Today's Telecom Pulse
Deutsche Telekom weighs full takeover of T‑Mobile US
Deutsche Telekom, valued at roughly $167 billion, is considering a full acquisition of its U.S. subsidiary T‑Mobile. The plan would create a new holding company that owns both the German parent and T‑Mobile US, where Deutsche Telekom already holds a 52% stake. The proposal remains in early talks and would need approvals from the FCC and German regulators.
Also developing:
Astound Joins Dish Wireless Lawsuit Frenzy
Astound Business Solutions, a unit of Astound Broadband, filed a lawsuit alleging Dish Wireless refused to pay roughly $1.7 million in termination fees after cancelling 84 installed transport services. The complaint joins a growing slate of suits from tower and infrastructure firms that blame Dish’s claim of force majeure on EchoStar’s $40 billion spectrum sale to AT&T and SpaceX. Plaintiffs argue Dish cannot retain any proceeds from the transaction, which flow to parent EchoStar. Dish has indicated it will seek to consolidate the related cases into a single proceeding.
Bangladeshi Mobile Operators Warn of Network Failure Amid Escalating Energy, Fuel Crisis
Bangladeshi mobile operators warned the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission that a worsening electricity and fuel shortage could trigger a nationwide telecom outage. The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) said generators are running low on diesel and power...
Company Wants FCC to Reallocate TV Spectrum for Mobile
Landover, a telecom firm with U.S. and European wireless experience, filed a petition with the FCC to reallocate the 554‑608 MHz TV band for 5G and future 6G use. The company proposes to coordinate broadcaster relinquishment, repack the remaining spectrum into...
Best Rural Internet Providers for 2026
Rural America still struggles with reliable broadband, with many households relying on DSL, satellite or fixed‑wireless services that fall short of the FCC’s 100 Mbps benchmark. CNET’s 2026 roundup identifies T‑Mobile Home Internet as the most widely available non‑satellite option, covering...
Best Fiber Internet Providers for 2026
CNET names AT&T Fiber as the top U.S. fiber internet provider, citing its consistent speeds, strong customer‑satisfaction scores, and competitive pricing. About 52 % of the U.S. population now has access to fiber, with other major players such as Verizon Fios,...
Inside Nvidia’s Silicon Photonics Roadmap
Nvidia unveiled its next‑generation scale‑up system, NVL1152 “Kyber,” which will pack 1,152 GPUs—16 times the capacity of the current NVL72 rack. The machine, slated for the 2028 “Feynman” GPU generation, will combine copper interconnects with silicon photonics and co‑packaged optics...
Telstra, Optus, TPG Say UOMO Devised with Unrealistic Expectations
Australia’s new Universal Mobile Service Obligation (UOMO) bill requires Telstra, Optus and TPG to deliver voice and text services across 5 million square kilometres starting December 2027. The three carriers warned parliament that satellite‑to‑mobile (STM) technology, especially for emergency calls, will not...
Two U.S. Tourists Detained at Srinagar Airport Over Illegal Satellite Phone
Two American tourists were detained at Srinagar International Airport after security officials discovered an undeclared satellite phone in their luggage, a violation of India's telecom regulations. The incident spotlights the tight control the Department of Telecommunications exerts over satellite communications...
MBRYONICS StarCom Terminal Enables Terabit Per Second Data Transfer
MBRYONICS has won a €18.6 million (≈$20 million) award from the European Space Agency to develop its StarCom optical terminal for a terabit‑per‑second space‑based network. The terminal will be flight‑tested under ESA’s HydRON program, which seeks multi‑orbital interoperability with other laser‑communication providers...
Ovzon Launches New Mobile Terminal in Small Form Factor
Swedish satellite operator Ovzon unveiled the T8, an ultra‑compact mobile satellite terminal measuring 7.3 × 5.1 inches and weighing 4.6 lb, the smallest in its class. Despite its size, the device delivers up to 6 Mbps uplink and 96 Mbps downlink and runs on low power....
Senators Propose Update to Communications Accessibility Law
Senators Ed Markey and Ben Ray Luján, joined by Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick, introduced a bipartisan Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act to modernize the 2010 accessibility law. The bill expands captioning, audio description, and device activation requirements...
