Category Archives: General

Understanding the Risks in Direct-to-Device Satellite Communications: Insights from SpaceX and Globalstar

Direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications present significant challenges, both financial and technological, that are closely interconnected. Addressing one set of challenges often increases the risk in the other. Different D2D constellations have adopted various strategies to balance commercial and technological risks. In our latest Insight Note, which you can download below, we highlight some of the key technological risks… Read More »

Telecom Network Resiliency: Strategies and Lessons from Major Outages

During a period of two years, three catastrophic telecommunications network outages drew the ire of customers and scrutiny of regulators who initiated probes to understand the incidents and prevent future occurrences. The outages at Rogers (Canada), Optus (Australia), and AT&T (US) underscored the critical dependency of modern economies on telecommunications networks. Network outages impact more than just calling,… Read More »

Mobile Infrastructure Capex: Permanent Weakening or Short-Term Decline?

Mobile infrastructure capex has declined significantly since the second quarter of 2023, following a wave of spending on 5G, with no recovery yet in sight (see here and here). While the mobile industry has faced such declines in the past, signs suggest that the current weakness could be longer and deeper than previous downturns. The top five reasons… Read More »

5G Positioning Unleashed: Pioneering New Services

5G positioning and location technologies are the culmination of nearly three decades of advancements in mobile positioning technologies [see here for a very informative description]. What began as regulatory requirement for emergency services has expanded into requirements for positioning services in a host of industry verticals and use cases. To meet these new demands, 5G enhances positioning services… Read More »

Perspectives on the Satellite Industry

The satellite industry is undergoing a transformation under pressure from different fundamental trends. Below are some of my observations after I attended Satellite 2024 in Washington, DC last week. The topics discussed at the event, the products on display on the exhibition floor, and the type and background of attendees provide some clues on major trends. The macro… Read More »

MWC 2024: Navigating Opportunities and Challenges in the Telecom and Digital Infrastructure Landscape

Once a year, at this time, we release our update on the telecom and digital infrastructure sectors. Mobile World Congress (MWC 2024) serves as a catalyst, helping us validate our market assumptions and gain new insights. This year, our primary observation is that these sectors are undergoing a transformative period characterized by divestments and consolidation. Companies and financial… Read More »

A Look Under The Hood Of The FCC National Broadband Map

The FCC recently released version 2 of the National Broadband Map. It’s an ambitious project that aims to provide information on the available connectivity services at every location in the US. The NTIA plans to use the map to identify unserved and underserved communities to provide funding under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. I was… Read More »

Telecom Cloud Platforms: A White Knight or Trojan Horse?

The extension of the public cloud to telecom networks is one of the most important technology trends with far reaching consequences for both cloud providers and telcos. Cloud providers are making an aggressive bid for telcos to host their network infrastructure on the public cloud. They argue that this will help telcos cut their costs, evolve their service… Read More »

Enabling Direct-to-Handset Satellite Connectivity: Highlights from the Proposed FCC Regulations

Direct-to-handset satellite services proposed by the likes of Lynk Global, AST SpaceMobile and SpaceX are bold commercial endeavours that lack the appropriate regulatory framework for sharing spectrum between mobile network operators and satellite service providers. The FCC is proposing a framework to govern the use of mobile spectrum by satellite operators, which it calls Supplementary Coverage from Space… Read More »

Industry Update – MWC2023: Velocity or Suspended Animation?

Mobile World Congress 2023 is back to its old glory as the top telecom/Internet event, with attendees rushing to physically meet post the Covid era. It launched under the “Velocity” theme to highlight the speed at which technology was accelerating. This contrasted against a backdrop of market and financial challenges plaguing the mobile industry ecosystem which were evident… Read More »

Edge Computing: Has The Edge Turned Dull?

It did not go unnoticed the downturn in activities revolving around edge computing. Several analysts and industry sites have reported on it more than a year ago, like Lightreading. In the latest Xona Partners Insight Note, we provide our insights on this market segment(download below). The Edge computing is one of these foggy concepts that has in it… Read More »

How the Different Direct-to-Handset Satellite Constellations Stack Up

Update – May 23, 2023: We have published a report detailing the technical performance of AST Space Mobile direct-to-handset LEO constellation. Click here for additional information. Different approaches are possible to enable Direct-to-Handset (DTH) satellite connectivity. For instance, there’s the approach by T-Mobile and SpaceX (see here) and by Apple and Globalstar (see here). AST SpaceMobile is taking… Read More »

Enterprise Private Wireless Networks: 5G or Wi-Fi?

In telecom circles 5G is a panacea for all problems: there is a ready 5G application for any connectivity need. This makes 5G dominate private wireless network projections, while Wi-Fi is either ignored or dismissed as unreliable or unable to provide millisecond-grade latency. This ignores the fact that Wi-Fi is progressing along a roadmap that addresses its shortcomings… Read More »

Dispelling The Sustainability Myth in Telecom Networks: What’s Worth The Investment?

I wrote this Insight Note for two reasons: 1. The rise in cost of energy threatens to stress the financial performance of service providers; and 2. I want to provide context for potential investments in power saving technologies to help investors decide which would be worthwhile. Energy consumption in telecom networks has become a confounding issue because of… Read More »

Is Direct Satellite-to-Device the Largest Opportunity in Satcom’s History?

The direct satellite-to-device (DS2D) market is expected to reach $35 billion by 2030, and counting 400 million average monthly subscriptions driven by 5G technology (according to NSR). This is about $7/month. This highlights a very sensitive business case: constellations cost billions to deploy and operate; they need a refresh every 5-10 years. With much of the world’s unconnected… Read More »