All research

In the last three months, eight more operators moved into the satellite space, taking the total to almost 100. This report tracks data and developments from telcos and satellite companies in pursuit of monetisation in the consumer, B2B and government sectors.

Bharti Airtel has trialled and subsequently deployed a new technology for wireless backhaul. The technology, free-space optical communications (FSOC), has been pioneered by Taara - a division of X, the Moonshot Factory of Alphabet. This case-study report explains FSOC, outlines Bharti Airtel's deployment of the technology, and assesses FSOC's viability as an alternative transport solution.

MWC Las Vegas 2024 saw three days of meetings, demos, keynotes and engaging content. Beyond the broad enterprise 5G theme, three areas of insight stood out: AI, IoT and non-terrestrial network (NTN) development.

This report tracks data and developments from telcos and satellite companies in pursuit of monetisation in the consumer, B2B and government sectors.

Satellite IoT connectivity and applications have been around for some time, but adoption has been hampered by high pricing and technical complexities. However, over the last few years, 3GPP 5G standards have included compatibility for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs).

Telco-satellite convergence has become an industry-wide movement rather than the niche strategy it used to be. Perhaps most notable is the momentum behind direct-to-device (often called direct-to-cell) connectivity. This report is the first in a new quarterly series that will track data and developments from telcos and satellite companies in pursuit of monetisation in the consumer, B2B and government sectors.

With advancements in capabilities, wider availability of hardware and affordable pricing of equipment, UAVs are moving towards early commercial adoption. This Spotlight focuses on the application of people density mapping for a variety of situations, including flight control, urban planning and smart traffic systems.

Momentum in telco-satellite convergence has continued in 2023. This research explores the competitive landscape, and potential revenue uplift available to telcos and satellite operators. It also examines the resurgence of D2D, and potential standards pathways (and risks) for non-terrestrial networks as part of 3GPP.

Unmanned/uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, continue to be a promising future means of transport of goods and people and enabler of transformational applications. The mobile industry is becoming increasingly relevant to and involved with UAVs and this analysis elaborates on the opportunity, as well as the challenges, that mobile-connected UAVs present for mobile operators.

Our focus in this report is on the direct-to-device strand of satellite that seeks to help telcos chip away at the coverage challenge, a lingering barrier for over 5% of the global population, as well as businesses in industries ranging from agriculture to manufacturing.

Satellite broadband is undergoing a period of reinvention through the low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation model that re-emerged five years ago. The global internet divide and poor broadband in rural areas of higher-income countries are continuing to drive demand. With commercial launches imminent, we assess the implications for connectivity and competing approaches of retail versus wholesale.

This edition of Radar focuses on the commercial implications of scaled LEO constellations and targeted HAPS deployments, and the potential effect on internet access for consumers and businesses.

Google's closure of Project Loon brings to an end a high-profile effort that spanned nearly a decade, four continents and an array of operator partnerships. We examine to what extent Loon's demise can be a read-across for aerial connectivity initiatives in progress from satellite and HAPS groups.

There are clear social and economic benefits of connectivity for rural areas, but the costs of - and returns from - providing the underlying infrastructure have proved stubbornly unfavourable. Several factors have raised the profile and urgency of this issue over the last 12 months: political championing, 5G rollouts, the rising value of fibre, and altnets challenging incumbent wholesalers.

In this edition of the Radar, the first of 2020, we examine possible sources of disruption for the year ahead. We consider the renewed satellite market and the potential of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites; question whether the era of tech firms – and so-called tech exceptionalism – is coming to an end; explore the vast implications of digitisation in healthcare; and observe the possible shift to cloud in gaming.

For many years, L-Band satellite transmissions have serviced a range of verticals. Pricing has remained prohibitively expensive, which has inhibited the widespread use of satellite technology. The playing field is now changing though, following the recent regulatory approval of low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations from SpaceX and OneWeb, along with the entrance of Amazon as a competitor.

In this edition of the Region in Focus, we examine the strong start to 2019 made by US operators. We also explore how unlimited data plans threaten to destabilise the trend of strong mobile service revenue growth in Canada and the challenges around the affordability of services in the Caribbean.