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Wireless Logic buys bigger Brazilian IoT presence

11 August 2026 at 12:24

Enterprise IoT connectivity provider Wireless Logic further expanded its operations in Brazil by arranging the purchase of a local telecoms player’s connectivity business.

The company is set to take on the IoT element of Algar Telecom and incorporate it into existing Brazilian business Arqia, which Wireless Logic acquired in 2025.

Arqia CEO Tomas Fuchs said the deal would enable it to provide more “comprehensive” services and speed expansion. He believes the move “demonstrates Wireless Logic’s confidence in Brazil’s potential as a key growth market in Latin America”.

Wireless Logic explained typical closing conditions must be met before the deal is completed, at which point it expects a boost for Arqia’s ability to deliver services to the agricultural, logistics, payments, utilities, manufacturing and healthcare sectors.

It highlighted Latin America as “one of the world’s most promising IoT growth markets” and stated Arqia’s capabilities in mission-critical services are set to be increased by the acquisition.

The company plans a phased integration, with the businesses initially continuing to run separately.

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Airtel Business partners for digital push at home

10 August 2026 at 16:28

Airtel Business inked a deal with Indian state-owned telecoms equipment manufacturer and supplier ITI to jointly target enterprises in regulated sectors aiming to adopt the latest digital technology.

ITI designs, manufactures and deploys a wide range of telecommunications and enterprise IT equipment for organisations in India, while Airtel’s unit offers connectivity and a variety of complementary products in the market.

By combining the partners’ respective strengths, they aim to help companies address digital transformation challenges including legacy system modernisation and meet new business demands through adoption of the latest technology.

The pair plan to provide what they define as “future-ready solutions” for enterprise connectivity, sovereign cloud and data centre services, IoT, AI and cybersecurity.

In a joint statement, they cited segments including banking and public sector organisations as likely targets for their combined offering, which is set to integrate industrial IoT asset tracking, AI analytics and cybersecurity with connectivity, cloud and data centre infrastructure.

Airtel Business CEO Sharat Sinha said the companies have a “shared ambition to create future-ready technology solutions that strengthen business continuity, unlock innovation and support India’s secure digital-first future”.

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Telefonica does the business with applied AI

10 August 2026 at 12:44

Telefonica continued to focus on improving services using applied AI, embedding the technology in its fixed and mobile networks to provide a host of voice options for businesses.

The operator pitched the move as providing smart communications for voice services, with the AI enabling features including transcription and summarisation of conversations.

There is also a virtual assistant capability which director of product, presales and provisioning Javier Pascual said is accessible “using natural language”.

Telefonica is pitching the set-up at medium and large businesses, and public organisations which use cloud-based voice services.

It highlighted the launch of a namesake AI agent for Centrex IP cloud set-ups which can understand everyday speech, and so lends itself to broader contextual interpretation and automation capabilities to speed responses to customers.

Telefonica flagged a 60% boost in efficiency using AI agents, in-turn improving the volume of calls handled by 10% over standard systems.

It offered a real-world example of the applied AI system by highlighting a healthcare service where a WhatsApp messenger agent can book and confirm appointments.

Compatibility with more than 100 languages means a broader ability to resolve customer service queries either directly or by redirecting calls.

Telefonica is not the only operator to today (10 August) reveal applied AI moves, with NTT Docomo and LG Uplus also detailing progress.

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NEC pitches digital car parks as safety feature

7 August 2026 at 16:55

NEC lined up real-world trials of a technology mix it reckons could shake up the vehicle parking sector, advancing a self-professed mission to digitalise the sector.

The company is integrating a parking management system from UrbanChain with its own AI image recognition technology to assess the effectiveness in detecting when people leave their vehicle.

NEC explained this is an important safety step, reasoning the set-up could be used to provide alerts if people park and then fail to exit the vehicle in a timely manner, which it stated could indicate they have suffered a medical episode.

The company explained there is growing concern about such matters.

Trials of the combined system are scheduled to begin in car parks in the Fukuoka Prefecture of Japan next month to assess how effective the AI is at recognising the number of vehicle occupants and if they have left or not.

