You won’t find a better source for Market Intelligence about Telecom, Broadband, Space and AI, all in one place, for free, anywhere!

🌎 What’s Happening on Earth

🪐 What’s Happening in Space

🤖 Enabling AI

🍳 This and That!

💡 Lean About..

If you enjoy this newsletter, please share it!

What’s Happening On Earth?

Verizon Doubles Fixed Wireless Targets, Plans More Than 35M Fiber Passings - The company should have 30 million passings by 2028, by virture of buying Frontier and continuing Verizon expansion.  

My Take: Clearly, their FWA program isn’t slowing. Last week, I posted an article indicating a heightened user approval of the FWA products as compared to fixed-line products - likely driven by attractive pricing models.

Telecom glory days are over – bad news for Nokia, worse for Ericsson - ..telcos are not under so much pressure to invest in expensive capacity upgrades. This is one reason why Analysys Mason, a consulting and analyst company, foresees a fall in capital intensity – expenditure as a percentage of sales – this decade. Money once spent on line cards and network software could be invested elsewhere or returned to shareholders. Free cash flow should improve.

My Take: OpenVault showed the same data trend in their 2Q24 broadband report. People are using less data, and perhaps it’s due to CODEC advancements and other enhancements to present content while consuming less data, or perhaps we’ve just hit the cap until that “killer app” shows up.

Federal Trade Commission Announces Final “Click-to-Cancel” Rule Making It Easier for Consumers to End Recurring Subscriptions and Memberships - The Federal Trade Commission today announced a final “click-to-cancel” rule that will require sellers to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up. Most of the final rule’s provisions will go into effect 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

My Take: So… the ruling is already being challenged (Telecom group sues to block FTC's 'click to cancel' rule) by the NCTA on behalf of their member providers in the US. Meanwhile, in Canada, the CRTC will be opening a consultation to, among other items, seek “views on requiring service providers to give Canadians the option of cancelling a contract or modifying a plan without having to speak to a customer service representative.”

Anecdotally, Starlink makes it very easy to cancel your service. Just go into the app and cancel it. Done. Every other provider makes it impossible even to find out how to cancel a service, and then when you do find out how to cancel, the process is likely made to be purposely challenging, leaving people on hold and asking so many unnecessary questions that people just keep what they have.

I understand why providers want to make the process challenging. However, If they are truly offering a quality service with great support at a reasonable price and continue to be interested in keeping their customer happy, why would a subscriber generally want to cancel?

Perhaps if providers were more proactive in making sure their customers are happy, none of this would be necessary. I’ve seen several appointments to “Chief Customer Officer” or “Chief Customer Experience Officer” lately. Maybe it’s a start.

Why enterprises should care more about net neutrality - Net neutrality policies are the most significant regulatory influence on the Internet and data services, and they're the reason why end-to-end Internet QoS isn’t available.

My Take: I’ve suggested many times net neutrality is an innovation-killer, albeit a way to ensure fair market competition, by example, for any provider (i.e. OTT provider) using service providers networks to deliver end-user services.

Explainer: A brief history of foreign ownership restrictions in Canada’s telecom sector - As for the law’s foreign ownership restriction, (it) states that a telephone provider with at least 10 percent market share must be Canadian-owned. According to the Telecommunications Act, that means at least 80 percent of the board members must be Canadian, and 80 percent of the voting shares must be Canadian-controlled.

My Take: Interesting three-part series, if you’re into this sort of stuff.

“Telephone service subscribers weren’t even allowed to purchase their own phones from their supplier of choice until the rule changed in 1982 (thus ensuring Canadians could take part in the novelty telephone craze of the 1980s—hello, hamburger phone!).”

From “Sean Speer: Imposing artificial competition in the telecoms sector has been a cross-party failure. It’s time to unleash the market”, “A new policy framework would also require rolling back auxiliary fourth-player policies, including preferential treatment in spectrum auctions, the government’s MVNO regime, and the various other ways in which federal policy has sought to manufacture and sustain artificial competition. A greater deference to market forces would need to be shot through the entire telecommunications policy framework.”

‘Let’s Talk About Sextortion’: Instagram Warns Teens of Cybercrime - The video, which opens with the line “Let’s talk about sextortion,” will be pushed to teens and young adults in the US, the UK and Canada on Thursday, Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc. said in a statement. The video highlights red flags to watch for — such as “someone coming on too strong” or asking to trade explicit photos — and directs teens where to seek help.

My Take: Ongoing steps in the right direction. This seems to be fairly in-your-face, which is needed and hopefully effective.

AT&T CEO John Stankey ponders big-picture thoughts about open access networks - “Stankey stunned us this morning by saying that AT&T would consider wholesaling its fiber network in the future.  He seemed to say that they wanted to be the sole retail brand on the network for the moment, but that in future they were open to the possibility that they could increase the returns they capture over fiber by wholesaling it.”

My Take: Maybe they should chat with some folks north of the border to see how that’s working out. I don’t think the FCC has any regulatory oversight on this yet.

What’s Happening In Space?

What’s in Space This Week?

