Access Providers

FCC Gives Final Approval to Broadband Label Requirements, with Minor Modifications to 2022 Rules

At the end of August, the FCC gave final approval to the requirement that ISPs must provide broadband labels. The FCC had originally approved the broadband labels in November 2022 but then received three petitions to further modify the rules. The recent order makes a few minor changes to the original order but largely leaves the original broadband label rules intact. more

Will Telesat Survive?

In 2017, Telesat, an established Canadian geostationary satellite operator, announced a planned low-Earth orbit Internet service constellation. The plan called for 117 satellites with inter-satellite laser links in a mix of inclined and polar orbits, enabling global coverage. more

What Happened to Quantum Networks?

A few years ago, there were a lot of predictions that we'd see broadband networks converting to quantum technology because of the enhanced security. As happens with many new technologies, quantum computing is advancing at a slower pace than the wild predictions that accompanied the launch of the new technology. more

Ukraine’s Increasing Dependence on Starlink Sparks Concern Over Musk’s Unilateral Control

Elon Musk's satellite internet technology, Starlink, has become an essential component of Ukraine's communication infrastructure, causing rising concerns among officials regarding their heavy reliance on this single source. Starlink, a product of Musk's SpaceX, has been instrumental in Ukraine's battle decision-making process amid the Russian invasion.  more

FCC Chairwoman Wants Broadband Standard Boosted to 100Mbps Across the United States

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed that the US standard for broadband be redefined to a minimum of 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload speeds, up from the current 25Mbps/3Mbps. more

Unintended Consequences of Satellite Constellations

Astronomy & Astrophysics published a research paper recently that looked at "Unintended Electromagnetic Radiation from Starlink Satellites." The study was done in conjunction with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope in the Netherlands. The LOFAR telescope is a network of over forty radio antennas spread across the Netherlands, Germany, and the rest of Europe. more

SpaceX Set to Launch Jupiter 3, the World’s Largest Commercial Communications Satellite, on Falcon Heavy Rocket

SpaceX is set to make history this Wednesday, July 26, by launching the largest commercial communications satellite to date, the Jupiter 3, using its Falcon Heavy rocket. more

Amazon Propels Into the Satellite Internet Race With New $120 Million Florida Facility

In an ambitious move, Amazon, in collaboration with state officials, has declared its plans to erect a high-tech satellite processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Backed by $120 million budget, this expansive 100,000-square-foot complex will be the keystone of Amazon's Kuiper initiative. more

Using 42 GHz Spectrum for Broadband

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission circulated draft rules to govern the lower 42 GHz spectrum (between 42-42.5 GHz). This is within the range of spectrum referred to as millimeter wave spectrum. This is one of the more unusual FCC spectrum deliberations because this spectrum is totally empty -- there is nobody currently authorized by the FCC to use the spectrum band. The FCC is starting this deliberation with a clean slate. more

The Fiber Land Grab

It's becoming clear that we are now deep into a fiber land grab. By that, I mean that companies that overbuild fiber in the United States are moving into markets to build fiber as quickly as possible. The biggest ISPs have publicly discussed their plans for building a lot of fiber in 2023. Following are some of the latest projections for 2023: more

Quantifying Internet Shutdowns: ISOC Introduces the NetLoss Calculator

In light of the ongoing Internet shutdowns, such as the recent government-ordered Internet disruption in Algeria aimed at curbing cheating during national exams, the Internet Society (ISOC) has unveiled a tool, the NetLoss Calculator. This tool calculates the economic costs of internet shutdowns, a feat that has been a significant challenge until now. more

White House Announces Historic $42 Billion Investment in Nationwide Broadband Access

In an effort to universalize access to high-speed broadband by 2030, the White House has allocated $42 billion to the 50 states and U.S. territories under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program. more

Scientists Transmit Terabits Per Second Through Air, May Replace Undersea Cables

Scientists from ETH Zurich and their European partners have demonstrated a groundbreaking capability for transmitting several tens of terabits per second, despite considerable air turbulence. This feat was accomplished with lasers over a distance between the Jungfraujoch mountain peak and the city of Bern in Switzerland. The technology could potentially eliminate the need for expensive undersea cables, currently forming the backbone of the Internet. more

Satellite Spectrum Showdown: Musk’s Starlink vs. Ambani’s Reliance Jio in the Race for India’s Broadband Future

Elon Musk's quest to expand his Starlink satellite broadband service into India faces significant pushback from Mukesh Ambani, Asia's wealthiest individual and head of Indian telecom giant Reliance Jio. more

Will Electronically Steered Antennas Replace Parabolic Antennas in Satellite Ground Stations? (ChatGPT-Assisted Version)

In a previous post, I asked whether electronically steered antennas (ESAs) would replace parabolic antennas in satellite ground stations. I read a few articles suggested by others and by Google search, used some common sense, produced a list of advantages of ESAs, and concluded that it was likely they would eventually replace parabolic antennas for many applications. more