THEY BURIED IT. NOW WE DIG IT OUT.
Congress is preparing to embed the core provisions of H.R. 2289 into a must‑pass appropriations bill, sidestepping open debate. The measure would strip cities and counties of authority over the placement, review and compensation for wireless infrastructure such as small‑cell towers. By tucking the rider into a spending package, lawmakers hope to avoid the public scrutiny that previously halted the bill. The move is timed before the midterm elections, giving opponents a narrow window to organize.
Blue Origin New Glenn 3 Has a Good Static Fire
Blue Origin successfully completed a static‑fire test of New Glenn 3 and is eyeing a Saturday or Sunday launch of the second commercial AST SpaceMobile direct‑to‑cellphone (DTC) satellite. AST SpaceMobile needs 40‑60 operational satellites to begin intermittent service and aims to have roughly 240...
Poland's UKE Hosts International Conference on FWA Spectrum
Poland’s telecommunications regulator UKE hosted an international conference in Warsaw on April 15‑16 for the ITU‑mandated Sub‑Working Group Fixed Service. Delegates examined the 29.7 GHz to 43.5 GHz spectrum earmarked for fixed wireless access (FWA) and explored coordination mechanisms under the Harmonised...
Brazil Prepares for 6G with CPQD's ERA 6G Project
Brazil’s research institute CPQD, backed by Funttel and the Ministry of Communications, has launched the "Evolution in Open Networks towards 6G" (ERA 6G) project. The 36‑month initiative will develop a 6G mobile infrastructure based on open, disaggregated technologies. It targets advanced use...
Vodafone Ukraine Expands 5G Coverage in Lviv
Vodafone Ukraine announced that its pilot 5G network now covers Lviv’s Central Station, expanding the service footprint in the western city. The rollout uses Nokia equipment operating on the 3,500 MHz band, which the operator first deployed in January. 5G service...
Orange Poland Deploys 42 Base Stations in Q1, Expands 5G Coverage
Orange Poland added 42 new base stations in the first quarter, raising its nationwide count to 12,713. The carrier also upgraded 113 sites to C‑band 5G, expanding the technology to 4,600 locations by the end of March. Orange aims to...
HT Eronet Unveils Fleet Lite and Home.TV To Go Services
Bosnia’s leading telecom operator HT Eronet announced two new offerings: Fleet Lite and Home.TV To Go. Fleet Lite provides small and medium-sized enterprises with a lightweight telematics solution that monitors up to five vehicles, delivering real‑time location, speed, mileage and...
Does Amazon Leo Have Any Chance Against Starlink?
Amazon’s Leo constellation, still in its pre‑commercial phase, consists of 253 satellites after the $11.57 billion Globalstar acquisition. By contrast, SpaceX’s Starlink operates more than 10,200 satellites, giving it a massive orbital density advantage. Analysts argue that Leo’s limited fleet will...
EuNetworks Named as Connectivity Partner for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud
euNetworks has been named a connectivity partner for the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a new EU‑based cloud service built to meet strict data‑residency and regulatory requirements. The partnership allows euNetworks to deliver private, direct connections that keep customer data within...
Motorola Solutions Unveils R&D and Customer Experience Center in Florida
Motorola Solutions opened a modern R&D and Customer Experience Center in Plantation, Florida, dedicated to designing, developing, and testing its land mobile radio (LMR) portfolio. The facility expands the company's five‑decade presence in Broward County and includes design, engineering and...
Spectrum Relocation Costs
The FCC has been tasked by Congress to clear 800 MHz of mid‑range spectrum for a new auction, requiring existing federal, military and commercial users to relocate. The Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act created the Spectrum Relocation Fund, which must raise at...
Webinar: Perspectives on the Digital Networks Act
PolicyTracker will host a 90‑minute webinar on 27 May 2026 to examine the EU’s proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA). The DNA seeks to revamp spectrum governance by enhancing EU‑level coordination, revisiting assignment models, and rebalancing authority between the European Commission and...
