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
Argentina Broadband Market 2026: Best ISPs, Fiber Internet Speeds, FTTH Expansion and Gigabit Broadband Plans
Argentina’s broadband market is undergoing a rapid transformation in 2026 as operators pour roughly $1 billion and $200 million into FTTH deployment, pushing the sector’s value to about $6.19 billion. Median fixed‑line speeds have climbed to 113 Mbps, with premium fiber users seeing 194 Mbps download and 126 Mbps upload rates and latency near 10 ms. Personal remains the dominant ISP with 37‑40% market share, while Movistar posts the fastest speeds and Claro gains attention with deep‑discounted plans. Fiber adoption is expanding at 9.84% annually, outpacing overall subscriber growth of 3.17%.
Ukraine Broadband Market 2026: Best ISPs, GPON Fiber Internet, Gigabit Broadband and Resilient Connectivity
Ukraine’s fixed broadband market has become a benchmark for resilience, with GPON fiber now serving 53.9% of connections and the sector valued at roughly $1.96 billion. Ukrtelecom leads with a 16‑18% share, having migrated over 3.3 million users to fiber and deployed...
Canada Unveils $5.5 Million Quantum Networking Challenge to Accelerate Quantum Repeaters
Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development department has opened a CAD$5.5 million (≈US$4 million) Quantum Networking Challenge, seeking proposals that can demonstrate quantum repeaters capable of extending entanglement beyond direct‑transmission limits. The competition, running May 21‑July 2, targets early‑stage studies and advanced prototypes, signaling...
Orange and Nokia Hit 3.17 Gb/S in Poland’s First 6 GHz Mobile Trial
Orange, partnering with Nokia, completed a live 6 GHz field trial in Poland that delivered a sustained 3.17 Gb/s downlink using a 200 MHz channel. The result, more than twice the peak of today’s commercial 5G, signals a concrete step toward large‑scale 6 GHz...
SpaceX Accuses AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon of Colluding to Block Starlink Mobile
SpaceX has publicly accused the three largest U.S. wireless carriers of colluding to impede its Starlink Mobile satellite broadband rollout. The claim follows SpaceX's recent $20 billion spectrum acquisition with EchoStar and comes as the carriers announce a joint venture to...
Verizon Deploys Anthropic’s Claude Mythos AI to Hunt Network Vulnerabilities
Verizon announced on May 15 that it will use Anthropic’s restricted‑access Claude Mythos Preview model to scan its network for zero‑day vulnerabilities. The move makes Verizon the first major U.S. telecom to field a frontier large‑language model for real‑time security,...
Simba's $1.43 Bn (≈$1.0 Bn) M1 Deal Falls Apart, Singtel Shares Slide
Simba's parent Tuas Limited terminated its $1.43 bn (about $1.0 bn USD) offer for M1 after the Infocomm Media Development Authority suspended its merger review. The collapse sent Singtel shares lower and renewed debate over telecom consolidation in Singapore.
Delta Could Have Had the World’s Best Wi-Fi. It Chose Something Else Instead
Delta plans to launch a new in‑flight Wi‑Fi system in 2028 that blends geostationary and low‑Earth‑orbit satellite capacity, lagging United’s Starlink‑based service by about two years. United logged 167,000 flights and 3.7 million device connections on 344 Starlink‑equipped aircraft in Q1 2026,...
Saudi Arabia Broadband Market 2026: Best ISPs, Fiber Internet Speeds, 5G Home Broadband and Gigabit Plans
Saudi Arabia’s fixed broadband market, valued at roughly $28.7 bn, is rapidly evolving under Vision 2030, with fiber‑to‑the‑home covering 69% of households and 5G‑Advanced wireless filling gaps. stc dominates with over 65% of subscribers, offering 100 Mbps plans at about $78 and 1 Gbps...
Biggest UK Mobile Groups Suffer Worst Year of Customer Losses
The UK’s four largest mobile operators—EE (BT), Vodafone, Three and O2—recorded their steepest subscriber decline in a single year, shedding roughly 2 million customers combined in 2023. The churn rate hit 5.5%, the highest since 2015, driven by aggressive price competition,...
Ukraine Reclaims 400 Km² After Cutting Off Russian Starlink Access
U.S. intelligence reports that Ukraine recaptured about 400 square kilometres of land after Ukrainian teams disabled thousands of illicit Starlink terminals used by Russian forces. The move disrupted Moscow’s command‑and‑control, shifting battlefield momentum in Kyiv’s favor.
