United and SpaceX Sign Largest Inflight Wi-Fi – 1,000 aircraft
September 13, 2024
United Airlines has announced a landmark agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency satellite internet to more than 1,000 aircraft, marking the industry’s largest deal of its kind. This partnership will allow United customers to access reliable, gate-to-gate Wi-Fi for free, transforming inflight entertainment and connectivity. The service will unlock experiences such as live TV, streaming services, online shopping, and gaming on both personal devices and seatback screens. Testing is set to begin in
Vodafone and Three Push Back Against CMA’s Concerns Over Merger
September 13, 2024
Vodafone and Three UK expressed disagreement with the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) provisional findings regarding their planned merger, which raises concerns over competition and potential price increases. The companies argue that the merger would significantly enhance the UK’s digital infrastructure with £11 billion of investment, enabling faster and more extensive 5G coverage. They maintain that the merger is pro-growth, pro-customer, and pro-competition, emphasizing that it can and should be approved by the CMA.
Verizon Notes 4,800 Job Cuts, Severance Charge
September 13, 2024
In an SEC filing, Verizon Communications disclosed several significant items to impact its financial results for the third quarter of 2024. These include a severance charge related to a voluntary separation program for U.S.-based management employees, affecting around 4,800 workers, with over half leaving by September 2024. The company anticipates recording a charge between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, or $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion after taxes. Additionally, Verizon will cease use of certain real
SES Awarded $200M Contract to Provide Satellite Services for NATO
September 13, 2024
SES has been awarded a contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to deliver high-performance, secure satellite services through its medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation. This agreement will enable NATO member governments to use SES’s satellite connectivity for global missions. The MEO Global Services (MGS) contract, valued at $200 million, spans three years with two one-year extension options. It marks the first contract under the Global Commercially Contracted Satellite Communications Support Partnership (GCC
New Venture Unites Telecom APIs for Global Developer Access
September 12, 2024
A group of the world’s largest telecom operators, including América Móvil, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Reliance Jio, Singtel, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Vodafone, have partnered with Ericsson to launch a new venture focused on combining and selling network Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) globally. The venture aims to streamline access to advanced network capabilities, enabling developers to innovate more easily across different telecom networks. By providing common APIs to developers, the venture is
Ericsson’s Vonage and SAP collaborate on APIs
September 12, 2024
Ericsson’s Vonage announced a collaboration with enterprise software giant SAP to explore the use of generative AI and next-generation technologies through Vonage’s API platform and SAP Business AI. The partnership aims to accelerate digital transformation by enabling developers to create new applications for enterprises, leveraging Vonage’s Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) and SAP’s advanced AI technologies. This collaboration will provide SAP access to a suite of Vonage network APIs, including Quality-on-Demand (QoD), Device Location,
