Questions mount over restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink access
Wed 21 Oct, 2026A dispute over restrictions on Ukrainian military use of Starlink has raised an uncomfortable question: who really controls your communications when the infrastructure belongs to a private company? Ukrainian officials reported that unexpected service restrictions disrupted military drone operations, while conflicting accounts emerged about who ordered the changes. Reports have pointed towards SpaceX and US officials, but responsibility remains disputed. Whatever the explanation, the incident highlights a serious weakness in depending on infrastructure you don't control. Satellite internet might free you from terrestrial networks, but it doesn't necessarily free you from someone else's decisions. | Thailand's biggest mobile operator buys into Laos' telecom market
Wed 21 Oct, 2026Thailand's Advanced Info Service is spending $43.35 million (?R710 million) to acquire an effective 24.01% indirect stake in Lao Telecom, expanding its presence into a neighbouring market with plenty of room for growth. Laos has around 4.4 million mobile subscribers, but fixed broadband adoption remains relatively low. That makes the country an attractive prospect for an operator looking beyond its established customer base. For consumers, the hope is that new investment brings better coverage, faster internet and meaningful competition. For shareholders, naturally, the attraction is finding another few million people who haven't yet been introduced to recurring telecom bills. | Toshiba launches platform to protect networks from future quantum attacks
Wed 21 Oct, 2026Toshiba has introduced a new Quantum-Safe Networking platform designed to protect sensitive communications against a future where quantum computers could break some of today's encryption. The system combines advanced cryptography with quantum key distribution and can work alongside existing network infrastructure. It's a serious concern, particularly because attackers could steal encrypted information today and attempt to decrypt it years later. Whether the technology will be affordable enough for widespread deployment remains to be seen. On the bright side, telecom operators may soon be able to charge customers extra for protection against computers that don't yet exist in the required form. | US fibre company secures $1.6 billion (?R26.2 billion) for expansion
Wed 21 Oct, 2026American fibre provider Rightfiber has secured a whopping $1.6 billion (?R26.2 billion) credit facility to expand its network and potentially acquire competitors. Formed through the merger of Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications, the company already operates across 20 states, with roughly 300,000 premises passed. Its strategy focuses partly on smaller communities still putting up with ageing DSL and cable networks. That's encouraging, assuming the money goes towards building better connections rather than simply swallowing every smaller operator in sight. Consumers generally appreciate improved broadband considerably more than another impressive corporate acquisition announcement. | Turkey plans its own 198-satellite broadband constellation
Wed 21 Oct, 2026Turkey has decided it would rather own some satellites than spend the next decade depending entirely on somebody else's. Defence technology company Aselsan is developing Astralink, a proposed constellation of 198 low-Earth-orbit satellites designed to deliver broadband connectivity. The first test satellite is planned for 2028, with operational services expected in the early 2030s. It's an ambitious project, particularly when Starlink already has such an enormous head start. But satellite broadband is becoming a matter of national infrastructure and technological independence. Apparently, nobody particularly likes the idea of their country's internet access depending on another company's off switch. | UK proposal could force broadband operators to offer cheaper packages
Wed 21 Oct, 2026A proposed British law could make discounted broadband and mobile packages mandatory for customers receiving certain government benefits. Several operators already offer these social tariffs voluntarily, but awareness remains embarrassingly low. According to Ofcom, only around 8.6% of eligible households were actually using one, suggesting that having an affordable product isn't terribly useful if hardly anyone knows it exists. The legislation faces an uncertain journey through Parliament, but the underlying problem is worth discussing. Affordable connectivity shouldn't require consumers to become amateur detectives hunting for deals hidden somewhere between the terms and conditions. | O2 expands standalone 5G coverage to another 219,000 people
Wed 21 Oct, 2026O2 has expanded its standalone 5G network into Cumbria, potentially bringing faster mobile broadband to another 219,000 people. Unlike earlier 5G networks that still depend partly on 4G infrastructure, standalone 5G has its own dedicated core network, promising better latency, capacity and reliability. The service now reaches more than 86% of the UK's population, according to O2. That's encouraging, although population coverage figures are wonderfully convenient for operators, since they don't necessarily tell you whether your phone will work inside your house. Progress is progress, though, particularly when customers don't have to pay extra for it. | Openreach prepares 100Gbps wholesale fibre upgrade
Wed 21 Oct, 2026Openreach is preparing to introduce a 100Gbps wholesale backhaul service in the UK, delivering ten times the capacity of its existing 10Gbps offering. Before anyone starts celebrating the prospect of downloading the entire internet before breakfast, this isn't a residential fibre package. It's the infrastructure ISPs use to transport enormous amounts of traffic between network locations. Still, upgrades like these are essential as customers demand faster and more reliable connections. Now we just need someone to explain why residential broadband providers can advertise incredible speeds while the customer experience occasionally resembles a dial-up modem having an emotional breakdown. | Nvidia wants Europe's mobile towers to become miniature AI data centres
Wed 21 Oct, 2026Nvidia has found another industry with deep pockets and expensive infrastructure, and naturally it wants to sell everyone GPUs. Working with Nokia, the chipmaker is encouraging European telecom operators including BT, Orange and Deutsche Telekom to transform their networks into distributed AI computing platforms. Early Deutsche Telekom tests reportedly improved uplink performance by 10% to 15%, while BT is preparing trials for 2027. The technology could genuinely improve network performance and support new services. The awkward question is whether the financial returns will justify the enormous investment, or whether operators will simply discover another reason to increase their prices. | T-Mobile, Nokia and Nvidia complete world's first AI-powered 5G call
Wed 21 Oct, 2026T-Mobile, Nokia and Nvidia have successfully completed what they describe as the world's first AI-RAN voice call on a live commercial mobile network. The demonstration used Nvidia-powered computing infrastructure alongside Nokia's radio software, potentially opening the door to smarter, more efficient networks. It's still early days, and one successful phone call doesn't mean the technology is ready for mass deployment. But telecom operators are clearly interested in using AI to squeeze more performance from their infrastructure. One can only hope it eventually helps them solve that mysterious phenomenon where your mobile data disappears considerably faster than your actual internet usage suggests. | AST SpaceMobile prepares to connect ordinary smartphones directly to satellites
Wed 21 Oct, 2026AST SpaceMobile is getting closer to making mobile towers optional, at least in places where building one is impractical. The company hopes to launch limited satellite-to-smartphone broadband services in five countries before the end of 2026, including the US and UK. Initially, coverage will be intermittent as satellites pass overhead, so don't expect flawless Netflix streaming from the middle of the desert just yet. Still, the prospect of ordinary smartphones connecting directly to space should make traditional mobile operators pay attention. Imagine a future where "no coverage" stops being a perfectly acceptable excuse. |
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