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In Today’s Issue

What’s Happening On Earth?

🇨🇦 FCC Seeking Comment on Canadian Bell Purchase of Ziply - The FCC will have to approve the transfer of some broadband subsidy support, as well as Ziply’s service authorizations and spectrum licenses. Ziply, the product of investment firm Searchlight Capital purchasing Frontier assets, has already received a waiver on foreign ownership limits, something the BCE deal will also need.

My Take: Who’s running the FCC now? Do we think this is going to sail on through?

Salt Typhoon Exploits Cisco Devices in Telco Infrastructure - The China-sponsored state espionage group has exploited known, older bugs in Cisco gear for successful cyber intrusions on six continents in the past two months.

My Take: It won’t go away.

🇨🇦 Rogers Recognized as Canada’s Most Reliable Wireless Network by Opensignal - “We continually invest in Canada’s largest wholly owned 5G network so Canadians can connect when and where they want,” said Mark Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer, Rogers. “We’re proud to be recognized by Opensignal as Canada’s most reliable wireless network.”

My Take: “most reliable” is how many 9’s?

🇨🇦 Bell Canada recognized for fastest pure fibre Internet and top 5G networks - For the fourth consecutive time, the Ookla® Q3-Q4 2024 Speedtest AwardsTM have named Bell Pure Fibre Canada’s fastest Internet.In wireless, GWS has once again crowned Bell’s 5G and 5G+ networks the fastest and best in Canada in its 2024 nationwide assessment of 5G networks.

My Take: Oh, wait a minute. I thought Rogers was the most reliable. These guys should all agree on one governance body to issue awards. Maybe someone could give an award for “best support” or something that matters. “Best” means nothing.

Top telecom sector execs split over 6G – report - Is the telecom sector doing enough to prepare for 6G? Top industry executives are split over this question, according to the results of a survey conducted in January with the members of the DSP Leaders Council and published in our latest free-to-download industry report. 

My Take: The report can be downloaded here

Good for Communities, Good for Business: Why ISPs Should Care About Digital Equity - Digital equity is about ensuring everyone has the tools and skills needed to fully participate in today’s society. This starts with connectivity, but doesn’t end there. The fastest broadband in the world means little if people are unable to use it.

My Take: I don’t think the “fastest” matters to those who don’t even know what to do with it. With all the money being spent to deliver broadband, people need to understand how to leverage it, on many levels.

IoT cybersecurity market poised for boom - A study from Juniper Research projected that the number of IoT devices protected by cybersecurity solutions globally is set to double to 28 billion by 2028, due to mounting security challenges posed by network complexity.

My Take: ..and default passwords..

EC tipped to clear $2.3B Nokia bid for Infinera - Nokia expects Infinera to complement its position in the optical sector in APAC, EMEA and Latin America.

My Take: The will own the optical market. Where’s the DoJ? ;)

More States Considering Low Broadband Prices - Now that New York’s Affordable Broadband Act has gone into effect, other states are looking to mandate low broadband rates for low-income households.

My Take: Many don’t want it..

A rocky road lies ahead for RDOF as money drains away - As of 2025, internet service providers (ISPs) have defaulted on $3.3 billion of the $9.2 billion total in RDOF awards, according to a study from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Meaning 1.9 million of approximately 5.2 million eligible RDOF locations are no longer scheduled to receive service.

My Take: Nice chart showing State by State defaults. How will they be connected if they are ineligible under BEAD?

T-Mobile’s Ewaldsson says 5G rural lead is 'just the beginning' - This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been following T-Mobile’s 5G expansion into small towns and rural areas of the U.S., but Ookla made it official this week, crowning T-Mobile the leader for its 5G coverage in rural areas.

My Take: “According to Ookla, T-Mobile has the largest percentage of 5G users spending the majority of their time on its 5G network in both urban and rural markets, outranking Verizon and AT&T.”

What’s Happening In Space?