Mercy Ships Selects Wilson Connectivity to Enable Seamless Cellular Connectivity
Wilson Connectivity has partnered with Mercy Ships to outfit the Africa Mercy II hospital ship with its Zinwave wideband distributed antenna system (DAS). The DAS delivers native cellular, private mobile radio and private 5G connectivity without satellite‑based fees or logins, automatically linking to...
Zen Internet Partners with Eero to Enhance Business Connectivity Offering
Zen Internet has teamed up with eero, an Amazon‑owned mesh Wi‑Fi provider, to bundle eero Business across its full‑fibre broadband portfolio. The move targets UK small and medium‑sized enterprises that struggle with indoor Wi‑Fi coverage despite having fiber connections. Zen’s...
How to Buy, Install, and Use a Travel eSIM Without Mistakes?
Travelers often assume data works instantly after landing, but missteps with eSIM activation can cause costly delays. The guide stresses checking coverage, region locks, and device compatibility before purchase, then installing the profile on a reliable Wi‑Fi connection and activating...
Amazon’s $11B Globalstar Casino Gamble: Genius or Desperation?
Amazon announced an $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar, buying the satellite operator at $90 per share. The deal adds a 24‑satellite low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) constellation, many of which were launched in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Amazon plans to leverage the...
Introducing Region Meshes: Visualising Intra-Region Routing Paths
RIPE Atlas has introduced Region Meshes, a visual tool that maps intra‑region routing paths and IXP usage across countries. The platform aggregates monthly traceroute meshes from selected probes, enriches each hop with ASN, IXP and geolocation data, and presents the...
Digital Hopes, Real Power: The Rise of Network Shutdowns
In 2024 governments imposed a record 304 internet shutdowns across 54 nations, signaling that network blackouts have become a normalized tool of state control. The article traces the evolution from early ad‑hoc cuts, such as Egypt’s 2011 blackout, to today’s...
California’s Middle Mile Fiber Network
California’s Middle‑Mile Broadband Initiative, funded with $3.25 billion under Senate Bill 156, has activated its first phase of a statewide fiber backbone. The network’s inaugural live customer is the Bishop Paiute Tribe, which will use the middle‑mile capacity to extend last‑mile service...
Noisy Routers: Investigating the Make-Up of Route Collector Data
Researchers analyzed over 80 billion BGP updates from RouteViews and found that a tiny fraction of peers, sessions, and prefixes generate the majority of traffic, inflating routing archives. The top 5 % of peers contributed roughly 56 % of all updates, with a...
VodafoneThree Gets Green Light for Satellite Smartphone Connectivity
Ofcom approved VodafoneThree's request to provide satellite direct‑to‑device connectivity in the UK, using its 900 MHz spectrum. The licence variation follows O2's earlier satellite launch and includes regulatory updates to exempt the band for D2D use. VodafoneThree plans summer 2026 trials...
BGP Labs: Graceful Degradation for Unsupported Devices
BGP Labs has added graceful degradation for labs that use unsupported external routers. A new generic plugin now adjusts the topology and validation tests based on each device's feature set, turning hard errors into informative warnings. This change lets users...
SkyFiber Picks Nokia to Build Fiber Network in Northern Nevada
SkyFiber, the largest Nevada recipient of U.S. BEAD funding, has chosen Nokia to build a fiber‑to‑the‑home network across underserved Northern Nevada. Nokia will supply optical transport, IP edge routing, and fixed‑access equipment, while partner VarData will manage integration and support....
LimeSDR Micro M.2 2280 SDR Card Pairs NXP LA9310 Baseband Processor with LMS7002M RF Transceiver (Crowdfunding)
Lime Microsystems unveiled the LimeSDR Micro M.2 2280, a compact software‑defined radio that pairs NXP’s ultra‑low‑power LA9310 baseband processor with the LMS7002M RF transceiver. The module fits a PCIe Gen3 x1 M.2 socket, offers a 30 MHz‑3.8 GHz frequency span, up to 100 MHz bandwidth, and...
Exploring the Blind Spot of IXPs Route Servers
Route servers at large IXPs filter BGP updates using a two‑stage process—RPKI validation followed by IRR‑based prefix whitelists derived from AS‑SET objects. The article reveals that AS‑SET expansion discards the origin‑ASN relationship, creating a blind spot where invalid announcements can...