Nokia and Ericsson Back Airtel’s 5G Priority Service for Postpaid Users Amid Net‑Neutrality Review
Nokia and Ericsson have confirmed their role in powering Bharti Airtel’s 5G network‑slicing priority service for postpaid customers, a move that promises faster speeds during congestion but is now under scrutiny by India’s telecom regulators for possible net‑neutrality breaches.
Airtel Rs 355 vs Rs 379 Plan: One Offers 5G, One Convenience
Bharti Airtel introduced two prepaid plans priced at Rs 355 (≈ $4.28) and Rs 379 (≈ $4.57). The Rs 379 tier delivers unlimited 5G data, 2 GB daily, Google One storage and up to six months of Apple Music, while the Rs 355 option provides a lump‑sum...
South Korea’s Big Three Telcos Launch $13 Unlimited Data Plans, Sparking MVNO Crisis
LG Uplus, SK Telecom and KT will introduce integrated 5G‑LTE unlimited data plans priced around 20,000 won ($13) next month. The ultra‑low‑cost offerings force budget MVNOs into a price war and could accelerate subscriber defections from the low‑cost segment.
Nextlink and Vistabeam Activate First BEAD Broadband Services, Marking $42B Rural Rollout
Nextlink activated the first Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) tower on May 1 in Louisiana, while Vistabeam brought the first BEAD-funded household online on May 14 in Nebraska. The milestones showcase the $42.45 billion program moving from planning to service, highlighting fixed...
AT&T Sues California to Scrap Copper Network, Pledges $19 Bn Fiber Rollout
AT&T has filed a federal lawsuit against California officials to overturn state rules that force the carrier to maintain its legacy copper telephone network. The company says the copper system serves only 3% of households and costs about $1 bn a...
Uniti Group: Fiber Internet With Execution Risks
Uniti Group (UNIT) is shifting its focus to fiber broadband after a recent merger, positioning the network to serve both residential customers and AI hyperscalers. The company is accelerating fiber‑to‑home construction to create the low‑latency backbone needed for AI inferencing...
Helium Mobile Ending Free Plan – Make A Change Or Be Charged $15 Per Month
Helium Mobile announced it will sunset its Zero Plan, the free wireless service that attracted thousands of users, effective June 11, 2026. Existing Zero Plan subscribers who take no action will be automatically moved to the paid Air Plan at $15 per...
BT Bolsters AI Automation and Fiber Monetization as Peak Network Investment Phase Ends
BT Group has moved past the peak of its nationwide fiber rollout and is now focusing on AI‑driven automation, cost reduction and cash‑flow generation. FY26 adjusted revenue fell 4% to £19.6 bn ($25 bn) while adjusted EBITDA held steady at £8.23 bn ($10.5 bn)....
Safaricom Updates My OneApp to Support Airtel, Roaming Users
Safaricom has upgraded its My OneApp platform so users stay logged in when they switch from Safaricom to rival networks such as Airtel Kenya, eliminating the frequent forced logouts that plagued diaspora and roaming customers. The update lets the app...
New Orange-Backed Subsea Cable to Connect Nigeria, 19 Other Countries
Orange is leading a consortium to build the Via Africa subsea cable, a 20,000‑kilometre system that will connect Nigeria with roughly 19 other African and European nations. The Atlantic‑focused route adds a new, diversified path that bypasses traditional Mediterranean corridors,...
Truecaller Launches eSIM Data Plans for Travelers in 29 Countries
Truecaller has introduced eSIM data‑plan offerings for travelers across 29 countries, ranging from 1 GB for 7 days to 20 GB for 30 days. The move aims to offset a 27% drop in net sales and a 44% fall in ad revenue, leveraging its...
Is Broadband's ‘Price War’ Real? Not Everyone Agrees.
Wireline groups argue broadband prices are falling, citing an 8% year‑over‑year decline and a 9% drop in gigabit plans, while policy advocates report real‑term price increases of up to 12.8% for fiber. The FCC’s upcoming 2026 Communications Marketplace Report will...
Pennsylvania Clears $700 Million Rural Broadband Push After Federal Wage Dispute
Pennsylvania will spend more than $700 million to extend high‑speed internet to roughly 130,000 rural homes and businesses after the federal government removed a prevailing‑wage condition that had threatened to withhold the money. The decision clears a major policy hurdle and...
