Midco Rolls Out Unlimited and Per‑Gig Plans Nationwide
In the wake of market trials, Midco has introduced unlimited and by-the-Gig mobile plans in all markets. Midco Mobile, which rides the @ATT network, was developed with MVNE partner @telgoo5. https://t.co/hJilgxv4f2
Charter-Cox Merger Near Summer Close, California Pending Approval
Charter's Chris Winfrey: Charter-Cox deal has received fed and state approvals save for California. Working with CPUC toward a summer close.
United's Spotty Wi‑Fi Gets Starlink Upgrade Hope
Apparently @united upgrading WiFi to @Starlink @elonmusk - can’t happen soon enough bc service is spotty to the point of embarrassment; no idea how so many Bay Area tech folks (big users of united) put up with it.
FCC Grants Globalstar Exclusive LEO, Backs Starlink AWS‑4
This new FCC order is super complicated, but basically is telling everyone to stay in their lane: Globalstar gets exclusivity in its Big LEO spectrum, and Starlink gets FCC backing in AWS-4 (2000-20/2180-2200MHz) worldwide, but attempts to access Big LEO...
Over-the-Air Computation Blends Networking with Processing
Usually in wireless networking, communication is separate from computation. That’s not the case in over-the-air computation, where the network can carry some of the computing burden as conditions demand. https://spectrum.ieee.org/wireless-network-over-air-computation
Iridium Unveils Summer PNT ASIC, Expands D2D Services
.@IridiumComm: PNT ASIC is out this summer & we're assessing new sateliltes to improve Iridium PNT accuracy. NTN Direct service launches this yr too. Surprise: @IridiumBoss includes @AST_SpaceMobile w/@SpaceX & @Amazonleo as among 'the big D2D services.'https://t.co/Ew1vCDCfUT https://t.co/RkfaSTjcu8
Comcast Gains 435K Mobile Lines, Loses 65K Broadband
. @comcast shed a better-than-expected 65K resi broadband subs alongside a record gain of 435K mobile lines in Q1 amid pivot to new pricing and packaging and free line offers. Challenge ahead is converting free mobile lines to paid |...
Nokia Signals Upcoming Price Hikes, Customers Remain Understanding
"We do anticipate some price increases...There are many customers that understand that and accept it, and we're working through that with customers." $NOK on mobile equipment. via @iainwmorris https://t.co/tcDe4V1VdO
Network Speed Race Ends; Speed No Longer Consumer Priority
The "fastest network" war is over. .@DanSchulman is right—network superiority is becoming a vanity metric that consumers no longer care about. 📉📡
Starlink Posted $4.4B Profit on $11.4B Revenue
Starlink last year: $4.4 billion in operating profit and $11.4 billion in revenue, according to @Reuters review of pending S-1 https://t.co/e9KFllMATS
Starlink Mobile Launches in Canada, Philippines, New Zealand June
"Starlink Mobile service will be sequentially available in Canada, the Philippines, and New Zealand beginning in June" https://t.co/dM7tKUH308
Comcast Business Fiber Prices Shock Chicago Businesses
comcast business fiber, chicago metro: - 50/50 for $430/mo 😲 - 100/100 for $569/mo 🤯 what a racket
Crown Castle to Deploy 1,000 AI Edge Sites Nationwide
Network World reported that Crown Castle is working with Available Infrastructure on "Project Qestral" to establish of 1,000 AI Edge locations in 100 US cities by the end of the year. The deployments will be colocated at Crown Castle's telecom...
Comcast Q1 BB ARPU Drops 3% YoY, First QoQ Decline
$CMCSA BB ARPU decline "moderated"? Lol, wut? Q1 is always seasonally up. This is actually the first Q1 q/q decline I can find. Meanwhile that y/y decline is now 3%😳 Amazing first question. #GreatQuarterGuys
Strait of Hormuz: Global Internet at Chokepoint Risk
“Red Sea cable incidents” is about to trend. Trump-Netanyahu’s War on Iran can quickly escalate from oil chokepoint to digital-data center chokepoint soon. Better to be safe than sorry: Know what you own.