Analysis: Amazon
Amazon announced an $11.57 billion acquisition of Globalstar, securing valuable L‑band mobile‑satellite spectrum. The deal bolsters Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which plans to launch about 3,200 low‑Earth‑orbit satellites by 2029, with half the constellation operational by July. Globalstar’s Direct‑to‑Device (D2D) technology will...
T-Mobile US Announces New Nationwide National Parks Initiative
T‑Mobile US and the National Park Foundation have launched a nationwide “Do Not Disturb Season” to encourage Americans to unplug and explore national parks. The program leverages T‑Mobile’s 5G network and its T‑Satellite service, which uses Starlink connectivity, to keep...
Boldyn Installs New Wi-Fi 7 Network for Hollywood Bowl
Boldyn Networks has rolled out a Wi‑Fi 7 infrastructure at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl, replacing the venue's legacy wireless system. The high‑capacity network delivers faster, more reliable connectivity for staff, performers, and patrons throughout the arena. It enables mobile ticket scanning...
Mobiuz Offers Annual Fixed-Wireless Plan with Unlimited Data, 5G Router
Uzbek telecom operator Mobiuz has rolled out a new annual fixed‑wireless service called Mobi Home. For a one‑time connection fee of UZS 1.190 million (about $104), customers receive unlimited data for a full year. The offering bundles a ZTE G5C router that supports...
5G-Advanced Deployment Tracker Added to PolicyTracker Spectrum Research Service
PolicyTracker has launched a 5G‑Advanced deployment tracker as part of its Spectrum Research Service. The tool maps global and regional progress of mobile operators moving from trials to commercial roll‑out of 5G‑Advanced (Release 18) and later releases. It includes an overview...
LMT's Security System Blocks over 2 Mln Spam Calls in First 2 Months
Latvian telecom operator LMT reported that its Call Firewall solution blocked more than 2.3 million spam calls in the first two months since rollout. The system, part of a broader industry initiative to curb fraudulent calls, saw a sharp spike in...
Ooredoo Oman Wins Award for Best 5G Gaming Experience
Ooredoo Oman was awarded Ookla’s Speedtest Award for the Best 5G Gaming Experience in Oman for Q3‑Q4 2025. The accolade is based on analysis of more than 76,000 Speedtest results from over 15,000 local users. Metrics such as latency and jitter...
Lidl Retail MVNO: A 50 Million Subscribers Play?
Schwarz Group, the owner of Lidl, has poured $80 million into a near‑10 % stake in eSIM platform 1Global, aiming to expand its Lidl Connect mobile virtual network operator across 30 European markets. The retailer plans to leverage its 150 million unique store...
Asiacell and Al-Nahrain University Open 5G Lab
Iraqi mobile operator Asiacell has teamed with Al‑Nahrain University to launch Iraq’s first 5G laboratory, located in the university’s College of Information Engineering. The project is funded by the Communications and Media Commission, marking the country’s inaugural real‑world 5G test...
Amazon Reaches Definitive Merger Deal with Globalstar with Support for Apple Devices
Amazon announced a definitive agreement to acquire Globalstar at $90 per share, a roughly 23% premium over the stock’s recent close of $72.89. The deal will integrate Globalstar’s low‑Earth‑orbit satellite network with Amazon Leo, enabling direct‑to‑device (D2D) services. Amazon also secured...
Leftover Copper Customers
T‑Mobile is weighing a purchase of UNITI’s fiber assets, which include former Windstream lines, leaving the legacy copper customers behind. Lumen previously sold its fiber subscriber base to AT&T while retaining its copper‑based services, citing ongoing cash flow. The FCC...
Auckland International Airport Picks Spark as Telecommunications Partner
Spark has secured an exclusive partnership to operate telecommunications stores in the duty‑free precinct of Auckland International Airport, giving it the sole provider status in the arrivals area. The deal places Spark in front of roughly 4.9 million international travelers each...
Openreach Take on North Shropshire and West Herefordshire Project Gigabit Contracts
Building Digital UK (BDUK) announced that Openreach will step in as the replacement provider for two Project Gigabit contracts after the original network builders withdrew. In North Shropshire, Openreach inherits a £24 million (≈$30.7 million) contract to connect 8,500 premises, while in...