What’s in Space This Week?

The 10 Hottest Satellite Companies in 2025 - Via Satellite’s 10 Hottest Companies rounds up 10 “must watch” companies in the satellite industry, from constellations, manufacturing, launch, and more. Via Satellite editors chose the companies on this list based on their expected activity for the year, and a mix of market share, transformational technology, ground-breaking deals, and overall industry excitement.

My Take: Interesting group of companies.

The New Big 4: Assessing the Race Among the Top Operators - The leading traditional GEO operators have paired up while Starlink has joined the ranks as one of the new four leaders. How will legacy operators compete with Starlink’s disruptive services? This article offers analyst commentary on the operators’ state of play.

My Take: They seem to be adapting to Starlink’s model

Eutelsat adapts GEO strategy as Starlink reshapes satellite connectivity - Eutelsat is taking another step away from consumer broadband as Starlink’s sprawling low Earth orbit (LEO) network continues to erode demand for geostationary services.

My Take: Starlink is getting into enterprise as well. You can run, but you can’t hide

Blue Ghost 1 enters lunar orbit as Resilience flies by the moon - One commercial lunar lander has entered orbit around the moon while another, launched at the same time, has performed a lunar flyby to set up a later return.

My Take: Who comes up with these names?

Starlink Doubled Its Subscriber Base in One Year. But Can It Keep Up With Users' Needs? - Starlink is rapidly adding users where internet options are desperately needed, but some experts worry about its lack of speed.

My Take: 4.6 Million.. and a waiting list.

Musk's Starlink Internet Is Now Available in Over 100 Countries - A map shared by Elon Musk's space company shows that Starlink is available in much of the US, Europe, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Many of the remaining countries and areas show availability coming in 2025 pending regulatory approval and capacity constraints. Cities in the US, including Seattle, Portland, San Diego and Austin, are currently marked as "sold out."

My Take: And then there’s those who don’t want it.. See below.

Italy working on alternative to Musk's Starlink, minister says - The suggestion was sharply criticised by opposition politicians, who questioned the wisdom of handing a national security contract to a foreign entrepreneur who is also part of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump.

My Take: Seems a bit of a theme; however, sovereign data is essential, and who knows what Elon could do? Seems like something Rivada could take care of.

🇨🇦 GMV to Deliver Next-Generation Satellite Control Software Suite for the Telesat Lightspeed Constellation - GMV, the world’s number one supplier of satellite control systems, is proud to announce that it has been selected by Telesat (Nasdaq and TSX: TSAT) to develop and deliver the next‑generation satellite control software suite for the Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation

My Take: Getting closer!

1 million 'interstellar objects' — each larger than the Statue of Liberty — may lurk in the outer solar system - New simulations reveal that around 1 million "macroscopic" objects from our closest stellar neighbors, the Alpha Centauri system, may already reside in the Oort Cloud, far from sight.

My Take: But they won’t come anywhere near earth, so that’s ok..

Nokia is putting the first cellular network on the moon - The radiation-hardened technology will get its first test in an upcoming mission to the lunar south pole.

My Take: Now the astronauts can keep their TikTok feeds current with space content.

AI could help the US evade a crippling cyber attack on its satellites - Defense News reported last month that the US Navy is moving forward with plans to build a network of fully autonomous satellites that are able to navigate independently without GPS or ground control.

Why the US Navy wants to build a fully autonomous satellite - The system, called Autosat, is designed to task, calibrate its signals and send and receive information on its own without the need for a human operator.

My Take: Like a big AI Agents in space.

AST needs more satellites for continuous US coverage - Direct-to-device (D2D) satellites or "cell towers in space" can eliminate dead zones but the 45-60 satellites announced appear insufficient for 24/7 services across the US.

My Take: Great analysis from Carlos Placido. His NCAT tool models help visualize the problem. Here’s an interview with AST Spacemobile’s President. Quite informative and provides some additional insights.

