Saudi telecoms giant stc Group has signed a 10-year agreement that includes a $175 million prepayment commitment to use AST SpaceMobile’s planned space-based cellular broadband network, the Texas-based venture announced Oct. 29.

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Iridium’s shares closed down more than 7% Oct. 23 after the satellite operator lowered its full-year service revenue outlook again, while withdrawing its $1 billion target for 2030 amid mounting competition from SpaceX.

The post Iridium pulls $1 billion 2030 service revenue goal amid SpaceX’s D2D push appeared first on SpaceNews.

Lynk Global plans to merge with Omnispace to upgrade its direct-to-device services with globally coordinated S-band spectrum, joining SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile in shoring up satellite frequencies after initially relying on cellular partnerships.

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Equatys, the U.S.-based Viasat and Emirati satellite operator Space42’s shared space infrastructure joint venture for direct-to-device services, has gained its first mobile network partner as it seeks to challenge SpaceX’s growing lead in the emerging market.

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AST SpaceMobile’s shares closed up more than 8% Oct. 8 after Verizon joined AT&T in signing a definitive agreement to use its planned space-based cellular network, easing investor concerns about SpaceX’s aggressive push into the fledgling D2D market.

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Spain’s Sateliot says it has achieved a narrowband connection from a LEO satellite for the first time to a commercial IoT device built to global 5G standards known as 3GPP Release 17.

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EchoStar said Oct. 3 it has met regulatory conditions needed to maintain rights to the global S-band spectrum it is selling to SpaceX in a deal worth more than $17 billion.

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The direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity market has been completely transformed in the space of six weeks. On Aug. 1, U.S.-based EchoStar ordered 100 satellites from Canada’s MDA Space for a planned […]

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OQ Technology has expanded its satellite connectivity services for remote Internet of Things devices to Australia, the Luxembourg-based LEO operator announced Sept. 30.

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China has moved to promote direct-to-device (D2D) services through issuing guidelines and licensing a telecommunications firm, signaling a strategic push into a globally competitive arena.

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SpaceX expects to begin testing direct-to-device services using newly acquired spectrum from EchoStar as soon as the end of next year.

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Viasat and Space42 have agreed to pool their Mobile Satellite Services spectrum, aiming to provide direct-to-device services from the world’s largest coordinated block of D2D frequencies within three years.

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Swissto12 has completed the Preliminary Design Review for its first direct-to-device connectivity satellite, the Swiss small geostationary spacecraft manufacturer announced Sept. 15.

The post Swissto12 clears PDR for debut small GEO D2D satellite appeared first on SpaceNews.

EchoStar is looking for ways to expand its communications business as an “asset-light growth company,” CEO Hamid Akhavan said Sept. 15.

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The FCC has dropped investigations into EchoStar as the satellite operator moves to sell spectrum to SpaceX and AT&T in deals totalling more than $40 billion.

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Europe has kicked off a study to improve direct-to-device (D2D) services using satellite spectrum, just as SpaceX inks a multibillion-dollar deal for space-approved frequencies to expand its own 5G services.

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EchoStar has abandoned its plans to create a direct-to-device satellite constellation in low Earth orbit, selling spectrum to SpaceX while canceling a brand-new contract with MDA Space.

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Last February, I wrote that the merger of the satellite and terrestrial cellular industry was not yet a marriage made in heaven. However, at the Mobile World Congress , held […]

The post Stakeholders in direct-to-device services have to act now to defend their interests at the WRC-27 appeared first on SpaceNews.

EchoStar’s proposed direct-to-device satellite network got a major boost Aug. 26 with plans to sell $23 billion of spectrum to AT&T, closing the book on its bid to operate as a traditional mobile carrier in the United States.

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EchoStar has placed a $1.3 billion order with MDA Space for the first 100 satellites of a $5 billion direct-to-device connectivity constellation, even as regulatory scrutiny of the company’s spectrum licenses threatens to push it into bankruptcy.

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Slam Corp, the shell company founded by former MLB player Alex Rodriguez, is suing Lynk Global to stop the direct-to-smartphone satellite operator from walking away from their long-delayed merger.

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AST SpaceMobile has reached a deal enabling bankrupt satellite operator Ligado Networks to pay the more than $500 million it owes Viasat, in exchange for L-band spectrum to boost its planned direct-to-smartphone services.

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Imagine having seamless mobile broadband access anywhere on Earth, from the most remote deserts and oceans to disaster zones, all without the need for cell towers. That’s the promise of […]

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China has released comprehensive regulations for direct-to-device satellite services, laying the foundation for domestic growth of the emerging sector.

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