NEC stated the companies hope to devise a “next-generation” car parking service model which could improve “safety, security and convenience”.

The companies hope to work out how many cameras are required and the best installation points along with the overall impact on safety and security.

They are also exploring a payment model based on the time a vehicle enters a parking space instead of charging from the moment it enters the grounds.

Ultimately, the work could establish a means of analysing car park usage trends and control mechanical lifts used in multi-storey architectures.

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NTT digs deep into remote operations at Chile mine

7 August 2026 at 11:24

NTT Docomo Business partnered with Chilean state-owned copper mining company Codelco to assess the viability of remotely operating heavy machinery over high capacity, low latency communications architecture.

The pair plan to connect the El Teniente mine to a remote operations centre 1,500km away using an Innovative Optical and Wireless Network All Photonic Network (IOWN APN), which the technology company hopes will provide the means for remote operations and HD video monitoring at the site.  

For Codelco the test is part of an ambition to up safety and efficiency at its mines. It aims to move towards advanced monitoring and remote operations, partly to address working condition issues including easing a risk of mine collapses.

NTT noted the mining company was also struggling from a lack of access to skilled operators.  

Among the specific areas set to be assessed in the project are: the type of communication environment needed; evaluation of network configurations with a view to cutting down the number of operations centres required; and examining the use of IOWN APN more generally in the mining sector.

NTT noted it planned to use insights from this project to create new use cases for IOWN APN technology, which the company has been heavily pushing for industrial uses.  

“The company will explore the potential for further applications in the mining and energy sectors, as well as across other sectors where remote operations are required,” it added.

The project is part of a research programme commissioned by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

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US utility expands private LTE network

7 August 2026 at 09:33

Tampa Electric Company (TECO) selected Ericsson and OneLayer to deploy, manage and secure its growing private LTE network, with Burns & McDonnell providing integration and engineering expertise.

Ericsson stated TECO is among the first investor-owned utilities in the US to deploy the private network technology for operational use.

The network uses the Swedish vendor’s kit and supports connectivity for operational devices across TECO’s delivery infrastructure. It will expand as more connected devices come online in the coming years.

OneLayer’s Bridge platform provides SIM lifecycle management and device onboarding. It also provides real time visibility into connected devices across TECO’s operational infrastructure.

Burns & McDonnell is responsible for aligning the deployment with existing systems and operational requirements.

Following the deployment, TECO’s operations teams will be able to onboard and provision cellular-connected devices through automated workflow, which Ericsson noted cuts down the manual effort needed to bring new assets onto the network.

Teams also gain visibility into devices behind cellular routers and customer premises equipment, which were previously difficult to monitor. The system allows the tracking of device status location, and connectivity in real time across distributed field sites.

TECO plans to deploy tens of thousands of devices over the next five years with several thousand targeted in the first phase.

Ericsson stated the approach gives TECO a private, high-reliability broadband platform. It supports grid protection, field workforce communications and sensor connectivity. It also provides a path to evolve to 5G as requirements grow.

Dana Jaber, head of mission critical networks at Ericsson Americas, stated the deployment sets a new benchmark “for how utilities can scale secure, high-reliability private cellular networks to support tens of thousands of devices and future 5G requirements”.

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Rakuten adds Anthropic to business AI mix

6 August 2026 at 11:00

Rakuten Mobile expanded the capabilities of its corporate generative AI service by incorporating Anthropic’s Claude model.

The Japanese operator is employing the model to boost the research and data analysis capabilities of Rakuten AI for Business, a shift it stated would help companies to make decisions.

Research capabilities cover collection and organisation of external information, a function Rakuten expects to help companies conduct market research, assess their competition and plan strategy.

The data analysis element involves assessing internal data to highlight trends and present the information in a comprehensible format. Rakuten expects the facility to help staff “without specialised data science backgrounds” with decision-making.

It explained the greater decision-making capability could hold benefits for departments including sales, planning and administration.