New Canadian space technologies to play crucial roles in upcoming missions - Canadian-developed technologies are poised to play crucial roles in these missions. In the next few years, NASA and partner agencies, including the CSA, are expected to launch the Lunar Gateway, the first space station near the moon, as part of NASA’s Artemis program; on it will be a sophisticated space robotics system, the Canadarm3, designed by Brampton, Ont.-based MDA Space Ltd.

My Take: Stop bugging the Feds about investing in programs supporting MDA Space! It’s an important sector for Canada to continue to pursue and grow.

China launches new remote-sensing satellite group - China launched a Long March-2C carrier rocket on Wednesday to place a new group of remote-sensing satellites in space.

My Take: “They will be mainly used for tests on new technologies for low-orbit constellations.” Mainly. What else are they going to be used for?

Backing the Backups: Ensuring satellites are ready to restore communications when ground systems fail - Satellites are the defacto communications technology when disaster strikes because of their resilience, broad coverage and speed to deploy. However, satellite connectivity still requires ground equipment, which must be shipped to areas that are often hard to reach in times of crisis. Even after arrival, the equipment sometimes needs trained professionals to bring communities back online.

My Take: “..the problem is that there is no preparedness. There are no organizations that are lined up to actually take on this bandwidth and deploy it in case of disaster”.. Why can’t communities prone to resilience issues work this into their preparedness and readiness programs?

Space Development Agency selects 19 companies for low-Earth orbit demonstration program - The Space Development Agency selected 19 companies from the space industry to participate in its Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (HALO) program, an effort to accelerate the development of satellite technologies. 

My Take: See “Learn About” below for more information on HALO

SpaceX's Starlink internet flies on a Boeing 777 jet for the 1st time - The 777 is the "largest and longest-range passenger aircraft equipped with Starlink to date," SpaceX representatives said in an emailed statement today.

My Take: World domination continues. Maybe one day Air Canada will outfit their fleet with a different solution to what they offer today?

Satellite Industry Tackles the Challenges in the Way of a Broader D2D Rollout - As the direct-to-device space picked up steam in 2024 with demonstrations and new partnerships with mobile network operators and device manufacturers, the business model is still being worked out. Industry leaders from Iridium Communications, Skylo Technologies, Viasat, and Amazon Project Kuiper dug into the challenges with the direct-to-device rollout. 

My Take: Anyone remember HomeRF? It was an alternate standard to the WiFi Alliance way back when. D2D will be the same over time, I think. One approach uses existing handsets. The other, a 3GPP compliant solution that requires new chipsets and doesn’t use the MNO’s spectrum. One will win.

Intellian to Build 127 Gateway Antennas for Telesat Lightspeed - According to the Wednesday announcement, each landing station will be equipped with multiple Intellian gateway antennas, as well as baseband, network, and control systems. These stations will route customer data to points-of-presence for telecom networks, internet, and cloud services and will also facilitate private interconnections for customer networks.

My Take: Its becoming a little more real with every release 😉 .. It will be a great addition to the Canadian telecom landscape - and other places, too, of course.

Enabling AI

'I'd never seen such an audacious attack on anonymity before': Clearview AI and the creepy tech that can identify you with a single picture - Concerns about facial recognition had been building for decades. And now the nebulous bogeyman had finally found its form: a small company with mysterious founders and an unfathomably large database.

My Take: Read all about it. Creepy tech, indeed.

New App Performs Real-Time, Full-Body Motion Capture with a Mobile Device - Northwestern University engineers have developed a new system for full-body motion capture — and it doesn’t require specialized rooms, expensive equipment, bulky cameras or an array of sensors. Instead, it requires a simple mobile device.

My Take: Is this a solution to a problem or a solution looking for a problem to solve? I can see applications in gaming, VR, simulation, security, etc.

AI can help humans find common ground in democratic deliberation - Reaching a consensus in a democracy is difficult because people hold such different ideological, political, and social views. 

Perhaps an AI tool could help. Researchers from Google DeepMind trained a system of large language models (LLMs) to operate as a “caucus mediator,” generating summaries that outline a group’s areas of agreement on complex but important social or political issues.

My Take: Maybe LLMs will be able to talk people down off of ledges and bridges one day.

Introducing computer use, a new Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Claude 3.5 Haiku - We’re also introducing a groundbreaking new capability in public beta: computer use. Available today on the API, developers can direct Claude to use computers the way people do—by looking at a screen, moving a cursor, clicking buttons, and typing text

My Take: Ahhh… so, now AI can pretend to be working for people? I get it for screen scraping applications where APIs and other methods aren’t available.

Introducing: The AI Hype Index - Separating AI fact from hyped-up fiction isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve created the AI Hype Index—a simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry.

My Take: This is kinda cool. Interesting way to present info and drill down.

Learn About

The Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (HALO) program is a cutting-edge initiative spearheaded by the Space Development Agency (SDA), part of the U.S. Space Force. This program is designed to fast-track the development and deployment of advanced satellite technologies in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), with a focus on enhancing military capabilities in space, particularly in communications and missile tracking.

