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In Today’s Issue

The Podcast

Episode #10 - From Light to Insight: The Untapped Power of Fiber Sensing. Dr. Paul Dickinson, Fiber Optic Sensing Association

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Paul Dickinson and delve into the transformative potential of fiber optic sensing technology.

We discuss its applications across various sectors, including security, utilities, and municipal and smart city applications, emphasizing the importance of awareness and education in driving adoption.

Paul shares insights from his extensive experience in the industry, highlighting the need for collaboration among stakeholders to maximize the benefits of this technology.

The discussion also briefly touches on the role of BEAD in expanding fiber infrastructure in the US, and the opportunity to integrate fiber optic sensing as a part of a larger ecosystem, providing real-time awareness and intelligence, enabling the community beyond broadband.

Paul also shares an example of Texas811 as a visionary call centre and a clearinghouse for fiber optic sensing telemetry and coordination.

Some key takeaways from the conversation:

✅ Fiber optic sensing technology enhances real-time monitoring.
✅ Awareness is crucial for technology adoption.
✅ The technology has applications in security and utilities.
✅ Municipalities can benefit from shared infrastructure costs.
✅ Business cases are essential for driving adoption.
✅ Innovations in call centers can improve damage prevention.
✅ The technology can save lives in emergency situations.
✅ Diverse applications require tailored solutions from vendors.
✅ The future of fiber optic sensing is promising and impactful.

✔️ You can contact Paul Dickinson at [email protected] or find him on LinkedIn - https://lnkd.in/g5bHAyYB (lots of content on his page!)

✔️ Make sure to check out FOSA, the Fiber Optic Sensing Association

💡 We will be discussing Fiber Optic Sensing in more detail during a panel discussion at the upcoming Canadian Rural and Remote Broadband Community Conference in Rama, Ontario, June 9-11. See https://crrbc.ca/ for more details.

🎧 Listen, follow and share on your Podcast player of choice or here, on Spotify

Thanks for listening!

What’s Happening On Earth?

Financing Broadband in Hard-to-Reach Communities - To close the digital divide, we need a capital market that powers community broadband.

My Take: It seems low income areas are often overlooked. Between 2010 and 2020, over $100 billion in federal funding resulted in less than a 1% improvement in broadband access. They suggest impact funding may help solve the problem. May be tough to find that money these days..

🇨🇦 TELUS PureFibre services are coming to Red Deer - TELUS and F3 Networks are excited to announce that TELUS PureFibre services will soon be available to 90% of homes in Red Deer, thanks to a historic $168 million investment by F3 Networks

My Take: Red Deer isn’t the point. F3 is. Last week, it was Rogers and Redwood. This week, Telus and F3. Where is Bell, other than launching a campaign (see next article). I really wonder if F3 and Redwood will be able to operate at length without CRTC oversight.

🇨🇦 Bell launches campaign calling on Ottawa, CRTC to reverse wholesale fibre policy - Bell Canada is renewing its push for the federal telecommunications regulator to block competitors from reselling fibre internet service on its network.

My Take: Yea, Telus had their shot, now it’s Bell’s turn. Don’t they have enough to worry about in the US? They need an F3 or Redwood sort of company to offload their fiber.

5G small cells are out, colocations are in – report - According to a new report from the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), interest in small cells remains depressed, but cell tower colocations are 'a major factor' in the expansion of 5G in the US.

My Take: This trend is driven by the challenges of small cell installations, such as high costs and permitting delays, making colocations a more efficient and cost-effective solution for expanding 5G coverage

Beyond Broadband: Tapping the Multi-Use Advantages of Nationwide Fiber Optic Infrastructure - Across the United States, investment is ramping up in new infrastructure to meet growing demand for services including broadband, transportation, water, energy, and more. As both public and private projects break ground, it is critical for stakeholders to maximize the longevity and value of their assets. This requires protecting existing infrastructure, careful maintenance, and a focus on leveraging assets for additional benefits.

My Take: Good article to read all about Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing technology, use cases and examples.

AT&T flexes fiber focus over 5G FWA - McElfresh told an audience at a J.P. Morgan investor conference this week that AT&T is currently on a fiber building boom that is the equivalent of deploying a new fiber connection between New York City and Los Angeles “in route miles every month.”

