Today's Telecom Pulse
SpaceX’s Starlink generates $3.3B in Q1 2026, 69% of quarterly revenue
SpaceX reported Starlink revenue of $3.3 billion in Q1 2026, representing 69% of its total quarterly revenue of $4.7 billion. In fiscal 2025, Starlink contributed $11.4 billion of the company's $18.7 billion revenue, while the launch segment generated $619 million in Q1 and $4.1 billion for the year. The AI division posted a $6.4 billion loss despite $12.7 billion in capital expenditures.
Also developing:
By the numbers: BizLink acquires Interplex Datacom for $850M
U.S. Government Bans Foreign‑Made Wi‑Fi Routers Over Security Concerns
The U.S. government announced a ban on foreign‑manufactured Wi‑Fi routers, citing national‑security concerns. The move immediately affects retailers and consumers, raising questions about supply‑chain adjustments and future regulatory actions.
Charter's Spectrum Loses 687,000 Customers, Cuts 313 Jobs as It Pivots to AI and Cox Deal
Charter Communications' Spectrum division shed roughly 687,000 cable TV and internet subscribers in 2025 and shut its Appleton, Wis., call center, eliminating 313 jobs. The losses have spurred a strategic shift toward artificial‑intelligence tools and the pending $34.5 bn acquisition of...
AI Takes On the Spam Call Epidemic
In 2025 Americans received roughly 29.6 billion robocalls, driven by large‑scale SIM farms that can place thousands of calls from legitimate numbers. These farms evade traditional filters, especially as scammers adopt AI‑generated voices that sound human. Researchers at Virginia Tech propose...
Huge Mobile Bandwidth Increase Needed as AI Use Surges
Thailand’s two largest mobile operators, AIS and True, will each require at least 100 MHz of additional spectrum to handle a surge in AI‑driven data uploads. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) intends to fast‑track a 3,500 MHz spectrum auction, slated...
AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird 6 Boosts Stock, Triggers 37% Pullback
AST SpaceMobile launched Bluebird 6, the largest low‑Earth‑orbit communications antenna, propelling its shares up 196% over the past year. A $3.9 billion financing round in February 2026 then pulled the stock back 37% to around $81, underscoring the tension between growth ambitions...
New Comcast Business Plans
Comcast introduced Total Solutions Advantage, an all‑in‑one bundle for small‑business customers that pairs high‑speed Business Internet with its Security Edge cyber‑protection. The offering launches with four speed tiers ranging from 300 Mbps at $60 per month to 2 Gbps at $170 per...
Fiber Frenzy
Comporium has launched fiber internet to over 500 homes and businesses in Transylvania County, North Carolina, delivering 1 Gbps speeds after completing a 64‑mile buildout. Meanwhile, California ISP Race Communications is allocating more than $200 million to extend its fiber network into...
Judge Pauses T-Mobile’s ‘Save Over $1,000’ Campaign
A U.S. District Court judge granted Verizon's request for a preliminary injunction, halting T‑Mobile's "Save Over $1,000" advertising campaign. Verizon alleges the ads falsely claim customers can save more than $1,000 annually by switching from its Unlimited Ultimate Plan to...
FCC Cable Rate Report
The FCC issued an order to begin its mandatory cable‑rate report, requiring randomly selected operators to submit detailed pricing data by May 29. The questionnaire covers subscription fees, retransmission‑consent charges and related costs, with historical retrans fees averaging $30‑$350 per subscriber....
In‑flight Wi‑Fi Fails; Hoping for Starlink Everywhere
I wanted to vibe code for 12 hours on this Korean Air flight but the internet is truly bad. Can't wait for @Starlink on all international flights.
I Turned a Spare Android Into a Wi-Fi Extender and It Fixed My Dead Zones
A homeowner repurposed a spare Android phone as a Wi‑Fi extender by enabling its mobile hotspot and positioning it between the router and dead zones. The phone’s hotspot can broadcast on 2.4 GHz for range or 5 GHz for speed, but it...
