Government affairs leaders at Washington-based technology companies discussed policy issues they expect the Biden administration to address once it takes office and one of those is the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it applies to broadband internet access and workforce, GeekWire reported Tuesday.
Read More »OneWeb Gets Additional Funding From Hughes, SoftBank; Pradman Kaul Quoted
OneWeb has now raised $1.4B in total funding after it received additional investments from Hughes Network Systems and SoftBank Group. The additional funding provides OneWeb with needed capital to come up with a constellation of 648 satellites in low-Earth orbit by the end of 2022 to deliver broadband connectivity and low-latency communication services to customers worldwide.
Read More »Microsoft’s John Kahan: FCC Should Apply Broadband Access Mapping Law for Resource Allocation
John Kahan, vice president and chief data analytics officer at Microsoft, has said the Federal Communications Commission must build on a recently passed internet access visualization law to fund areas in need of broadband services.
Read More »Washington Emergency Responders Adopt SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Broadband Service
The emergency response division of Washington’s state military started connecting to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation in August using user terminals to deliver internet service to wildfire-ravaged areas, CNBC reported Tuesday.
Read More »OneWeb Satellites’ Debra Facktor on Smallsat Production Plans, UK Gov’t Acquisition
Debra Facktor, a board member at an Airbus and OneWeb joint venture, has said the JV is working on a new batch of satellites to support long-term efforts to expand its clientele, SpaceNews reported Sunday.
Read More »Pradman Kaul: Hughes Sees OneWeb Investment as Opportunity to Compete for FCC’s Broadband Subsidies
Pradman Kaul, president of Hughes Network Systems, said the company believes its investment in satellite company OneWeb has paved the way for Hughes to offer low-Earth orbit broadband connectivity to compete for the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.
Read More »L3Harris’ Nino DiCosmo on New Radio Offerings, Emergency Comms Partnerships
L3Harris Technologies has provided its LTE and land mobile radio offerings to support connectivity applications for healthcare agencies and first-responders amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Urgent Communications reported Wednesday.
Read More »Army, SpaceX Sign Starlink Broadband Testing Agreement
SpaceX and the U.S. Army have signed a three-year agreement to test the capability of Starlink broadband in transmitting data across military networks, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.
Read More »Isotropic Systems Eyes Broadband Antenna Tech Licensing Deals in Gov’t Aircraft Market
Isotropic Systems seeks to license optical multibeam antenna components for potential integration into broadband terminals built to facilitate inflight connectivity aboard government, business and commercial aircraft.
Read More »Iridium Updates Certus L-Band Satcom Service; Matt Desch Quoted
TYSONS CORNER, VA, March 4, 2020 — Iridium Communications (Nasdaq: IRDM) has released an updated version of its satellite service intended to provide L-band broadband connectivity for global maritime communications, ExecutiveGov reported Thursday.
Read More »Fourth SpaceX Internet Satellite Batch Reaches Orbit Through Falcon 9 Launch
A fourth batch of 60 SpaceX satellites launched into space as part of the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company's program to deliver broadband connectivity worldwide. The upper stage of a company-built Falcon 9 rocket deployed the latest internet satellite batch in low-Earth orbit Wednesday one hour after it lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Read More »AT&T-IAFF Alliance to Educate Firefighters, Paramedics on FirstNet; Chris Sambar Quoted
AT&T and the International Association of Fire Fighters have formed an alliance to inform paramedics and firefighters about the FirstNet national public safety broadband network and its role in facilitating communications during emergency response efforts.
Read More »Microsoft, VA Collaborate to Connect Rural Veterans to Internet
Microsoft and the Department of Veterans Affairs have partnered to provide rural veterans with access to the internet to use telehealth services, receive educational opportunities, secure jobs and grow their businesses.
Read More »AT&T, Mutualink Forge Public Safety Comms Interoperability Partnership; Chris Sambar Quoted
AT&T and Mutualink have entered into an agreement to facilitate communications interoperability for first responders and other public safety personnel. AT&T said Thursday it will add Mutualink’s Interoperable Response and Preparedness Platform to the FirstNet public safety broadband network under the partnership to help users accelerate sharing of data, voice and video across systems.
Read More »Boeing Phantom Works to Offer Satellite Antenna Tech for Military Aircraft Comms
Boeing’s prototyping arm plans to begin manufacturing a flat satellite antenna technology in 2020 to facilitate broadband communications for military aircraft, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.
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