My Take: That’s a lot of fiber, and quite the financial investment.

FWA has plenty of growth potential in the business world - Fixed wireless access (FWA) is gaining momentum among broadband consumers, but ConnectX panelists noted the technology also has plenty of room to grow in the business sphere.

My Take: Not without its challenges, but why wouldn’t it be?

FAA and Verizon tackle telecom turbulence at Newark Airport - The Federal Aviation Administration launched an emergency task force that includes executives from Verizon and contractor L3Harris to address ongoing communication problems at Newark Liberty International Airport. The federal government will fast-track fixes, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference Tuesday.  

My Take: I thought Elon was taking care of all the airports?

Convergence is more than just bundling at an attractive price - It’s also not so much what convergence is but why. Operators are eyeing bundles as a way to reduce churn and increase market share, Chaplin said. Although he’s skeptical about how companies can gain that market share as bundling becomes more prevalent, it’s certainly an advantage “to do that in markets where their competitors can’t.”

My Take: Bundling wired and wireless isn’t new. Perhaps the concept of value vs price is.

Private 5G update: US policy hobbles Industry 4.0 ahead of new golden age - Short-term pullback, long-term rebound – US interest in private 5G slumps on economic and political jitters, but global momentum builds as smarter models and automation drive long-term industrial growth.

My Take: An 11% drop since 2024, attributed to policy shifts and tariffs affecting enterprise ROI calculations. Despite this domestic setback, global private 5G deployments are projected to triple by 2030

Trump labels Digital Equity Act racist and unconstitutional - President Donald Trump has said he is immediately ending the Digital Equity Act of 2021, which was passed into law as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

My Take: Isn’t his calling it racist actually a racist remark because of supposed racial preference in the act?

White Paper | Where Fiber Doesn't Fit - Because it delivers high speed and reliability, as well as vastly higher bandwidth, fiber is the technology of choice to support robust connectivity. But sometimes you need to consider other options in places where fiber doesn’t fit, or isn’t practical..

My Take: Short of a tin can and strink, the paper pretty much touches on everything else.

🇨🇦 New Radio over Coax - Charter, Rogers Communications, and CableLabs have collaborated on a new technology they are calling new radio over coax. The immediate goal of the new technology is to use a cable company’s coaxial network to transmit 5G signals.

My Take: Catchy name, NRoC.. Anyway, it will allow them to more easily deploy small cells, etc.

🇨🇦 CRTC confirms its domain over small cell attachments on telco structures - The CRTC has closed the loop on a matter it opened over a year ago: that it does, indeed, have concurrent jurisdiction with Industry Canada over the wireless attachments on telco-owned or controlled structures.. The ruling means the installation of small cell and Wi-Fi equipment is subject to the support structure tariffs filed to the commission, which was the starting point for the matter in question.

My Take: Click to see the Telecom Decision CRTC 2025-96

Free Space Optical Communications — With Attochron's Tom Chaffee, Jim Olson, and Wayne Knox

My Take: Interesting video to learn more about why these guys are on a path to do what others haven’t been able to accomplish.

Attocohron will be represented on my panel on rural innovations at the upcoming Rural and Remote Broadband Community Conference, June 9-11, Rama, Ontatio.

What’s Happening In Space?

What’s in Space This Week?

The UAE’s Role in the Next Era of Satellite Intelligence - The impact of public-private collaborations, advancements in satellite data usage, and the UAE's drive to lead in space intelligence and sustainable development.

My Take: The UAE is making some specific strategic investments and picking partners accordingly for a reason. “The UAE is also advancing secure satellite communications, a critical area in the evolving digital economy. With developments in quantum encryption, space-based cybersecurity, and sovereign data networks, satellite communications are becoming central to national security and infrastructure resilience”

The New Space Race: Telcos, LEO Satellites and the Hybrid Network Imperative - The race to connect the unconnected is no longer about satellites versus cell towers—it’s the fusion of both—a #HybridNetwork—offering seamless global connectivity.

My Take: Indeed. Not one or the other. Convergence drives many opportunities.

