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
The Iran Question…
Elon Musk announced on X that Starlink weapon systems are shut down when identified, and the next day SpaceX limited the maximum in‑motion speed for its Roam and Priority plans to 100 mph. The company simultaneously launched higher‑priced Aviation 300 and Aviation 450 plans that support speeds up to 300 mph and 450 mph, but require a passport scan and aircraft registration. Analysts link the abrupt change to concerns that Iranian drones, which recently struck U.S. personnel, may have been using Starlink connectivity. The move signals tighter security controls on the satellite‑internet service.
Hedge 298: The 6G Hype Begins
In this episode, Doug Dawson, a veteran telco engineer and blogger, deconstructs the hype surrounding 5G and warns that the same pattern is now repeating with 6G. He explains how the 5G rollout was driven by a manufactured "race" with...
A New Voice Feature
T‑Mobile is beta testing a real‑time translation service that supports fifty languages and is marketed as the first agentic AI platform on a wireless network. Unlike existing translator apps, the feature is embedded in cellular plans and runs from the...
10 Questions to Ask a Telecoms Provider Before Signing Up
The article outlines ten essential questions businesses should pose before committing to a telecom provider, covering network coverage, pricing transparency, service level agreements, data limits, and future technology roadmaps. It emphasizes scrutinizing hidden fees, contract flexibility, and the provider’s capacity...
Capitec Taking on Vodacom and MTN in South Africa
Capitec Bank announced it will enter South Africa's telecommunications sector, launching its own mobile and broadband services. Leveraging its extensive retail branch network, the bank plans to distribute low‑cost data and voice packages directly to consumers. The move pits Capitec...
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Botswana's BoFiNet Appoints New CEO
Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) has named Dr. Gaone Seleka as its new chief executive, succeeding Keabetswe Segole. Seleka brings a blend of telecom, fintech and academic experience, highlighted by a PhD in Business Administration. His mandate includes scaling the recently...
Ofcom Investigates Two Imageboard Sites over CSAM and Non-Consensual Images
Ofcom has opened an investigation into the provider of two anonymous image‑board services to assess compliance with the UK Online Safety Act. The probe focuses on whether the platforms have conducted required illegal‑content risk assessments and implemented safeguards against non‑consensual...
Jio, Airtel, Vi, Oppose Permitting Internet Providers to Offer DLCs, Seek Forbearance
Indian telecom giants Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and state‑run BSNL have formally opposed a draft regulatory change that would allow Internet Service Providers to offer dedicated leased circuits (DLCs) to enterprises. The operators argue that permitting ISPs to...
EE 8Gbps Trial Available to Sign up in Guildford/Woking
EE is rolling out a free XGS‑PON trial in Guildford, Woking and surrounding Surrey villages, offering up to 8 Gbps download and 800 Mbps upload speeds. Interested residents must register via the BT TrialCentre and will receive new fibre, an ONT and...
Wi-Fi 8 and the IoT Enterprise: What Next-Gen Wi-Fi Means for Connected Devices
Wi‑Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn) is being positioned as an ultra‑high‑reliability upgrade rather than a pure speed boost. It adds coordinated multi‑AP scheduling, tighter roaming control and lower tail‑latency to address the worst‑case performance that enterprise IoT teams chase. The standard keeps Wi‑Fi 7’s...
Rakuten Symphony, Lightstorm to Deliver Sovereign Network-as-a-Service Platform
Rakuten Symphony and Lightstorm have formed a strategic partnership to deliver a sovereign Network‑as‑a‑Service platform that merges Lightstorm’s Polarin NaaS fabric with Rakuten’s cloud‑native platform and orchestrator. The combined solution provides a self‑service portal for provisioning, billing, and performance monitoring...
Xiaomi BE19000 Pro Combines Wi-Fi 7 Speed With Integrated NAS Features
Xiaomi has unveiled the BE19000 Pro, a tri‑band Wi‑Fi 7 router that promises a combined wireless throughput of up to 18,656 Mbps. The device adds an M.2 2280 slot and a USB 3.0 port for built‑in NAS functionality, while offering dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports for...