KazSat, OneWeb may replace Starlink in Kazakhstan - The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry explained the restrictions imposed on using Elon Musk’s internet satellites in Kazakhstan and offered some alternatives, Kazinform News Agency reports.

My Take: Seems Elon seems to be a four-letter word with many as of late.

GRC signs agreement with Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions - Global RadioData Communications Ltd. (GRC) has signed an agreement with Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions LLC (KGS) to be an Authorised Reseller of KGS communications services. KGS is the government-focused division of Project Kuiper, an Amazon initiative to deliver fast, reliable, and secure connectivity through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

My Take: Good that they’re out there pre-selling to government and DoD, etc.

Starlink Solutions for Next-Generation Disaster Response - As the frequency of natural disasters continues to rise, IEC Telecom has launched RDK 2.0, a next-generation Rapid Deployment Kit designed to provide uninterrupted, high-speed connectivity to first responders and humanitarian teams.

My Take: Every community should have some sort of similar kit for those “just in case” moments, like when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lost his fiber connection.. which I still can’t believe.

🇨🇦 Starlink is a partner, not a competitor, says Canadian ISPs - Arctic telecommunications leaders say Starlink is a partner, not competitor, in providing internet services to northern Canada.

My Take: As it should be. Some have embraced the partnership and convergence.

Globalstar Details Next-Generation LEO Constellation in FCC Filing - Globalstar detailed plans for its next-generation Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation to support Apple satellite connectivity in a filing this week to the FCC. 

My Take: “ the filing, Globalstar indicated that the technology on these new satellites will enable connectivity in buildings and in vehicles.”

What’s Happening SubSea?

Subsea fibre optic cable deliberately cut for the 2nd time between N.S. and N.L. - Telecommunications giant Bell is exploring surveillance options in the Gulf of St. Lawrence after one of its subsea fibre optic cables between Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland's west coast was recently severed for the second time.

My Take: Someone has an axe to grind, or rather a cable to grind.

Meta unveils plan for world’s longest subsea cable - In a bid to guarantee access to vital international data networking capacity to support its AI and cloud traffic, big tech giant Meta is to invest billions of dollars in a subsea cable network, called Project Waterworth, that will span the globe, have landing stations on five continents and be more than 50,000km long. 

My Take: As long as Kevin Costner isn’t building it, it may be fine. Anyone get that? Anyone? I wonder what it will cost to maintain break/fix resources?

Enabling AI

Are AI services telcos’ magic revenue bullet? - Forget 5G monetization. Telcos are now looking to artificial intelligence (AI) as their new savior, hoping that they can lean into generative AI to create new revenue streams for their businesses. But how, exactly, might that work?

My Take: AIaaS or GPUaaS. Take what they use internally and package it for customers.

Elon Musk’s ‘Scary Smart’ Grok 3 Release—What You Need To Know - According to xAI, this latest version of its chatbot, which Musk describes as “scary smart,” represents a major step forward, improving reasoning, computational power and adaptability.

My Take: Supposed to outperform everything else.

The AI Hype Frenzy Is Fueling Cybersecurity Risks - The artificial intelligence gold rush has reached a fever pitch. Companies are throwing billions—no, trillions—at AI projects, slapping the "AI-powered" label on everything from email filters to coffee makers. AI is no longer just a technology; it’s a buzzword, a marketing gimmick and a financial frenzy all rolled into one.

My Take: ..with reckless deployment. Except this newsletter. No AI here. Well, not much, but some for sure.

Researchers are training AI to interpret animal emotions - Artificial intelligence could eventually help us understand when animals are in pain or showing other emotions

My Take: I know when my dog is hungry. I would like to know if he thinks my jokes are funny, though.

Meta is working on ‘humanoid’ robots, too - Bloomberg notes that Meta has broader goals of making “the underlying AI, sensors and software for robots that will be manufactured and sold by a range of companies.”