Viasat's Arctic Broadband Dedicated Coverage Advances as Payloads Enter Service Onboard Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission Spacecraft - The milestone means high-speed coverage is now available for Government customers in the Arctic, with commercial services planned throughout fiscal year 2026.

My Take: Lots of focus above 65 degrees. There are others coming as well, and I thought OneWeb already supported Arctic communication?

How smaller satellites are reshaping the geostationary orbit market - As these LEO systems expand, traditional GEO operators are being forced to adapt to a market in transition. Amid this disruption, another, quieter evolution is underway within GEO itself. A new generation of smaller, more nimble communications satellites is emerging, offering faster deployment, lower costs and greater flexibility.

My Take: Some specialized applications focused on certain parts of the planet.

Datacenters Go to Space - “Space-based infrastructure could leverage the cold vacuum of space for cooling,” said Charles Doarn, director of the Armstrong Institute for Space, Technology, and Research at the University of Cincinnati. In addition to potential cost savings and sustainability gains, these facilities could boost resilience and perhaps even security.

My Take: A couple of solid initiatives like StarCloud working to launch space-based data centres.

China launches space computing satellite constellation - The initial satellites provide a combined computing power of 5 POPS and 30 terabytes of storage capacity. They are equipped with on-board intelligent computing and inter-satellite communication systems, and have the capability of in-orbit computing in space.

My Take: Is it just computing, to does it count as a data center?

Senate Democrats want investigation into whether Trump administration helping Musk make Starlink deals - As President Donald Trump continues his first foreign trip through the Middle East, a group of Senate Democrats are calling for an investigation into whether the Trump administration is clearing hurdles for Starlink, a company led by White House senior adviser Elon Musk, to strike foreign deals.

My Take: If it looks like a fish, and smells like a fish..

SpaceX launches 475th Falcon 9 rocket to date on afternoon Starlink flight - The Starlink 6-67 mission added 28 more spacecraft to the more than 7,400 currently in low Earth orbit. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex happened at 12:38 p.m. (1638 UTC).

My Take: 475th Falcon 9 rocket. The cost of launch just keeps getting less expensive, which, of course, is a huge part of the plan.

Arabsat selects Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) services for its multi-orbit connectivity portfolio - one of the world’s largest and most innovative satellite operators, and Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat), the top satellite service provider in the Arab world, today announced the companies have successfully negotiated and signed a Term Sheet for a multi-Gbps capacity pool of Telesat Lightspeed connectivity services. The companies executed the agreement today during a signing ceremony at the CABSAT 2025 event in Dubai.

My Take: Much like some of the others, now all they have to do is build.. and launch..

🇨🇦 Kepler Validates SDA-Compatible Space-to-Ground Laser Links with Cailabs - Kepler Communications Inc., a pioneer in optical data relay technology, today announced that it has successfully demonstrated space-to-ground optical data relay with French optical ground station company, Cailabs, paving the way for the future of in-space optical technology.

My Take: Imagine all that bandwidth - one day - when optics replaces RF.

Eutelsat plots digital upgrades for follow-on OneWeb satellites - Space computing specialist Ramon.Space announced a deal May 14 to supply digital communication channelizer systems for at least 70 upcoming OneWeb satellites, helping transition the constellation to a software-defined network that can be updated in orbit.

My Take: Software defined anything is good, I would think especially in space!

Space-Based Laser Communication Market Report 2025-2035: Industry Accelerates with Satellite Mega Constellations and Inter-Satellite Link Adoption - The global space-based laser communication market has experienced remarkable growth in recent years due to the deployment of second-generation satellites equipped with inter-satellite links (ISL). This growth is primarily driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), electronically steered antennas (ESAs), miniaturization of parts, and inter-satellite links (ISLs) that enhance communication performance both on the ground and in space. Additionally, the market growth is influenced by mega constellations from notable companies such as OneWeb, SpaceX, and Amazon's Project Kuiper in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO).

My Take: Pretty much says it all.

Direct To Device

Skylo Drives Into Automotive Sector With BMW Group, Deutsche Telekom, Qualcomm, HARMAN, Fraunhofer IIS, Cubic³, and Others - To introduce seamless non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication to vehicles to support real-time messaging, vehicle status messages, hazard warnings, and other use cases transmitted bidirectionally over satellite, Skylo is collaborating with partners BMW Group and Deutsche Telekom.