Jio IPO Timeline Nears as $4 Billion Listing Looms
Reliance Industries is preparing Jio Platforms' mega‑IPO, slated for early 2026, targeting a $4‑4.5 billion raise by selling a minimum 2.5% free float. Analysts argue the tiny public float could force the shares to trade at a premium, potentially neutralising the...
Ericsson, Optus Partner on AI Model for Accurate 5G SA Coverage Prediction
Ericsson and Australian carrier Optus have launched a joint trial of an artificial‑intelligence model that predicts whether a device on one 5G Standalone frequency layer is also covered by another. The model, trained on months of live Optus data, can...
Why CPE Security Is Now a Strategic Imperative for Telcos
Telecom operators moving to all‑IP, software‑defined networks have pushed the security perimeter to the customer premises, turning CPE devices into exposed, internet‑facing nodes. Legacy firmware, slow patch cycles and overlooked set‑top boxes create easy entry points for attackers, exposing core...
Her Voice. Her Vision. Her Impact: Women Leadership in Telecom in 2026
Telecom Review’s International Women’s Day 2026 feature spotlights senior female leaders from Mobily, du, Huawei and Ericsson, illustrating how the industry’s "Give to Gain" theme translates into concrete actions such as sponsorship, mentorship and strategic project access. The executives argue...
CFX Download Catches Up with CableLabs
CFX Download hosted CableLabs EVP/CTO Mark Bridges to discuss the company’s new Quality‑by‑Design (QbD) partnership with Zoom, upcoming Tech Summit highlights, and future broadband innovation initiatives. The QbD collaboration aims to accelerate service design and deployment across cable networks using...
Mediacom in D.C.
Mediacom, representing ACA Connects members, petitioned the FCC to revise legacy rules that obligate cable operators to keep detailed signal‑leakage logs and make subscriber records available for inspection. The company argues that in today’s all‑digital networks, signal leakage incidents have...
Chinese State Hackers Target Telcos with New Malware Toolkit
Chinese state‑linked APT group UAT‑9244 has been compromising telecom service providers across South America since 2024. The campaign deploys three previously undocumented malware families—TernDoor, a Windows backdoor using DLL side‑loading; PeerTime, a multi‑architecture Linux ELF backdoor that leverages BitTorrent for...
Back to Books? Key Takeaways From NTIA Listening Sessions
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) held public listening sessions on Feb. 11 and Feb. 18 to discuss how to use unspent funds from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Analysts at Kaptivate compiled the comments, highlighting strong...
LinkWorx & Bivocom: A Parternership for Robust Industrial IoT
LinkWorx announced a strategic partnership with Bivocom, integrating its Multi‑SIM (MSIM) technology into Bivocom’s industrial wireless portfolio. The combined solution delivers automatic carrier selection and failover, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for IoT and M2M devices in harsh environments. Targeted sectors include...
Q&A: ATSC’s Luiz Fausto on Ensuring 5G Broadcast Delivery Via 3.0
ATSC is finalizing an amendment to its Recommended Practice A/327 that details how ATSC 3.0 broadcasters can interleave 5G Broadcast waveforms within the same RF channel. The proposal leverages ATSC 3.0’s built‑in time‑domain sharing mechanisms, requiring no changes to the core standard, and...
High Power Dual-Directional Coupler
The new high‑power dual‑directional coupler from MIcable operates from 1 to 8 GHz with 30/40 dB coupling and can handle 600 W continuous‑wave power. It delivers VSWR ≤1.4:1, insertion loss ≤0.4 dB, coupling accuracy ±0.8 dB and flatness ±1.1 dB, and a minimum directivity of 14 dB. The device...
Co-Packaged Optics and the AI Data Center: From Skepticism to Strategic Adoption
Co‑Packaged Optics (CPO) is being touted as a solution to AI data‑center bandwidth, latency, and power challenges. While hyperscalers such as Microsoft, Google, Meta and Amazon are already testing CPO to slash interconnect power by up to 40 % and enable...
