Vodafone opens space tech hub in Spain to test satellite broadband services
Vodafone this year launched a dedicated satellite connectivity research hub in Europe to develop low Earth orbit space-based and land mobile broadband services.
The hub is was created in partnership with AST SpaceMobile and opened in the summer at Vodafone’s Innovation Centre in Málaga supported by the Spanish Space Agency and the University of Málaga.
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Why NGSO and LEO satellite players are telco’s best friends
In the global push to bridge digital divide, NGSO (Non-Geostationary Orbit) and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite constellations have emerged as pivotal technologies.
A panel discussion shed light on how NGSO and LEO players are transforming the telco landscape, with experts exploring the challenges and opportunities that come with these evolving technologies.
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How satellites and smartphones are closing the global connectivity gap
Satellites are transforming mobile networks, closing coverage gaps and driving new IoT, consumer and resilience use cases.
As Barbara Pareglio, senior technical director and smart mobility lead at the GSMA puts it: “The big change is using the same standards and the same devices we already have. Instead of carrying two phones, consumers want a single smartphone that can connect seamlessly whether it’s through a tower or a satellite. That’s where the noise is coming from, and that’s where the opportunity lies.”
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VMO2 partners with Starlink to launch UK’s first satellite-to-mobile service
In a bid to boost rural mobile coverage and improve customer experience, the telecoms giant will be the first UK operator to use Starlink’s satellite-to-mobile network, which includes over 650 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, to connect directly to phones using part of O2’s licensed spectrum.
The new service, called O2 Satellite, will launch with messaging and data features and later expand to support more apps like messaging, maps and location services.
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Intelsat boosts global satellite services from the Solomon Islands to India
In partnership with Solomon Telekom Company Limited (STCL), Intelsat extended mobile connectivity to more than 50 remote communities across the Solomon Islands using the high-throughput Horizons 3e (H-3e) satellite.
The managed-services agreement included full network oversight, with Intelsat providing 24/7 remote support and proactive monitoring.
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Amazon set to challenge Starlink with UK satellite broadband service
At the start of the year, Amazon looked to take on Starlink with newly unearthed regulatory filings suggesting it planned to launch a satellite broadband service in the UK.
A seven-page Ofcom filing, first revealed by the Sunday Telegraph, showed Amazon intended to launch a satellite broadband service by 2027, using its proposed Project Kuiper constellation to offer British users internet access from Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
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NASA, ESA tap AWS to trial cloud tech for faster satellite data transfers
NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) worked to transform data transmissions back to Earth, leveraging cloud technology to speed up downlink times.
The agencies successfully trialled transmitting data streams from ground stations to cloud servers.
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EU launches IRIS² to challenge Starlink’s global satellite dominance
The EU signed off on IRIS², a multi-orbital constellation of 290 satellites aimed at taking on Elon Musk’s Starlink. European companies supporting the project include space firms Thales, Airbus, and OHB, as well as operators Deutsche Telekom and Orange.
Andrius Kubilius, the European commissioner for defence and space said: “We are not just launching a satellite project. We are launching a vision — a vision of a stronger, more connected, and more resilient Europe.”
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How satellite connectivity is transforming the telco mainstream
At Capacity Europe 2025, a packed audience gathered to hear the role of satellite within the telecoms ecosystem.
Once considered an isolated, highly specialist field serving niche markets and remote communities, satellite connectivity has evolved into a critical component of digital infrastructure strategy.
In an era marked by geopolitical instability, cable cuts, climate-related disruption and exponential demand for data, the convergence of satellite and terrestrial networks is not merely desirable; it is inevitable.
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Beyond SOS: How D2D messaging is setting the scene for satellite broadband
Early direct-to-device (D2D) satellite messaging services are not only enabling basic text and SOS alerts without cell coverage, they’re laying technical and commercial foundations for the next frontier: satellite broadband.
By demonstrating that standard smartphones can connect directly to low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, D2D is paving the way for a new era of globally available, infrastructure-light mobile internet.
Capacity spoke to executives from two satellite firms helping shape that future.
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