North Dakota Regulators Can’t Help Blumenthal on Data Center Oversight
Senator Richard Blumenthal asked state utility regulators for data‑center nondisclosure agreements, but the North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) said it does not regulate such facilities and can provide only limited information. The PSC is reviewing a $110 million power project...
USDA Seeks to Cut ReConnect Rural Broadband Grant Program
The USDA’s proposed 2027 budget includes a 19% cut to discretionary spending and would eliminate the agency’s ReConnect rural broadband grant program, canceling roughly $40 million in unobligated balances. ReConnect has been a primary source of funding for construction, upgrades, and...
AST to De-Orbit Satellite After Failed Launch
AST SpaceMobile announced that its BlueBird satellite, launched on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, failed to reach a usable orbit and will be de‑orbited. The company expects the satellite’s cost to be recovered through its insurance policy. The Federal Aviation Administration...
Chile's Entel Digital Launches Micro Edge Data Center Offering Alongside Zella DC
Chilean telecom operator Entel Digital has unveiled EdgeDC, a modular edge data‑center offering developed in partnership with micro‑data‑center specialist Zella DC. The all‑in‑one solution packs power, cooling, security and monitoring into a single rack‑sized unit, enabling data‑center capabilities at remote sites,...
Ericsson Hit by North America Telecom Slowdown, Geopolitical Instability
Ericsson reported a disappointing first‑quarter, with overall sales down 10% year‑over‑year and 29% sequentially, driven by a sharp slowdown in North America and a broad currency headwind. While organic sales managed a modest 6% YoY increase, the Enterprise segment fell...
Delta Air Lines Chooses Amazon Leo Over Starlink for In‑Flight Wi‑Fi
Delta Air Lines announced it will replace Starlink with Amazon's Leo satellite platform for its inflight Wi‑Fi, signaling a strategic shift toward tighter cloud integration and higher bandwidth. The move positions Delta at the forefront of a new era of...
Startups Push Orbital Data Centers as Launch Costs Fall Below $2,000/Kg
Startups are intensifying their push for space‑based data centers after launch prices dropped to under $2,000 per kilogram, making orbital computing more feasible. The trend leverages the cold vacuum of space, solar power, and emerging broadband satellite links to address...
AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab Spotlighted as Top Space‑Tech Equity Picks
AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab are being highlighted as compelling equity opportunities in the space‑technology sector. Both companies show robust revenue growth and expanding market positions, even as investors await the broader impact of a potential SpaceX IPO.
AOI Adding Manufacturing Capacity in Houston Area
Applied Optoelectronics Inc (AOI) announced a 388,000 ft² manufacturing expansion in Pearland, Texas, adding two adjacent buildings to its Houston‑area footprint. The new space will enable production of up to 700,000 800G and 1.6T transceivers per month and boost laser‑fabrication capacity...
AOI Receives New $71m Upsized Order for 800G Data-Center Transceivers
Applied Optoelectronics Inc (AOI) secured a $71 million upsized order for 800 G single‑mode data‑center transceivers from a major hyperscale customer, bringing total orders from that client to $124 million since mid‑March. The deal more than doubles AOI's backlog with the customer and...
Broadband Permitting Bill Delights Industry, Dismays Local Governments
The House is reviewing H.R. 2289, the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025, which would streamline permitting for modifications to existing wireless towers by exempting certain projects from environmental and historic reviews and imposing federal shot‑clock deadlines. The bill, introduced by Rep....
Interview: Freshwave CTO Offers AI-RAN Walkthrough
Freshwave Group’s CTO Tom Bennett says AI‑enabled radio access networks are feasible, but only if the underlying data infrastructure is ready. He argues that massive GPU deployments at cell sites are unnecessary; instead, high‑capacity fibre links should funnel RAN data...
France, Poland Combine on Telco Satellite Defence Project
France’s Thales Alenia Space, Poland’s Radmor and Airbus Defence and Space have signed an agreement to build a geostationary telecommunications defence satellite for the Polish Ministry of Defence. The satellite will deliver secure, cyber‑hardened communications and anti‑jamming capabilities, enhancing Poland’s...