Two Satellites in SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO Constellation Come Online
SES announced that the ninth and tenth O3b mPOWER satellites have entered service, raising the constellation to ten operational units out of the planned thirteen. The satellites were launched by SpaceX on July 22 from Cape Canaveral and use redesigned...
Shentel’s Commercial and Residential Fiber Drove a Shift in Its Revenue Mix
Shentel’s aggressive fiber build now covers roughly 427,000 homes and businesses, adding about 81,000 new passings each year. Commercial fiber revenue jumped 13.2% in Q4, pushing fiber services ahead of legacy lines, while residential broadband saw a modest dip but...
BSNL Indigenous 4G Built With TCS and Tejas Faces Call Drops, Connectivity Issues: Report
BSNL’s indigenously built 4G network, developed by a TCS‑Tejas‑C‑DOT consortium, is currently being tested nationwide. Early user feedback highlights widespread voice call drops, one‑way audio and false “switched off” messages, while data traffic remains largely unaffected. The rollout follows Prime...
City of Bellevue In Iowa to Sunset Cable TV, Citing Streaming Network Competition
The City of Bellevue, Iowa, announced it will discontinue its municipal cable television service on October 1, 2026 after nearly twenty years of operation. The decision cites mounting competition from streaming platforms and rising financial pressures. Residents were notified through...
FCC to Unlock Billions for Modern Broadband Infrastructure
Unleashing new infrastructure builds. For too long, regulations have actually *required* providers to keep communities on slow, aging, & outdated copper networks—instead of allowing them to invest and build the modern, high-speed ones that consumers want. The FCC will vote this month...
Open RAN Buzz Dominates MWC 2026 Conversations
MWC 2026: Here’s what people are saying about open RAN 🖇️https://t.co/C4S6nseYS7 🖇️ #openRAN #AI #MWC2026 https://t.co/mgewWl2Jtm
Spectrum Business Expands Suite of Services Offered to CALNET
Spectrum Business announced an expansion of its offerings under California's CALNET contract, adding managed network services and a unified communications suite powered by RingCentral. The move, approved by the California Department of Technology, gives state and local agencies access to...
Tesla Wins FCC Nod for Ultra‑Wideband Wireless EV Charging
Tesla Secures FCC Approval for Ultra-Wideband #Wireless #EV Charging by @IntEngineering #Innovation #EmergingTech #Tech #Technology https://t.co/UWndlAbFZ1
Orange Wholesale CEO: We're Not Looking to Sell Data Centers
Orange Wholesale CEO Michaël Trabbia told MWC that the French telco will not sell its roughly 75 data‑centre assets across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Instead, Orange plans to monetize the facilities by expanding colocation services for enterprise customers,...
AntennaWare’s Mission to Remove Monopoles for Wi-Fi HaLow Applications with Morse Micro
AntennaWare announced a partnership with Morse Micro to replace traditional monopole antennas in Wi‑Fi HaLow deployments with its low‑profile Bodywave™ antenna. The Bodywave™ design delivers 6‑12 dB higher link margins in non‑line‑of‑sight scenarios, effectively doubling range or halving power consumption. This...
How to Bring Private 5G to Life in Mining: A Five-Step Path to Safer, Smarter Operations
Private 5G is positioned as the backbone for digital transformation in mining, delivering industrial‑grade connectivity for automation, real‑time analytics, and safety systems. Operators face two practical questions: how to launch a trial and how to scale the network site‑wide. A...
GSMA MWC26 Barcelona Closes 20th Anniversary Edition
GSMA’s Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona marked its 20‑year anniversary, drawing nearly 105,000 participants from 207 nations. The event featured 2,900 exhibitors, over 1,700 speakers—including 40 % C‑level and 27 % female—and a robust ministerial programme with 188 delegations. Adjacent‑industry attendance...
MWC26 Barcelona Awards GLOMO & 4YFN26
The GSMA unveiled the 31st Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards at MWC26 Barcelona, adding six new categories that spotlight AI, fintech, and digital inclusion. Top honors went to industry leaders such as Apple for the iPhone 17 Pro, Huawei for UWB AAU infrastructure,...