Artemis II Validates Laser Links as Orbital Compute Backbone
Artemis II wasn’t just a deep space mission, it proved that laser communications will be the backbone of compute in orbit, with transceivers from @ObservableSpace Observable will move terabits between Earth and space, enabling datacenters, and more, in space. Observable...
Grain Aims to Select D2D Satellite Operator in 90 Days
"Grain believes that this competitive process can be completed within 90 days ... and will facilitate the swift identification of a qualified D2D satellite operator capable of deploying the spectrum nationwide on the timelines suggested by Grain" https://t.co/gOlCA8ZxqR
Spectrum Deal Valuation Ranges $4‑8B, Amendment Unlikely
This is a normal part of the negotiating process on spectrum, and there will potentially be more of it. We recognize the biggest risk is lower power levels, but that would hurt the GPS replacement service, PNT. A backup could...
Starlink Pushes D2D, yet Towers Already Connect Us
Starlink is making D2D popular through T-Satellite, but people are already connected via towers and cells. https://t.co/3i8aRnjDJU
FCC Greenlights
.@FCC OK's @AST_SpaceMobile 248-sat D2D constellation operating at 425-690 km, each w/ 223m2 antenna. Detailed semi-annual reports required, as @SpaceX provides, plus comms with operators in nearby orbits to avoid collisions. @ATT @Verizon @FirstNetGov. https://t.co/b0NgbZpess https://t.co/R9EgFxmkwP
Comcast's New Unlimited Plans Boost Simplicity and ARPU
. @comcast has launched two new unlimited plans – Mobile Plus and Mobile Select – that aim to put more focus on premium features and simplicity. Their flat rate per line structure could improve ARPU compared to Comcast's legacy mobile...
Australia Emerges as Ideal Market for Satellite Systems
“Australia is our fourth-largest market. We’ve seen a lot of demand in Australia. In some ways, if you were designing the perfect market for a satellite system, it’s exactly Australia,” via The Australian Financial Review. https://t.co/nt5BfUmaLx
Low Current Usage Means
In other words, hardly anyone uses it right now. But the consequence is that capacity if usage eventually picks up will be much lower than the 3bps/Hz that many have assumed https://t.co/bHpNSHfCA9 https://t.co/nyCcHY1ALR
Consumers Already Won the 5G Speed War
.@TMobile and @Verizon are fighting a war over speed that consumers already won. The only 5G killer app is the speed test app itself. Everything else runs fine on 4G. 🧵📉 #Telecom #5G
D2D Measurements Match T‑Mobile’s LA Cellular Performance
Here is how Ookla’s D2D network measurements in the U.S. compare against typical terrestrial, cellular network measurements. These terrestrial measurements were taken on T-Mobile’s network in Los Angeles, a city with generally excellent cellular coverage. https://t.co/PajgLycesP https://t.co/LerjEY7TWs
RootMetrics D2D Texts Take 1 S–5 Min, Avg 1
The longest amount of time it took for the RootMetrics’ kit to successfully send and receive a D2D text was 5 minutes. The shortest amount of time was 1 second. The average amount of time was 1 minute, 17 seconds. https://t.co/PajgLybGDh
Ookla Data Shows Starlink D2D Rollout in Peru
The gradual rollout of D2D is clearly visible in Ookla data for Peru, where Starlink Mobile launched D2D services with Entel in December: https://t.co/PajgLybGDh https://t.co/qhkkFr9Vev
Ookla Maps Growing D2D Satellite Connections Across Nations
Ookla data helps to shine a light on progress in the D2D marketplace via data derived from Android smartphones that register with satellites. Here are the countries where Ookla has recorded such connections between July 2025 and March 2026: https://t.co/PajgLybGDh...