Rogers Communications (RCI) Expands Satellite Roaming Coverage in the U.S.
Rogers Communications announced that its Rogers Satellite and T‑Satellite constellations now provide roaming coverage across the United States, letting customers stay connected where traditional cell towers are absent. Analyst firms trimmed price targets – Canaccord to C$55.50 (≈US$41) from C$57...
SatNews Maps Satellite Broadband Hotspots: Asia‑Pacific, Africa, Arctic Set for Explosive Growth
SatNews released a market analysis pinpointing three geographic hotspots—Asia‑Pacific, Sub‑Saharan Africa and the Arctic—where satellite broadband demand is outpacing terrestrial solutions. The report cites a projected 26.5% market share for Asia‑Pacific by 2026, a 64% usage gap in Africa, and...
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Launch Hits Off‑nominal Orbit, Spurring Engineering Review
Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch from Cape Canaveral placed its AST SpaceMobile payload in an off‑nominal orbit, triggering an immediate engineering review. The setback arrives as the company pushes for 8‑12 flights this year and faces mounting competition from SpaceX and...
Palestinian Activists Challenge Israeli Algorithmic Censorship and Surveillance
Palestinian activists are confronting Israeli government‑run algorithms that censor online content and enable surveillance, exposing the lack of an autonomous Palestinian internet infrastructure and raising questions about digital rights in the occupied territories.
Best Broadband Deals in Ireland – April 2026
Irish consumers can now compare a slate of April 2026 broadband offers through Switcher.ie, which highlights discounted contracts from eir, Vodafone, Virgin Media and Pure Telecom. The deals range from 100 Mb to 1 Gb speeds, with monthly fees as low as...
NTT Data Claims Africa-First 400Gbit/S Peering at Jinx
NTT Data has become the first network operator in Africa to activate a 400 Gbit/s peering link at the Johannesburg Internet Exchange (Jinx). The upgrade, built on 400‑gigabit Ethernet ports introduced earlier with Nokia, expands capacity, resilience and low‑latency connectivity for...
Fire-Safety Group Warns Against Relaxing Telecoms Installation Regulations
The Fire Protection Association (FPA) warned that easing telecom‑installation rules in higher‑risk buildings could heighten fire danger. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is consulting on relaxing Building Safety Act 2022 requirements for fibre‑optic and mobile‑mast work...
FCC Considers Reallocating Nine UHF Channels to 6G
D.C. Memo: @FCC Asked to Adopt Plan Taking Nine UHF TV Channels from Broadcasters for Reassignment to 6G Wireless; Ahead of @nabtweets show in Las Vegas this week, a group called Landover Saturn 5 is targeting ‘underutilized’ UHF spectrum amid...
Speed Obsession Ends; “Good Enough” Becomes Standard
The network superiority era is dead. If your strategy is still focused on being the "fastest," you are serving a fetish rather than a customer. Data shows the industry has hit the "good enough" threshold. 🚨📉
The End of ReConnect?
The USDA’s FY2025 budget proposal slashes discretionary spending by $4.9 billion, a 19% cut, and proposes eliminating the ReConnect rural broadband grant program. The agency argues that existing BEAD and other federal initiatives make ReConnect redundant, leaving only $230 million for new...
Meta Pours $200B Into AI, Trains Fiber Technicians
Meta has committed ~$200B on AI Capex. There’s such a shortage of fiber technicians, it launched a free training program with CBRE. Beginning to think Meta is behind that “Data Centre” game on Steam where you buy racks, set up servers...
Panasonic Avionics Targets 202
Panasonic Avionics in 2027 plans to offer a “truly global” multi-network LEO satellite-powered IFC solution — including across G7 and BRICS countries — by pairing two LEO-only ESAs atop aircraft fuselages to support service from OneWeb and China’s Spacesail. https://t.co/lKUdtEPHvt
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Telecom Namibia Hit by International Connectivity Failure
Telecom Namibia reported a network slowdown last week after external international routes failed, affecting mobile data and browsing speeds for some customers. The operator quickly redirected traffic, upgraded critical equipment, and increased capacity at key nodes to stabilize service. It...