South Korea Puts 6G Inside Its National AI Push
South Korea approved a three‑year national roadmap that couples AI development with the rollout of 6G, aiming to place the country among the top three AI powers by 2028. The plan earmarks roughly $6.1 billion for 2026, including $1.26 billion for ICT...
Regime Blocks Internet, Silencing Iranian Citizens
The Iranian people have been without internet, the Islamic regime has had it and kept it from the people as a form of control.
Aer Lingus Launches Starlink Wi‑Fi on Dublin‑NY Flight
Aer Lingus passengers traveling from Dublin to New York JFK on flight EI105 today are the first to experience the carrier’s new Starlink inflight Wi-Fi https://t.co/aReJBNtST7 #paxex #pressrelease https://t.co/1ks7572jJ8
Starlink Is Taking Revenues Telcos Couldn’t Capture
Starlink has surpassed 10 million active subscribers, adding roughly 19,600 new customers each day since reaching the 9 million mark. The service is rapidly expanding beyond its traditional niche of rural, aviation, and maritime broadband. By contrast, traditional telcos face prohibitive costs—$3,000...
2026 SHTF Comms: Stay Connected With Last Ditch Satellites
The March 29, 2026 Survival Dispatch post outlines emerging satellite communication options for disaster‑ready individuals, focusing on low‑cost, low‑earth‑orbit (LEO) constellations marketed as “last‑ditch” links when terrestrial networks fail. It highlights new handheld terminals, subscription pricing under $15 per month,...
BSNL Boosts Daily Data Without Price Hike, Users Now Get More Data
BSNL has upgraded its Rs 485 (≈$5.80) prepaid Data Bonus Plan, boosting daily data from 2 GB to 2.5 GB while keeping price and 72‑day validity unchanged. The enhancement, offered at no extra cost, also retains unlimited voice calls and 100 SMS per day....
SpaceX Bidding Signals New Players in Future 5G/6G Auctions
The inclusion of @SpaceX as a possible bidder in @FCC Auction 113 is an important indicator - we should expect future 5G / 6G auctions to attract new classes of participant And regulators should encourage this trend I wrote about this...
Two Arrested in $100K Sonoma County Copper Theft Spree Targeting Telecom Lines
Sheriff's deputies arrested Michael Salido and Annette Evins in Santa Rosa, ending a seven‑month copper theft run that ripped $10,000 of copper and inflicted more than $100,000 in damage on telecom and utility infrastructure across Sonoma County. The case highlights...
Syria Eyes $1 Billion Revival for Postal and Mobile Networks
Syria has launched a $1 billion investment drive to modernize its postal service and expand mobile‑phone coverage, seeking roughly $500 million for each sector. European firms such as Poste Italiane and a La Poste‑CMA CGM consortium, along with Saudi, UAE and Jordanian postal operators,...
JioBusiness Looks Beyond Broadband with Its Managed Wi-Fi Push
JioBusiness is expanding its enterprise portfolio with a Managed Wi‑Fi service built on Wi‑Fi 6 technology. The offering promises secure, centrally managed wireless LAN for small to large enterprises, emphasizing scalability, low latency, and integrated security controls. JioBusiness highlights industry‑specific use...
Smartphones, Smart Choices: The Hidden Advantages of Daily Internet Packages
Bakcell is promoting high‑speed daily internet packages as a flexible alternative to traditional monthly data plans. The daily bundles prioritize maximum throughput during peak usage hours and reset the network handshake each 24‑hour cycle, which can improve connection stability. By...
ESIM Technology by Bakcell: The Future of Connectivity
Bakcell has launched an eSIM solution that embeds a digital SIM directly into compatible devices, allowing users to activate mobile plans instantly by scanning a QR code. The technology eliminates the need for physical SIM cards, supports multiple profiles on...
Researchers Turn Ocean Dead Zones Into Talking Skies for Pilots
European researchers in the EU‑funded ECHOES programme have proved that space‑based very high frequency (VHF) radio can deliver real‑time voice and data links to aircraft over oceanic airspace. Two low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, weighing 35 kg and 100 kg, relayed standard VHF signals, enabling...