AT&T Launches $15 “Build‑a‑Plan” To Challenge Low‑cost Wireless Market
AT&T rolled out a customizable, month‑to‑month wireless plan called Build‑a‑Plan, priced from $15 a month and offering add‑on data and hotspot options. The move targets price‑sensitive consumers and could reshape competition among U.S. carriers.
Lumos Appoints Scott Mispagel as New CEO to Drive Fiber Expansion
Lumos Networks has appointed telecom veteran Scott Mispagel as its new chief executive officer, succeeding retiring CEO Brian Stading. Mispagel brings experience from Frontier, Windstream and GTE, where he oversaw large‑scale fiber deployments and multi‑billion‑dollar investments. Under his leadership, Lumos...
US Satellite D2D Market Small, Spurs AT&T‑Verizon‑T‑Mobile JV
Satellite D2D in the US is small enough to justify @ATT @TMobile @Verizon JV on better serving it, companies say. @GSMA @GSOA_SAT. https://t.co/Vjpw3o6HLy https://t.co/cDkhlhLO3M
5G, N77: High Power, Cavity Bandreject Filter
3H introduced a high‑power cavity notch filter targeting the 5G N77 band (3.3‑4.2 GHz). The device delivers less than 1.5 dB insertion loss in the passband while achieving over 80 dB rejection within the notch. It can continuously handle 100 W of RF power...
Viasat Demos D2D Services in Uzbekistan at GSMA Event
Viasat demonstrated direct‑to‑device (D2D) satellite messaging in Uzbekistan for the first time at the GSMA M360 Eurasia event. The trial used standard mobile handsets, proving that Viasat’s satellite can deliver 5G‑grade connectivity without a ground network. Viasat also outlined a...
NBN Co Mandates FTTP Upgrade for 130,000 Australian Premises
NBN Co announced that, starting July 1 2026, 130,000 selected Australian homes and businesses will be required to move from copper‑based NBN services to full‑fibre (FTTP). The Targeted Upgrade program will begin notifying customers in July 2027, with the first copper disconnections slated...
SpaceX Launches 46th Starlink Mission, Adding 29 Broadband Satellites
SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on May 21, 2026, delivering 29 new V2 Mini broadband satellites in its 46th Starlink mission, bringing the network to over 10,000 spacecraft. The launch demonstrates the company's steady launch cadence...
SpaceX IPO Filing Casts Starlink Mobile as Future Wireless Challenger
SpaceX’s IPO filing positions Starlink Mobile as a direct‑to‑smartphone service that could rival terrestrial carriers, not just a remote‑area backup. The prospectus cites $632 million in mobile connectivity revenue last year and projects a $740 billion total addressable market. Partnerships with T‑Mobile,...
Illinois Gov. Pritzker Signs Bill Shielding Broadband From Junk Fees
D.C. Memo: Illinois @GovPritzker to Sign 'Junk Fees' Bill That Exempts Broadband ISPs, Cable TV, and Satellite TV | 'Illinois consumers have been nickel-and-dimed out of thousands of dollars per year by unnecessary and deceptive junk fees,' Pritzker...
HMD Launches Vibe 2 5G with Sarvam’s Indus AI Chatbot, Targeting Indian Market
Finnish phone maker HMD introduced the Vibe 2 5G, a ₹10,999 ($114) mid‑range smartphone pre‑installed with Sarvam’s Indus AI chatbot. The move pairs 5G connectivity with a locally trained 105‑billion‑parameter model to appeal to India’s multilingual users and expand HMD’s share in...
Vodafone Deploys 5G CA in Germany
Vodafone Germany has begun using 5G carrier aggregation (CA) to boost upload speeds, reporting peak rates of 200 Mb/s and test peaks of 273 Mb/s in Hanover and Ciudad Real. The rollout leverages Tx Switching and dual transmission modes, including MIMO, to...
How Heavy Traffic Could Hinder the Autonomous Cars of Tomorrow
Researchers at the University of Glasgow and Heriot‑Watt used a digital‑twin of a 160‑metre urban road to examine how traffic density affects 5G connectivity for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). The simulation showed that heavy congestion can degrade the primary...
Truecaller Pivots with South Africa Travel eSim Launch
Truecaller, the Stockholm‑listed caller ID and spam‑blocking app, has introduced a travel eSim service in South Africa, marking the first phase of a 29‑country rollout. The offering lets travelers purchase data bundles ranging from 1 GB for seven days up to...