EXCLUSIVE April 2026 Update on Openreach Full-Fibre Roll-Out
Openreach reported a record‑breaking rollout in April 2026, adding 608,354 new FTTP premises and averaging 19,634 connections per day. The cumulative footprint reached 22,360,468 premises as of 12 April, positioning the network to achieve roughly 25 million ready‑for‑service locations by October‑November 2026....
Telefónica Germany Pushes IoT Beyond Terrestrial Limits
Telefónica Germany announced the integration of narrowband satellite links into its 5G IoT portfolio, positioning satellite as a natural extension rather than a threat. The hybrid connectivity model lets devices switch between cellular and satellite networks to cover gaps in...
Japan Airlines Taps SES to Expand Multi-Orbit Inflight Connectivity
Japan Airlines has partnered with satellite operator SES to equip its long‑haul fleet with multi‑orbit inflight connectivity. The deal covers 20 Airbus A350‑900s, 10 Boeing 787‑9s in line‑fit and 11 787‑9s as retrofits, with installations slated to begin in 2027‑2028....
MachTen: A Mispriced Rural Fiber Infrastructure Play
MachTen Inc. (OTC:MACT) recently acquired AT&T’s wireline assets in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, expanding its network by thousands of miles. The company is executing a $100 million fiber build‑out in northern Michigan, with roughly 75% of the cost covered by federal subsidies...
Supreme Court Revives Grande ISP Copyright Fight for Fresh Fifth Circuit Review
The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the Fifth Circuit’s ruling that upheld a copyright verdict against Grande Communications and remanded the case for reconsideration under a newly‑narrowed liability framework. The high court’s action follows its recent decision that limits when internet...
TTK Reports Wi-Fi Traffic up 78% at Train Stations in Q1
Russian telecom operator TTK reported that public Wi‑Fi traffic in railway stations surged 78% year‑on‑year in Q1, reaching 1,717 TB of data. The networks, operated in partnership with Russian Railways since 2015, are seeing unprecedented usage as travelers increasingly rely on...
Austria Raises EUR 39 Mln in Auction of 2.3, 2.6 GHz Bands
Austria’s telecom regulator RTR auctioned 2.3 GHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum, raising €39.41 million (about $43 million). A1 bought 50 MHz for €11.01 million, Magenta Telekom secured 100 MHz for €13.18 million, and Hutchison Drei acquired another 100 MHz for €15.21 million. The proceeds bolster the regulator’s fund and signal strong demand...
Beltelecom Offers Business Wi-Fi Packages
Beltelecom, Belarus’s state‑owned telecom operator, has launched a new business‑focused Wi‑Fi tariff line. The offering lets companies create branded Wi‑Fi networks with a custom SSID while Beltelecom handles equipment deployment and technical support. Three plans provide varying authentication and usage...
Spanish Mobile Users Port 523K Lines in February, Led by Digi and Movistar
In February 2026, Spain saw 523,520 mobile numbers switched between carriers, a 2.8% year‑on‑year rise. The surge was driven primarily by Digi and Movistar, which together accounted for the bulk of the activity. Active mobile lines climbed to 62.5 million, adding...
Ofcom Launches Consultation on 6GHz Spectrum Sharing
Ofcom has opened a consultation to expand mobile use of the upper 6 GHz band in 88 high‑density areas while preserving Wi‑Fi priority in the lower 160 MHz. The proposal splits the spectrum, giving Wi‑Fi priority from 6425‑6585 MHz and mobile priority from...
Ooredoo Qatar Launches New Family Mobile Plans
Ooredoo Qatar has rolled out a new family‑oriented mobile offering that consolidates multiple lines under a single account and bill. The plans provide unlimited local calls among family members and allow customers to designate a home region or country for...
10 Cases for 5G Uplink Monetization
The author revisits the long‑standing promise of 5G uplink revenue and argues that, despite a flood of whitepapers, real‑world monetization remains scarce. He outlines ten concrete use‑cases—ranging from edge AI data ingestion to private‑network slicing—that can finally turn uplink capacity...