AST SpaceMobile’s Bluebird 6 Antenna Spurs 196% Stock Surge Amid Funding Crunch
AST SpaceMobile’s launch of Bluebird 6, the largest LEO communications‑array antenna, has propelled its shares up 196% over the past year. The rally comes as the company raises $3.9 bn in new financing while posting a $340 m net loss, highlighting both investor...
EU Commission Cloud Platform Hit by Cyber‑Attack, Details Sparse
The European Commission confirmed that its cloud hosting platform suffered a cyber‑attack, though the extent of the breach and the number of users affected were not disclosed. The incident underscores growing security challenges for large‑scale networking services and could have...
U.S. Government Bans Foreign‑Made Wi‑Fi Routers Over Security Concerns
The United States announced a ban on the sale and distribution of foreign‑manufactured Wi‑Fi routers, citing national‑security concerns. The move targets equipment from several Asian vendors and could force a rapid shift toward domestically produced networking gear.
Stratospheric Airship Tested to Extend Mobile Coverage
Could cell towers 20 km in the sky expand mobile coverage? Sceye is testing its airship later this year, in the latest step toward a future network up in the stratosphere. https://spectrum.ieee.org/sceye-high-altitude-platform-station?share_id=9306593
Starlink’s Growth Falls Short of Optimistic Commercial Forecasts
Pumpers desperately want this not to be true because it would destroy their preferred narrative. But of course there's a commercial ceiling for Starlink, the only Q is where. And we are now starting to get enough data on growth...
48. Non-Uniform Antenna Arrays and Movable Antennas
In this episode Emil Björnsson and Eric Larson discuss antenna arrays, focusing on the shift from uniform, half‑wavelength spaced grids to more flexible, non‑uniform designs for future massive MIMO and 6G systems. They explain how massive MIMO works—using many more...
SpaceX Juggles Starlink Cash vs Amazon Competition
SpaceX has to balance two considerations: relying on Starlink revenue in the near term vs trying to undermine Amazon's desire to compete in the satellite broadband market
The 6G Podcast - HP Go's European Rollout, Cable Industry Challenges, T-Mobile's 5G Baseball Breakthrough, FCC's Router Ban, Turkey's 5G...
In this episode, hosts Onshilz Thaw and Mike Dano discuss HP's expansion of its HP Go cellular service across its entire laptop lineup and into 23 European countries, highlighting its potential to solve coverage pain points for mobile workers. They...
A Comcast Tech Support Nightmare – If Comcast Is to Survive, It Has to Improve Its Customer Service
Comcast’s WiFi Pro system with 4G LTE backup, sold as a safety‑critical solution, turned into a multi‑day ordeal for a customer whose autistic son relies on internet‑enabled alarms. The new modem repeatedly rebooted, the extender showed a persistent 4G‑setup error,...
B-Com’s Open XG Hub Targets One of Telecom’s Biggest Gaps: Turning Experimentation Into Deployment
b-com’s Open XG Hub is an end‑to‑end experimentation platform that links academic research with carrier‑grade deployment for 5G and future 6G networks. It offers a unified RAN, core, and multi‑band environment where partners can validate architectures, AI‑native functions, and non‑terrestrial...
Understanding Head-of-Line Blocking: HTTP/2 Vs. HTTP/3 (QUIC) in Production
Head‑of‑line (HOL) blocking stalls multiple data streams when a single packet is lost, a problem that persisted from HTTP/1.1 into HTTP/2 despite multiplexing. HTTP/2 still relies on TCP’s in‑order byte delivery, so a lost packet pauses every multiplexed stream on...
Sonoma County Copper Theft Spree Costs Telecom $100K, Two Arrested
Sheriff's deputies in Sonoma County arrested Michael Salido and Annette Evins after a seven‑month copper‑theft campaign that ripped telecom and utility lines, inflicting more than $100,000 in damage. The case underscores growing vulnerabilities in physical network assets and a coordinated...