NEC XON Strengthens Africa Wireless Portfolio
NEC XON has entered a strategic distribution partnership with Mimosa Networks to deliver carrier‑grade fixed wireless access and backhaul across Africa. The alliance gives NEC XON exclusive rights to sell Mimosa’s high‑performance, unlicensed‑spectrum solutions to operators, enterprises and service providers....
BSNL Stabilises Indigenous 4G Network, Technology Brings India to 4th Rank Worldwide: Pemmasani
India’s state‑run BSNL has stabilized its indigenous 4G network, positioning the country as the fourth globally to develop telecom radio equipment in‑house. A consortium led by TCS, Tejas Networks and C‑DoT rolled out 100,000 sites, boosting network uptime above 95%....
Jio, OPPO Partner to Deliver 5G Advanced with Find X9s, Find X9 Ultra
Reliance Jio and OPPO have teamed up to roll out 5G Advanced (5GA) on the newly launched Find X9s and Find X9 Ultra smartphones in India. Jio’s nationwide 5G SA (standalone) network powers the service, allowing devices that display a “5GA” badge...
Airtel Priority 5G Slicing Under Government Review
Bharti Airtel has launched a Priority Postpaid 5G slicing service that promises a premium experience for postpaid customers, prompting a government review over potential net‑neutrality breaches. The Indian telecom ministry and regulator are examining whether the slicing could degrade service...
Telekom Malaysia Q1 2026 Capex Falls to RM212 Mn as Fibre Expansion and 5G Backhaul Investments Continue
Telekom Malaysia reported Q1 2026 capital expenditure of RM212 million (≈ $46.5 million), or 7.2% of its RM2.93 billion revenue, marking a 66.5% quarter‑over‑quarter and 24.3% year‑over‑year decline. The cut reflects the transition of data‑centre projects to commercial operation, but the firm kept its full‑year...
Oman Airports Achieves Global First with Airport-Wide Wi-Fi 7 Deployment in Partnership with Huawei
Oman Airports, in partnership with Huawei, has become the world’s first airport operator to roll out a full‑scale Wi‑Fi 7 network across its four facilities – Muscat, Salalah, Duqm and Sohar. The deployment blankets more than 1 million square metres and offers peak...
Congress Presses AT&T, Verizon and T‑Mobile to Cut Surge in Scam Calls and Texts
The Joint Economic Committee sent a formal request to AT&T, Verizon and T‑Mobile demanding detailed data on how they detect, block and disrupt scam communications. Lawmakers cite over 45 billion scam calls and 55 billion spam texts blocked in 2024, warning that...
Australian Regulator Sets AU$7.32 Bn Spectrum Renewal Fee, Telcos Warn of Price Hikes
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced a AU$7.32 bn (US$5.22 bn) fee to renew spectrum licences for Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom and NBN Co. Industry leaders say the cost will force higher mobile‑plan prices and could curb future network investment.
FCC Proposes Overhaul of Rural Broadband Fund, Maps and Robocall Rules
The Federal Communications Commission unanimously adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revamp the Universal Service high‑cost fund, streamline the National Broadband Map, and tighten robocall defenses. Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Anna Gomez highlighted the need to align funding...
Rural Broadband Institute Launches for Disadvantaged Communities
Communities Unlimited (CU) announced the launch of the Rural Broadband Institute (RBI), a new center dedicated to closing the connectivity gap in rural America. RBI will provide memberships for broadband advocates and deliver technical assistance, training, research, and policy support...
AT&T Sues California, Pledges $19 B to Retire Copper Lines and Expand Fiber/5G
AT&T has filed a federal lawsuit in California and a petition with the FCC to shut down up to 60% of its copper wire centers, while simultaneously announcing a $19 billion investment to accelerate fiber‑optic and 5G deployment statewide. The move...
Chinese State‑Sponsored Hackers Deploy Showboat and JMFBackdoor Malware Against Telecom Operators
China‑aligned Calypso (also known as Red Lamassu) has been actively compromising telecommunications providers with two new implants—Showboat for Linux and JMFBackdoor for Windows—since mid‑2022. The campaign, uncovered by Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs and PwC Threat Intelligence, leverages modular persistence, SOCKS5 proxying,...
Join pSemi at IMS2026
pSemi will exhibit its newest RF innovations at the International Microwave Symposium 2026, booth #17090. The showcase covers a broad portfolio, including mobility, cable broadband, high‑power and broadband switches, wireless infrastructure, LMR, satcom, and test‑and‑measurement solutions. Attendees can meet pSemi...