Iran Blames US for Coordinated Network Shutdowns
Iranian media is reporting that networking infrastructure suffered coordinated shutdowns, and blames the US. https://t.co/Gil1Z55HhM
T‑Mobile’s Speed Edge Is Irrelevant to Users
.@TMobile 's network strength is statistically meaningless. Being 10-20 Mbps faster than @Verizon changes nothing in user experience. The speed war is over and carriers are too busy bragging to notice the battlegrounds have shifted. 🧵🔥
U.S. D2D Signals Mostly Between -108 and -126 dBm
In the U.S., most D2D signal strength measurements (using RSRP, or Reference Signal Received Power) fell between -108 and -126 dBm. MORE: https://t.co/PajgLybGDh https://t.co/x99eTA18Yb
Wireless Network Wars Ended; Industry Still Clueless
The wireless network wars are over. And most of the industry hasn't figured it out yet. 🧵📡
U.S. Dominates Global D2D Connections at 45.9%
The U.S. leads the world in D2D connections, accounting for 45.9% of all global D2D connections in March 2026. Other countries showing noteworthy numbers of D2D connections in March 2026 included Australia (18.1% ), Chile (10%) and Canada (9.8%) MORE: https://t.co/PajgLycesP
Ookla Data Highlights Growth Potential of D2D, Satellite Networks
Although D2D technology is still maturing and satellite constellations remain prone to major setbacks, independent network performance analysis firm Ookla has provided some figures to “shine a light on this emerging market and its growth potential”. https://t.co/76fJlR37Vu
Direct-to-Device Growth Stalls Where Operators Charge Fees
The number of direct-to-device users is growing globally, but in countries where operators have started billing for the service usage is dropping off. https://t.co/xziMbUTbYf
Starlink Launches Drive 24.5% Rise in Global D2D Connections
The number of global D2D connections recorded by Ookla increased roughly 24.5% between July 2025 and March 2026. This growth coincides with the launch of Starlink services in a number of countries, including Chile, Ukraine, Peru, and the U.K. MORE: https://t.co/PajgLybGDh...
Huawei Secures 19 Critical‑Sector Certifications, Outpacing Spanish Firms
CNI certifies 19 Huawei products for use in critical sectors such as defense With more than 70 devices in April, it far exceeds the certifications obtained by Spanish companies Clean network? https://t.co/tWRMNbiOR6
Chile Tops D2D Satellite Usage; Japan Lags Behind
During March 2026, 0.46% of Speedtest® users in the U.S. recorded a connection to a D2D satellite. In Chile, that figure was 1.26% (the highest). In Canada, it was 0.70%. In Japan, it was 0.11% (the lowest). MORE: https://t.co/PajgLycesP https://t.co/P2SNF9H8Zr
2026 Direct-to-Device Marketplace Forecast Unveiled
THIS IS THE BIG ONE I've been working on this report for a while. Like, it took A LOT of work. But here it is. Phew 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭-𝐭𝐨-𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐃𝟐𝐃) 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞: 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 MORE: https://t.co/PajgLycesP https://t.co/VbUXomv7fP
5G Speed Tests Show Network Quality No Longer Matters
.@verizon 's Dan Schulman nails it: best networks matter less now. They are all good enough. Speed tests are 5G's only killer app. Time to ditch the network fetish. 🧵📉 #Telecom #5G
Gigabit 5G Hype Fades as Consumers Ignore Speed
The 5G speed wars are pretty much over. Carriers bragging about gigabit networks are aggressively selling a vanity metric many consumers completely ignore. 🚨📉
2025 Marks Worst Year Yet for Digital Freedom
Access Now's latest report on internet shutdowns reveals that 2025 was the worst year on record for digital freedom. With VPNs and satellite internet increasingly under fire, we recap the year’s biggest threats and look at what’s next for global...
European Telcos Redefine Services Beyond Connectivity in AI Era
I’m in the first plenary session at @FuturenetW in London, listening to a panel of European operator CTOs + a vendor talking about #telcos “beyond connectivity” in the AI era. Quick comments: https://t.co/uzObx4Clwf
Networking at FuturenetW London: Automation, AI, Direct Connections
Kicking off at @FuturenetW in London Big event, with main focus on network automation & AI Message me here or on LinkedIn to meet, as obviously I don’t use the hideous SwapCard event app https://t.co/XYjLRM9TvX
Airline Wi‑Fi Overpriced, Unreliable—Passengers Demand Upgrade
On my flight to and from London last week I paid $30 PER LEG for an “ultra” internet pass (NOT starlink) that didn’t work 80% of the flight and when it did, couldn’t load a web page with images on...
Flat-Rate Plans Never Made Sense From the Start
The reason is most likely because flat rate plans never really made sense in the first place.
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. 🚨📉
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
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