My Take: The focus here is This upcoming demonstration marks the world’s first showcase of seamless switching between terrestrial and Skylo coverage using a single SIM card

FCC Launches Inquiry into EchoStar After SpaceX Questions Its Use of MSS Spectrum - The FCC opened two public notices on EchoStar Monday. One from the Space Bureau focuses on MSS utilization, seeking information on whether EchoStar’s use of the 2 GHz band for MSS is “consistent with the terms of its authorizations and the commission’s rules and policies.” 

My Take: Satellite spectrum sharing is getting a lot of attention lately.

AST SpaceMobile ramping up launches ahead of beta service this year - AST SpaceMobile plans to launch satellites for its direct-to-smartphone broadband constellation every one to two months starting in July, aiming to begin beta services for AT&T and Verizon in the United States before the end of the year.

My Take: AST SpaceMobile is on track to produce 40 satellites in 2025 as it ramps up facilities to churn out six per month toward the end of the year.

🇨🇦 MNL Urges Immediate Action to Improve Cellular Service Across Newfoundland and Labrador - In the wake of the recent wildfire emergency in the community of Small Point–Adam’s Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL) is once again calling for immediate action from the Provincial and Federal Governments to address critical gaps in rural cellular service across the province.

My Take: Will the recent Bell announcement, seem that Newfoundland and Labrador have some connectivity issues to resolve…

Space42 Demonstrates D2D Capabilities Via L-Band Satellites - Space42 has made a new move into the Direct-to-Device (D2D) arena. Its mobile satellite services subsidiary Thuraya has teamed up with Gatehouse Satcom, a Danish-based software company on a project to advance D2D connectivity. The project demonstrated NB-IoT applications over Space42’s L band geostationary satellites using 3GPP-compliant release 17 technology, Space42 announced on May. 7.

My Take: nothing to add..

Enabling AI

Altice’s Optimum fixes its customer service problems with AI - Altice announced it’s working to improve its customer service using AI. It's working with Google Cloud Platform and an AI customer service company called Cresta. And it's also using a home-grown AI tool dubbed AVA

My Take: “You can literally tell if a customer is liking what you're telling the customer based on how they are reacting to the offers, the words that they're using, the tone that they're using. So you can understand customer sentiment in real time, and you can change the offers based on that sentiment,”. They need a computer to tell them if a customer isn’t happy?

How a new type of AI is helping police skirt facial recognition bans - Police and federal agencies have found a controversial new way to skirt the growing patchwork of laws that curb how they use facial recognition: an AI model that can track people using attributes like body size, gender, hair color and style, clothing, and accessories. 

My Take: Hello, civil liberties people. You can use it to find people by specifying body size, gender, hair color and style, shoes, clothing, and various accessories. The tool can then assemble timelines, tracking a person across different locations and video feeds.

FaceAge, a deep learning system to estimate biological age from face photographs to improve prognostication: a model development and validation study - As humans age at different rates, physical appearance can yield insights into biological age and physiological health more reliably than chronological age. In medicine, however, appearance is incorporated into medical judgements in a subjective and non-standardised way. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate FaceAge, a deep learning system to estimate biological age from easily obtainable and low-cost face photographs.

My Take: ..and then figure out what horrible diseases you’ll get.

Google Is Using On-Device AI to Spot Scam Texts and Investment Fraud - Android’s “Scam Detection” protection in Google Messages will now be able to flag even more types of digital fraud.

 My Take: Seems like a good application of technology!

Perplexity AI wrapping talks to raise $500 million at $14 billion valuation - The funding is on the lower end of Perplexity’s planned raise, which CNBC reported in March. During those early-stage talks, Perplexity was looking to raise between $500 million and $1 billion in funding at an $18 billion post-money valuation, per a source familiar.

My Take: $18B valuation…

Google DeepMind’s new AI agent cracks real-world problems better than humans can - AlphaEvolve uses large language models to find new algorithms that outperform the best human-made solutions for data center management, chip design, and more.

My Take: Then more people will be replaced..

This and That!