SpaceX Poised for $1.75 Trillion IPO, Could Raise $75 Billion
SpaceX is preparing to file paperwork for an initial public offering that could value the rocket and satellite firm at up to $1.75 trillion and raise more than $75 billion, the biggest debut in history. The filing, expected within days, would bring...
GSME, Tarana Wireless Partner to Transform Wireless Connectivity
GS Microelectronics U.S., Inc. (GSME) has entered a strategic partnership with Tarana Wireless to provide dedicated RF‑Analog engineering support for Tarana’s transceiver portfolio and future road‑map. The collaboration will accelerate product optimization, validation and new releases, especially for Tarana’s Fixed Wireless Access solutions...
Nvidia's Networking Revenue Soars 263% to $11B as AI Data‑Center Demand Explodes
Nvidia reported a 263% year‑over‑year jump in networking revenue to $11 billion in the latest quarter, underscoring the surge in AI‑driven data‑center builds. The growth highlights a widening AI supply chain that now includes high‑speed interconnects, Ethernet switches and power‑management firms.
Govt Inflates Airwave Prices, Candidate Blames Corporations
Step 1: Government auctions airwaves to artificially inflate prices Step 2: Candidate uses inflated prices to show how evil corporations are - relying on the ignorance of the population.
91 Members of Congress Urge FCC to Set a Firm ATSC 3.0 Transition Date
A bipartisan coalition of 91 members of Congress sent a March 27 letter urging the FCC to establish a firm transition deadline for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). The National Association of Broadcasters praised the move and reiterated its push for a 2028...
New Zealand Boosts Digital Economy with Telecoms Reform
New Zealand is overhauling its telecommunications regulations, with a review recommending 22 changes to replace legacy rules designed for copper networks. The reforms aim to streamline levy calculations, modernise access and fibre rules, and cut bureaucratic overhead, potentially saving providers an...
Court Asked to Pause DEA-Related Lawsuit Against Trump, Pending Key Court Decision
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) filed a motion to pause its lawsuit against former President Donald Trump over the suspension of Digital Equity Act (DEA) grants. The DEA, a $2.75 billion program created under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs...
E-Power Inc. And Raytel Electronics Announce Strategic Alliance to Launch Next-Generation 800G and 1.6T High-Speed Optical Modules for U.S. AI...
E-Power Inc. and Raytel Electronics have formed a strategic alliance to co‑launch 800‑gigabit and 1.6‑terabit optical modules for U.S. AI data centers. The partnership blends Raytel’s high‑speed optical technology with E‑Power’s microgrid and anode‑based storage solutions, creating a combined data‑flow...
Starlink's India Commercial Launch Imminent, Defense Potential Discussed
I was told by several people at the SatShow this week that Starlink's commercial launch in India is imminent (next few weeks). I wonder about defense applications too
SpaceX Paid per Active Users, Not Subscription Count
Silly numbers, especially when you can see that SpaceX gets paid on the number of users (currently 10M per month) not on the number of mobile subs with access to the service (>10x that number)
UK Tightens National Security Rules for Telecom Infrastructure
On 12 March 2026 the UK government issued its response to a July 2025 consultation, tightening the National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) rules through revised Notifiable Acquisition Regulations (NARs). The revisions break down the advanced‑materials schedule, add water to the scope, and...
Edge Control Shrinks Detection Gap, Stops Downtime
Most infrastructure failures don’t announce themselves. They build, millisecond by millisecond. Edge Control processes data at the source, shrinking the gap between detection and response — the space where downtime takes hold. @TMobileBusiness Partner https://t.co/bNhEwQDAef
NTIA Planning to Finish BEAD Approvals by May
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has set a May 2026 deadline to approve the remaining state broadband spending plans under the $42.45 billion BEAD program. California, Illinois and Oklahoma are the only states still awaiting approval, while 45 states...
Weekly Brief – 27/03/2026
Starlink has introduced a promotional $32/month (≈£25) satellite broadband plan, offering a $13/month discount for new customers who sign up before the end of April 2026. CityFibre is piloting BUKO’s traffic‑management system in Worthing, using sat‑nav data and Meta platforms...