billion (US$5.1 billion) contract with the UAE government to provide satellite services until 2043, which will also help fund construction of two new satellites in the pipeline.

Space42 currently has two agreements with the government – a capacity services agreement and a managed services mandate – that are in effect until November and December 2026, respectively. The new contract extends that arrangement by another 17 years to 2043, and also combines related operations, maintenance, and technology management services of ground segment satellite systems and terminals currently provided under a separate agreement.

Under the contract, Space42 will provide satellite capacity and related managed services with the existing Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites in orbit. The contract also covers capacity from Space42’s upcoming Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites, which will provide secure governmental communications across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

In fact, as part of the deal, Space42 said that it will receive AED3.7 billion in advanced payments from the government to construct Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5, which are expected to launched by SpaceX in 2027 and 2028, respectively.

That advance payment would cover most of the AED 3.9 billion Space42 has budgeted to develop Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5, including the spacecraft, ground segment infrastructure, launch, and insurance. The satellites are based on the Airbus Eurostar Neo platform, which can deploy flexible multi-band payloads in orbit.

“The Al Yah 4 and Al Yah 5 satellites will offer new capabilities to advance our technology and service offerings, enabling us to continue providing our innovative SpaceTech solutions that meet the UAE Government’s evolving requirements more efficiently, securely and reliably,” said Ali Al Hashemi, CEO of Yahsat Space Services at Space42, in a statement.

Space42 is the product of the merger between Yahsat, the UAE’s flagship satellite operator, and AI-powered geospatial solutions provider Bayanat earlier this year.

In related news, Space42 said that another planned geostationary satellite, Thuraya 4, arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida last week, where it will be launched into orbit by SpaceX before the end of this month.

In the pipeline since 2020, Thuraya 4 sports a 12 meter L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing. Space42 said this will provide advanced routing flexibility of up to 3,200 channels with dynamic power allocation over a large number of spot beams across Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Four items of international network news: … [visit site to read more]

With the rise of AI as a driving force throughout the data center infrastructure sector, we are starting to see effects beyond just space and power.  The ecosystem is evolving, and new, unique opportunities are arising.  With us today to talk about the changes is Sean Maskell, President and General Manager for Cologix Canada.  Cologix Canada operates facilities across the markets of Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. … [visit site to read more]

Telekom Malaysia’s enterprise and government sector digital solutions arm TM One announced on Monday it has formed a partnership with local property developer PR1MA Corporation Malaysia to leverage broadband, digital and IoT solutions to help build sustainable smart-housing projects.

Under the three-year deal, TM One will establish a centralised monitoring system for PR1MA’s project tracking and workflows, which it says will improve operations and resource management, and enable data-driven decision-making.

PR1MA will also utilise TM One’s IoT-based solutions for energy and environmental monitoring to lower operational costs and adopt sustainable best practices.

“This partnership supports the creation of connected and eco-friendly living spaces, aligning with PR1MA’s community-centric vision and Malaysia’s Smart City aspirations,” said TM One Executive VP Shazurawati Abd Karim. “By fostering future-ready ecosystems and sustainable urbanisation, we will jointly integrate digital innovation into affordable, high-quality housing.”

Mohd Nazri Md Shariff, PR1MA’s group CEO and Member of Corporation, said PR1MA will also leverage the operator’s solutions to embed smart-home solutions into its residential projects.

“Through this partnership, PR1MA aims to integrate smart solutions from planning to construction, ensuring efficient project management,” he said in a joint statement. “It will also enable our subsidiaries, PR1MA Communications and PR1MA Facilities Management, to provide sustainable connectivity and advanced technologies that enhance convenience, security, and quality of life for residents. These efforts will transform PR1MA’s developments into fully connected, smart communities.”

PR1MA Communications signed a similar deal with CelcomDigi in October 2024, when both companies signed an MoU to collaborate on providing fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fixed wireless access (FWA) solutions to PR1MA projects.

That deal also includes implementation of centralised network solutions, managed from a single data centre, to enable “real-time monitoring of bandwidth usage and provide seamless digital experiences at affordable costs”, according to CelcomDigi.