At the heart of HALO is the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), which aims to create a vast network of satellites to improve military communications and missile tracking. The program emphasizes rapid prototyping, operating under an Other Transactions (OT) agreement. This approach is akin to indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts, offering flexibility in contracting for prototypes and missions.

Recently, the SDA selected 19 companies to participate in the HALO program. This diverse group includes industry giants like Airbus U.S. Space & Defence and SpaceX, alongside smaller, innovative firms such as Turion Space, Canada’s Kepler Communications, and Muon Space. By incorporating both traditional and non-traditional space companies, HALO seeks to foster competition and innovation within the space industry, broadening the base of vendors capable of contributing to future SDA programs.

Each selected company receives an initial agreement valued at $20,000 to cover administrative and travel expenses. The real opportunity for these companies lies in competing for future HALO demonstration prototype orders. The first task orders will focus on launching two identical satellites within 12-18 months. These missions will test technologies such as tactical data links and optical communication, which are crucial for the PWSA’s data-sharing capabilities.

Notably, companies like AST SpaceMobile have secured initial contracts under HALO, allowing them to demonstrate their technologies for national security applications. AST SpaceMobile's phased array technology promises enhanced coverage and reliability for government needs.

The HALO program embodies a "fly before we buy" approach, enabling the SDA to test promising technologies in space before committing to large-scale deployments. This strategy helps reduce technological risks associated with integrating new systems into operational satellite networks. By involving a wide range of companies, HALO not only accelerates technological advancement but also ensures that emerging technologies can be effectively integrated into national defence infrastructure.

This and That!

McDonald’s shares fall after CDC says E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders - The agency said 49 cases have been reported in 10 states between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, with most of the illnesses in Colorado and Nebraska. “Most” sick people reported eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder,

My Take: It’s not the McMeat. It’s the McOnions that seem to be the culprit here. One person has died so far. Ronald McDonald was unavailable for comment but was seen with Jack, from Jack In The Box, enjoying a Baconator at a local Wendy’s.

Air taxis and other electric-powered aircraft cleared for takeoff with final FAA rules - The FAA says these “powered-lift” vehicles will be the first completely new category of aircraft since helicopters were introduced in 1940. These aircraft will be used for a variety of services.

My Take: “Powered lift includes aircraft described by industry watchers as electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL”. Air Taxis. I can hardly wait.

FCC rules all mobile phones must be compatible with hearing aids - The new rules include new stipulations for devices’ Bluetooth connections, requiring manufacturers to move away from proprietary coupling standards and instead ensure “universal connectivity” between handsets and hearing aids.

My Take: What kind is it? Oh, it’s 2 o’clock. What’s that?

Exclusive: Doritos' 1st ad filmed in space features special 'zero-g' chips (video) - Doritos on Monday (Oct. 21) is releasing its first ad filmed in space, and it is filled with the sound of astronauts "crunching" down on the brand's first-ever chips to leave the planet.

My Take: I like the individually wrapped doritos. Probably the most expensive Dorito ever consumed. They’re also great for starting fires in a pinch.

Infographic Of The Week

My Take: Ever wonder about the colours in an Aurora?

Podcast Recommendation

Does Canada Have The Leverage To Regulate Big Tech?

Today, we talk to Rory , COO of Victoria-based Redbrick, but also the former managing director of Twitter Canada, and the former head of partnerships for Canada at Google. And he has a lot to say about the current state of digital, social media, advertising, antitrust, and our government’s approach to regulating Big Tech compared to everywhere else.

This episode goes to a few interesting places, including the classic antitrust question of ‘what is a market?’ and my classic podcast question of ‘why don’t we do what worked in the 20th century?’ Throughout, Capern is willing to play ball, making pragmatic, good faith arguments that stand apart from some of the things we’ve heard from the Big Tech companies looking to avoid any regulation.

Listen Here!

Movie/Streaming Recommendation

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

IMDb: 7.4/10

JMDb: 8/10 (Definitely more than a 7.4)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a horror classic that slices through the genre (get it? eh? huh?) with a chainsaw's precision and a surprisingly light touch of gore. Directed by Tobe Hooper, this film is a masterclass in tension, making you squirm not from what you see but from what your imagination conjures up. The plot follows five unsuspecting friends on a road trip through rural Texas, where they stumble upon Leatherface and his eccentric family. This isn't just any family dinner; it's a macabre feast of terror that would make even the Addams Family cringe.

The film's gritty, documentary-like style adds an unsettling realism that keeps you on edge. Despite its low budget, the movie's raw energy and iconic villains have left an indelible mark on horror cinema. Marilyn Burns shines as Sally Hardesty, the quintessential 'final girl,' whose frantic escape is as exhilarating as it is terrifying. "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" remains a chilling ride into the heart of horror, proving that sometimes less is more—except when it comes to chainsaws.

Until Next Time

Comments here are my own and do not represent the opinions, views or thoughts of any person, company or organization that I may be associated with.

Feedback, comments and ideas are welcomed. Message me on LinkedIn or contact me at [email protected]