My Take: That’s right. Be the “OS” and grow the collective.

Helix: A Vision-Language-Action Model for Generalist Humanoid Control - We're introducing Helix, a generalist Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model that unifies perception, language understanding, and learned control to overcome multiple longstanding challenges in robotics. Helix is a series of firsts

My Take: Two robots? How come no one ever shows robots cleaning cat litter boxes? That’s the killer app. Meow.

What Are AI Agents? A Short Intro And A Step-by-Step Guide to Build Your Own. - The next big thing? Gartner believes AI agents are the future. OpenAI, Nvidia and Microsoft are betting on it — as are companies such as Salesforce, which have so far been rather inconspicuous in the field of AI.

My Take: A little involved, but good nonetheless

Of the telecom professionals surveyed by Nvidia, 97% said their company is either actively deploying or assessing deploying AI - A new survey published this week by Nvidia reveals that telcos are leaning into artificial intelligence (AI) , and even generative AI (gen AI), quite aggressively, going against the industry’s reputation for being slower to adopt new technologies. In fact, according to NVIDIA’s Global Head of Business Development for Telco Chris Penrose, telcos, by many accounts, appear to be leading in the adoption of these technologies.

My Take: I guess everyone’s using ChatGPT.

Learn About

Satellite-to-Cell ecosystem comparison. This is the PDF of the carousel I posted on LinkedIn this week. Here’s a testimonial from someone I don’t even know..

This and That!

Microsoft unveils Majorana 1, the world’s first quantum processor powered by topological qubits - Built with a breakthrough class of materials called a topoconductor, Majorana 1 marks a transformative leap toward practical quantum computing.

My Take: Topological qubits are theorized to be more robust against environmental disturbances, potentially reducing error rates in quantum computations. 

The science of snowflakes: See how they form and why no two are ever alike - Snow is made up of trillions of tiny ice crystals that make snowflakes, with not one alike. Here's how they form.

My Take: I blame the parents. Oh, wait. Not that kind of snowflake.

Chance of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 smashing into Earth rises yet again to 3.1%, NASA reports - NASA has increased the chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 to 1 in 32, or 3.1%, up from 1 in 42 as reported in previous calculations.

My Take: And then NASA lowered it back to 1 in 67,

China’s EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots - Technical know-how and existing supply chains give Chinese electric-vehicle makers a significant head start in the sector.

My Take: Yea, but will people let them into their homes?

Amazon: Outspending Everyone - AWS is doubling down on AI to meet soaring demand

My Take: Pictures are way better than words ;)

Infographic Of The Week

My Take: I’ll assume there aren’t a lot of EVs in Venezuela.. or Iran (less than 1%, it seems).

Podcast Recommendation

Direct-to-Device satellite connectivity is being touted as a way to bridge terrestrial connectivity gaps, and the past year has seen major developments in the D2D space. Jacques Leduc, CEO of Terrestar Solutions and a founding member of the Mobile Satellite Services Association discusses how 3GPP 5G standards, access to spectrum and partnerships will drive the D2D market going forward.

You can listen here

Movie/Streaming Recommendation

IMDb: 4.9/10

JMDb: 3/10 (don’t even ask why I watched this train wreck of a movie. She used to be funny. It was either this or shovel snow.)

"Kinda Pregnant" is a mess. Amy Schumer plays Lainy, a teacher who lies about being pregnant, and somehow, this leads to romance. Sounds dumb? It is. The movie spends way too much time trying to make you understand why Lainy does this crazy thing, but it's still a stretch.

The romance? Rushed. You don't buy that Lainy and Josh (Will Forte) actually like each other. And get ready to suspend your disbelief because the movie expects you to believe that no one questions Lainy's fake pregnancy.

The humour? Not funny. Like, at all. Schumer's character is super annoying, and you honestly won't care what happens to her. "Kinda Pregnant" is a bad movie, plain and simple. Don't waste your time. It's that bad.

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.

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