Canadian telecoms quietly raise cellphone plan prices and fees after years of better mobile deals - After years of declining rates for cellphone plans, Canadian telecoms are raising certain add-on fees and plan prices. In April, Fido, a cellular brand owned by Rogers Communications Inc. changed the terms of its contract for new customers to include a $5-a-month charge to use a hot spot from their cellphone to share data with other devices.

My Take: All the contracts said that terms may change on a whim, but no one reads that stuff. The thing that is interesting is that they’re meeting each other in the market with higher prices. Seems counterintuitive.. a little?

Live 4K video from space! See 24/7 views of Earth from the ISS via Sen cameras - Click play, go full-screen, lean back and enjoy. That's how easy it is now to get lost in the absolutely stunning scape that is our planet Earth from space as it streams live before your eyes.

My Take: Bye, bye, fireplace channel!

More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code - More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest a new company dress code, a union representing the coffee giant’s workers said Wednesday.

My Take: They’re a grande pain in the ass, I would expect. I’m sure Dunkin’ Donuts and Tim Horton’s is hiring.

Scientists think a hidden source of clean energy could power Earth for 170,000 years — and they've figured out the 'recipe' to find it - Researchers have compiled a list of "ingredients" that could help resource exploration companies locate huge reservoirs of clean hydrogen, a critical element in the transition away from fossil fuels.

My Take: Hydrogen and Nuclear. Forget those EVs 😄

Infographic Of The Week

My Take: They haven’t taken into account the rise of the humanoids. They will kill off mankind well before 2085. Throw in a little Logan’s Run and Battlestar Galactica, and you’re all doomed. I’ll be deal by 2085, unless I get a Neuralink and have my “being” implanted in a humanoid.

Let’s see, 2085, on this week, Issue #3201 of my newsletter will be released. By robots.

Nothing rhymes with 3201 ☹️

Podcast Recommendation

Ok, ok.. first. I know what you’re thinking. What the hell is he doing listening to “Call Her Daddy?”

Sometimes she has some interesting people that she interviews. It’s not the same “Call Her Daddy” of the Barstool era (which was also pretty funny, by the way). Besides, she’s scored a $125M deal with SiriusXM, so she must be doing something right.

Maybe the Jason’s Industry Insights Podcast will join the Unwell network. It would make sense 😁

And now I know what “the twisties” is.

Now, join Alex in Houston for an exclusive interview with gold medalist, Simone Biles. Simone is here to share her side of the story and what really happened at the infamous Tokyo Olympics when she withdrew from the team competition and shocked the world. She opens up about the trauma that led to that decision, what nobody knew was happening behind the scenes, and how she thought her gymnastics career was over. Simone gets real about how the nation’s backlash affected her mentally and what it’s taken to get back into the gym. She also discusses her decision to come forward about the abuse she endured under the former USA Gymnastics physician and how she’s working to heal. Simone talks about her early years in foster care and how being adopted completely changed the trajectory of her life. Then, Alex asks the question we’re all dying to know… Is Simone going to Paris? Finally, Simone gushes about her marriage, responds to Jonathan Owens’ controversial viral interview, and talks about how she’s leaning into WAG life. Get ready to know Simone Biles like never before. Enjoy!

Listen Here!

Movie/Streaming Recommendation

IMDb: 6.7/10

JMDb: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿½ / 10 (I kept waiting for Rami him to break out in song..)

James Hawes’ The Amateur (2025) is a globe-trotting espionage thriller anchored by Rami Malek as Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptographer whose life is shattered when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terror attack.

Frustrated by his superiors’ inaction, Charlie blackmails the agency into training him for fieldwork, setting him on a personal mission of vengeance across Europe. The film explores the psychological toll of revenge, as Charlie-no natural killer-relies on his intellect and technical prowess rather than brute force, crafting traps and leveraging secrets to pursue his wife’s murderers.

Despite a promising premise and a talented cast including Laurence Fishburne, Caitríona Balfe, and Michael Stuhlbarg, critical reception has been mixed. While praised for its slick visuals and restrained, realistic action, the film is criticized for underdeveloped supporting characters and a lack of emotional resonance, with Malek’s performance described as competent but underutilized. 

Ultimately, The Amateur delivers a stylish yet emotionally distant take on the vigilante spy genre.

It was about 30 minutes too long.

A Word From Our Partner

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