News

The five new Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are the first step in providing mobile coverage to ‘not spots’ across the USA

AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five BlueBird LEO satellites, which will ultimately form part of a constellation aimed at delivering direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity to mobile subscribers.

The five satellites carry antenna arrays that each cover around 700 square feet, making them the largest ever deployed by a commercial space craft.

For the next three months, the quintuplet will undergo various calibration testing, after which beta tests with AT&T (and likely Verizon) customers will begin.

Each of the satellites’ beams are designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps. and will target approximately 100% nationwide coverage from space with over 5,600 coverage cells in the US.

Initial coverage from the satellites will be limited; the devices will orbit the Earth twice a day, providing about an hour of combined connectivity across the US. AST aims to launch 17 additional satellites during Q1 next year, with plans for up to 155 to be built by 2030, which will ultimately provide global coverage.

“This is a pivotal moment for AST SpaceMobile as we bring our vision to enhance cellular connectivity globally, with the support of our strategic partners and the unwavering commitment of our team,” said Abel Avellan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “As we shift our manufacturing focus to increase Block 2 production of the active payload systems and other components for the first 17 Block 2 satellites, we are excited to bring this revolutionary technology to the world. We believe space-based broadband cellular connectivity will revolutionize how people connect, empowering communities and driving economic growth on a global scale.”

Both AT&T and Verizon have deals with AST SpaceMobile to make use of the satellites to deliver connectivity to ‘not spots’ across the country. The services will use the operators’ respective 850MHz spectrum and will connect to unmodified smartphones.

“This is an exciting next step to a future where our customers will only be hard to reach if they choose to be – giving them the power to go anywhere and the possibility to do anything while staying connected with just an everyday cell phone” said Jeff McElfresh, Chief Operating Officer at AT&T. “This moment has been several years in the making, and I am proud of our teams’ work, in collaboration with AST SpaceMobile, to help make space-based connectivity a reality.”

Exactly how the mobile operators will commercialise these services remains to be seen, but AT&T’s network chief Chris Sambar has previously hinted that the service will be available as-standard on premium packages or as a paid addition to cheaper packages.

Besides AT&T and Verizon, AST SpaceMobile also has partnership and investments from the likes of American Tower, Google, Rakuten, and Vodafone.

It should also be noted that AST SpaceMobile is not the only satellite operator to be eying D2D connectivity. Indeed, SpaceX’s more than 7,000-satellite Starlink constellation has plans to launch its own D2D connectivity services later this year.

Also in the news:
Meta resumes use of UK user posts to train its AI models
Verizon’s 4,800 job cuts will cost over $1.9 billion
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe

Four bits of infrastructure expansion news from the US and Europe: … [visit site to read more]

Kenya’s ICT Authority has reportedly launched an ambitious US$2.4 billion project to reduce digital inequality, modernise business processes, and improve the country’s digital landscape. But this isn’t the only digital transformation initiative announced in East Africa in recent weeks, as the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project may soon be rolled out.

The ICT Authority Strategy Plan 2024-2027, unveiled late last week, provides the framework for transformative projects including nationwide digital literacy programmes, the expansion of secure broadband infrastructure, and the adoption of e-government services. 

The US$2.4 billion plan also focuses on addressing connectivity access gaps and create a more equal digital future for all Kenyans. 

Dr Margaret Ndung’u, Kenya’s minister for information, communications, and the digital economy, states that her ministry is also moving on with its goal to enhance Kenya’s fibre network coverage nationally (100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable), establish 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, and develop 1,450 Digital Village Smart Hubs across the country. 

This news comes hard in the heels of an announcement last week that the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are set to commence implementation of the Eastern Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (EARDIP).

EAC is a regional intergovernmental organisation of eight partner states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa.

EARDIP aims to establishing a unified and comprehensive digital network that connects even the most isolated areas, promoting equitable access to digital resources.

In addition, the project seeks to harmonise digital policies and regulations, in order to facilitate smoother cross-border trade and communication, fostering greater regional integration and economic cooperation.

A comprehensive regional cybersecurity framework, including unified cybersecurity policies, sharing threat intelligence, and providing resources for capacity-building in cybersecurity skills, is also planned.

News 

The company initially received backlash back in June before an intervention from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) 

Meta has announced that it will begin training its AI models using public content shared by users on Facebook and Instagram in the UK, having paused the training in June due to regulatory clashes. 

The company intends to start this process in the coming months, with customers of their platforms to be informed via in-app notification.  

Meta argues that the use of this training will allow the company’s AI models to better reflect British culture, history, and language. In reality, of course, this is more about accessing the many millions of posts that will help to enhance their product offerings and maintaining a competitive edge against rival models. 

The decision follows discussions with the ICO after Meta paused its AI training in the UK to address regulatory concerns. Meta has since received clarity from the ICO, which confirmed that using public data under the legal basis of “Legitimate Interests” is acceptable. As a result, Meta expects its AI models to launch in the UK sooner than originally planned. 

Stephen Almond, Executive Director Regulatory Risk at the ICO has released the following statement:  

“Meta has since [since June] made changes to its approach, including making it simpler for users to object to the processing and providing them with a longer window to do so. Meta has now taken the decision to resume its plans and we will monitor the situation as Meta moves to inform UK users and commence processing in the coming weeks.” 