Fastest 5G Hype Fades; Reliability Now Wins
Telecom is still selling “fastest 5G.” That era is over. When every network “just works,” speed bragging becomes expensive marketing, not a moat. 🚨🧵 #Telecom #5G
AT&T Scrubs Multiple Unlimited Plans, Drops Entry-Level Option
"These plans replace the AT&T Value Plus VL, Unlimited Extra EL and Unlimited Premium PL plans. The carrier also removed its Unlimited Starter SL plan, which served as the entry-level plan" $T via @CNET https://t.co/eWEddauQT7
AI Fuels Wireless Talent Shortage
Enterprise networks are grappling with a severe wireless talent shortage, with 86% of organizations unable to find qualified staff. The shortage is amplified by AI‑driven workloads and IoT expansion, driving operational complexity and higher security incident costs—averaging $21.2 million annually for...
USDA Budget Proposal Axes ReConnect Grant, Citing Duplication
"the proposed USDA budget...completely eliminates the ReConnect grant program. The agency argues that ReConnect funding would be duplicative since BEAD and other grant programs have eliminated the need for additional ... spending." via Doug Dawson https://t.co/sBhuULz9Bb
Wireless Is Now Sufficient; Speed Tests Are Vanity
The “best network” era is over. Wireless is now good enough, and speed tests became a vanity metric. 🚨📶🧵
Deutsche Telekom CEO Pitches Sovereign AI, 6G to Industry
Deutsche Telekom chief Tim Hoettges used his Hannover Messe keynote to champion a sovereign AI strategy for German industry and to preview the role of 6G. He argued that Germany’s strong industrial base, engineering expertise and data‑sovereignty ambitions position it to...
AI and 6G Converge to Shape Wireless Future
Patrick Halley, the president and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, discusses the top trends in the industry and how AI and 6G are poised to come together. @WIAorg #6G #AI @Light_Reading https://t.co/3Lg9h47LT0
EdgeBeam Partners with Soracom for Hybrid ATSC 3.0
EdgeBeam said it will tap into Soracom's 4G/5G platform to provide the terrestrial cellular end of a national hybrid network that will lean heavily on ATSC 3.0-based datacasting. @Light_Reading https://t.co/DNbYUGOawv
Satellite Launch Failure Hits AST SpaceMobile Hard
AST SpaceMobile’s second‑generation satellite BlueBird 7 failed to reach its intended orbit after launch on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, rendering the payload inoperable. The company says the loss will be covered by insurance, but the setback trims its 2026 deployment goal...
France to Use OneWeb and SatcomBw-4 Until Iris2 Ready
French @Armees_Gouv: @defis_eu #Iris2 constellation won't be ready by 2030, we'll use @EutelsatGroup #OneWeb until it is; we're looking at @bundeswehrInfo SatcomBw-4 as well for redundancy. @esa https://t.co/X0LJDmrh0y https://t.co/s5zObHgnqk
Zain Wins Opensignal’s Best 5G Network Award for February 2026
Kuwait’s Zain was named the best 5G network in Opensignal’s February 2026 Mobile Network Experience Report, leading nine performance metrics and posting a 328.8 Mbps 5G download speed. The award highlights Zain’s continued investment in network modernization and its competitive edge...
5G Surpasses 3 Billion Connections
Omdia reports the global connectivity market generated $333 billion in Q4 2025 and $1.3 trillion for the full year, marking modest double‑digit growth. 5G connections surpassed the 3 billion mark, a 34% year‑on‑year increase, with Asia accounting for 69% of those users. India overtook...
Amazon to Acquire Globalstar for $11.6 B, Expanding Satellite IoT Services
Amazon announced a $11.6 billion deal to buy Globalstar, securing 24 operational satellites, spectrum licenses and direct‑to‑device capability for its Leo network. The acquisition dovetails with an Apple partnership and positions AWS to offer satellite‑backed IoT solutions to remote enterprises.