MWC Barcelona 2026 Highlights
The GSMA’s MWC Barcelona 2026 highlighted three strategic "mountains": completing 5G, tackling AI with new Open Telco initiatives—including an Open Swahili Reasoning Model—and combating global scams. A €100 million ESA‑GSMA fund was announced to fast‑track space‑mobile convergence, while the Airport of...
GSMA MWC26 Barcelona Closes 20th Anniversary Edition
Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona marked its 20th anniversary, drawing nearly 105,000 attendees from 207 countries. The event featured 2,900 exhibitors showcasing AI, 5G, robotics and a record 40% C‑level speaker lineup. GSMA highlighted the broader ecosystem with 58%...
FCC to Allocate Spectrum for Emerging Space Activities
The FCC is outlining plans to provide spectrum for novel space activities, or what it calls "weird space stuff." https://t.co/blttdrzzp3
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SES, MTN Announce Projects to Connect Refugees in Africa
Mobile operator MTN and satellite provider SES announced initiatives to improve connectivity for refugees across Africa. MTN signed a multi‑year MoU with UNHCR, launching services in Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan, with plans to expand to other markets hosting more...
Circuits Integrated Hellas and Reach Power Sign Multi-Year Strategic MOU
Circuits Integrated Hellas (CIH) and Reach Power have signed a multi‑year memorandum of understanding to co‑develop integrated RF/mmWave and wireless power‑at‑a‑distance (WPDT) solutions. CIH will supply custom semiconductor designs, beamforming architectures and heterogeneous integration, while Reach contributes its proven power‑beaming...
Ethio Telecom and Ericsson Sign Landmark Network Expansion and Modernization Agreement
Ethio Telecom and Ericsson have signed a landmark agreement to expand and modernize Ethiopia’s mobile network. The project will upgrade 1,500 sites, add 2.8 million new 4G capacity and extend LTE to 276 towns, raising population coverage to 85 %. It includes...
Podcast: Iris² and the European Space Programme
Dominic Hayes, spectrum manager for the European Commission, discussed the Iris² satellite programme on a PolicyTracker podcast, highlighting its role within the broader European Space Programme. Iris² aims to provide a European‑controlled direct‑to‑device (D2D) communications network, offering an alternative to...
Nigerian Communication Commission Orders Telecoms to Report Cyber Threats Within 4 Hours
Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a Cyber Resilience Framework requiring telecom operators to report any cyber‑attack to the regulator within four hours of detection. The rule, effective February 2027, applies to major providers such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom...
The Rapid Evolution of Transport Lasers
Transport lasers have accelerated from 1 Gbps in the early 2000s to emerging 1.6 Tbps solutions today. IEEE standards progressed through 10 Gb (2002), 40 Gb (2010), 100 Gb (2010), 400 Gb (2017) and now 800 Gb and 1.6 Tb lasers are in limited deployment. Digital Signal Processing...
Nosh Launches eSIM to Power Global Connectivity & Borderless Digital Payments
Nosh has introduced an eSIM feature that lets users buy, activate, and manage digital SIM plans directly within its app, expanding the fintech’s services beyond digital asset trading and bill payments. The eSIM offering includes data‑only and full voice‑text‑data plans...
Autonomous Networks Evolve Into KPI‑Driven Economic Strategy
At #MWC26 one theme stood out at the @Ericsson pavilion: Autonomous networks are no longer just about automation. They are becoming an economic strategy, where intent-driven architectures align network behavior directly with business KPIs. My latest analysis. https://t.co/eC7D8S6bFP #AI @MWCHub @GSMA
LiveU Marks First Large-Scale Global Deployment of AI-Driven LIQ at Winter Games
LiveU deployed its AI‑driven LiveU IQ (LIQ) technology at the Winter Games, marking the first large‑scale global rollout for a multi‑venue sporting event. Broadcasters used LIQ for roughly 60% of live sessions, achieving a 36% increase in average bitrate and...
AI Is Changing How People Use AT&T Home Internet—And Helping Stabilize the Network
AT&T reports that consumer upload traffic is growing twice as fast as download traffic, driven by AI interactions such as voice, video, and code submissions. By 2025, this shift reflects a broader change in home internet usage patterns, with users...