“We have been clear that any organisation using its users’ information to train generative AI models needs to be transparent about how people’s data is being used. Organisations should put effective safeguards in place before they start using personal data for model training, including providing a clear and simple route for users to object to the processing. The ICO has not provided regulatory approval for the processing and it is for Meta to ensure and demonstrate ongoing compliance.” 

Meta remains under scrutiny from various regulators over its handling of consumer data, particularly in Europe where the rollout of its Generative AI products remain paused as a result of regulatory inquiry.  

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Also in the news:
CMA questions Vodafone–Three merger after second probe
UK govt to class data centres as critical national infrastructure
Connected Britain 2024: The Award Winners

With the rise of the cloud and the growing influence of AI driving infrastructure decisions around the world, new entrants are emerging to build the next generation of internet infrastructure.  One such new entrant is Lightstorm, which has rapidly built out DCI infrastructure in India and Southeast Asia in just the last few years.  With us today to talk about Lightstorm’s approach to networking for the hyperscale era is CEO Amajit Gupta.  Prior to co-founding Lightstorm, Amajit helped run Microsoft’s cloud networking infrastructure. … [visit site to read more]

Data Infrastructure Trust (DIT) sealed the acquisition of American Tower-owned ATC India for INR210 billion (US$2.5 billion), making it the largest towerco in the nation, surpassing rival Indus Towers.

DIT, the tower arm of Brookfield Asset Management, stated that it had acquired around 76,000 sites from ATC India, expanding its portfolio to a total of approximately 257,000 telecom sites. This places it ahead of Indus Towers, which had a portfolio of 225,910 towers as of June 2024.

The Competition Commission of India approved the deal in August, and the terms and conditions of the buyout were finalised yesterday (September 12). The enterprise value of the acquisition stood at INR181.5 billion.

ATC India, incorporated in 2004, reported a turnover of INR121.6 billion for the full year 2023-24, an increase from INR87.6 billion year-on-year.

This deal marked Brookfield’s third acquisition in the Indian telecoms sector. In 2022, the asset management company acquired 6,300 indoor sites and small cells, and in 2020, it acquired 175,000 towers from Reliance Industrial Investments.

Arpit Agrawal, Brookfield Managing Partner and Head of Infrastructure for India and the Middle East, said: “Our expertise, rooted in our history as an owner and operator of high-quality businesses, is exemplified by our acquisition of ATC India. It complements our existing business and further strengthens our footprint, creating the largest tower portfolio in the country and one of the largest platforms globally.”

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India’s state-owned operator BSNL has reportedly started 5G trials in the country ahead of its imminent launch of 4G. However, mobile market leader Reliance Jio is looking much further ahead – to business cases that could monetise its (already launched) 5G network.

BSNL is said to be working with India’s Centre for Development of Telecommunications (C-DoT) to test 5G technology. C-DoT is also providing the network core for BSNL’s 4G network, a core that can be used for 5G.

BSNL is still pushing to launch 4G services in India, with the technology set to go live next month and hopes that it will boost a market share estimated at a mere 7.4% (86.3 million customers) as of May. According to local news reports, delays in launching 4G rollout have adversely affected BSNL subscriber numbers. The government has reportedly given BSNL a subscriber market share target of 25% to reach by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile India’s race to introduce 5G has already been won by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Both carriers launched their networks in October 2022. Third-placed operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) is still working towards its own launch.

However, Reliance Jio is even further ahead, already loooking on new approaches to monetising 5G. It has been reported by the Indian press that premium smartphone maker OnePlus and Reliance Jio have conducted a successful demonstration of 5G network slicing technology at their 5G innovation lab in India.

Using the recently launched OnePlus Nord 4 Android smartphone with network slicing technology, the R&D teams are said to have demonstrated how different applications can get access to dedicated network slices for enhanced 5G experience.

5G network slicing divides a physical network into several virtual networks, each tailored to specific needs. These virtual networks can have distinct features such as speed, bandwidth, security, and reliability based on user needs. It is one of the business cases considered particularly relevant for 5G and areas like private networks.

Both companies will now work on finalising the details to prepare for commercial deployment in the coming months. How the other two private networks will respond we’ll no doubt find out soon. BSNL meanwhile needs to get 4G up and running.

Five global infrastructure moves on three continents: … [visit site to read more]

Italian company Sparkle, an international telecoms service provider, has signed an agreement with Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Indian service provider Bharti Airtel, for additional capacity on a diversified low-latency route between Asia and Europe.

Under the agreement, Sparkle will provide capacity on the Blue and Raman submarine cable systems which will connect India to Italy. With this additional capacity Airtel will further diversify its global network across multiple international submarine cable systems to serve the growing demand for data services in India and neighbouring countries. 

The two companies will also work together on the development of new business opportunities and projects in the Indian subcontinent, leveraging their respective cable infrastructures.

Described as India’s leading and most trusted provider of ICT services, Airtel Business offers strategically located submarine cables, satellite networks and global networks across 50 countries and five continents. With more than 1,200 global carrier partnerships, the company says it enables its customers to connect across the world including hard-to-reach areas.

In India, Airtel Business offers a wide range of solutions that include secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cybersecurity, IoT and cloud-based communications to enterprises, governments, carriers, and small and medium businesses.

Vani Venkatesh, CEO of Global Business at Airtel Business, says: “We are happy to partner with Sparkle as we further consolidate our leadership in global connectivity. This partnership will further diversify our network with large integrated capacities to meet the ever-growing connectivity needs and data demand of our customers.”