Anthropic’s model adds to existing OpenAI ChatGPT-5 functions available on Rakuten AI for Business covering meeting summaries, creating emails and project planning.

Rakuten emphasised its AI service is secure, with safeguards in place to prevent the technology accessing data without permission.

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Czech trial elevates flying base station ambitions

5 August 2026 at 16:25

Deutsche Telekom held its latest pilot of delivering mobile connectivity from base stations on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), using two aircraft and direct satellite backhaul to deliver signals during a trail running event in the Czech Republic.

The pair of so-called flying base stations were used in alternating operation to provide uninterrupted coverage, with the satellite backhaul removing the need for an additional ground station on site.

Deutsche Telekom asserted the experiment, held in collaboration with its T-Mobile Czech Republic unit and drone company Primoco UAV, brought “resilient airborne mobile connectivity one step closer to practical application”.

During the test the UAVs flew at altitudes of 2-3 kilometres and provided coverage across 20 square kilometres. They used the same frequency bands as the Czech operator’sterrestrial network and provided data rates of up to 100 Mbit/s.

The test took place during the Behej lesy trail run, which is held in a protected area with limited standard mobile coverage. A compact portable tower supplied coverage at the start and finish with the drones covering the remainder of the route.

Deutsche Telekom noted around 1,900 runners remained reliably connected throughout the event with the successful handover between the two aircraft confirming “the technical feasibility of the concept”.

It added with seamless operation using alternating craft and satellite backhaul new “deployment scenarios with flying base stations for temporary mobile coverage” had opened up.

Examples include where “infrastructure is unavailable or damaged, or where additional capacity is needed at short notice” such as during wildfires or floods. This is alongside the large outdoor events, which have been the focus of trials of the technology so far.

In 2025 the three companies combined to demo a single unit providing coverage at a ski race in the Czech Republic.

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Hisdesat picks team for next secure satellite build

31 July 2026 at 15:47

Airbus Defence and Space won prime contractor status for the development of the next SpainSat NG bird, a secure communications satellite for mission-critical government and defence uses.

Thales Alenia Space separately detailed its selection as a co-contractor for the SpainSat NG-III project, explaining 10 Spanish companies are also on board to provide various technologies.

The contracts were awarded by Spanish satellite operator Hisdesat and the latest bird rounds out the SpainSat NG geosynchronous Earth orbit constellation, which already provides coverage of two-thirds of the planet.

Each company explained current SpainSat NG satellites play a key role in European security and defence, with the European Union, NATO and numerous allied governments employing them.

Airbus Defence and Space’s prime position means it is responsible for design, integration and testing of the satellite. It suggested the work would be an evolution of previous SpainSat NG birds, a fact Thales Alenia Space elaborated on by explaining the latest item would add “several improvements” to the existing model.

The project is to be handled at Airbus Defence and Space facilities in Spain. It explained the satellite would use X-band receivers and transmitters which “provide the capability of 16 traditional antennas” and can rejig coverage “up to 1,000-times per second while detecting and mitigating electronic interference”.

Thales Alenia Space is to provide UHF and military Ka-band payloads.

Airbus Defence and Space stated the SpainSat NG-III would be resilient to “high-altitude nuclear events and electromagnetic pulses”.

Development is expected to take 48-months and the satellite is scheduled to launch in Q3 2030 before coming online early in 2031.

Thales Alenia Space asserted the development keeps Hisdesat at the forefront of domestic and allied defence capabilities, along with delivering a boost for the Spanish space industry.

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Azio taps AT&T for fibre link to Texas AI campus

31 July 2026 at 15:41

Infrastructure company Azio AI Holdings signed a master services agreement (MSA) with AT&T worth roughly $2.4 million to provide enterprise fibre connectivity for its first AI data centre campus.

The deal covers a 500-megawatt site and establishes a standardised connectivity framework across the campus, delivering the high-capacity, low-latency network infrastructure needed to support AI training, inference, GPU cloud computing, enterprise colocation, and other high-performance computing workloads.

Azio said the connectivity buildout is intended to streamline network deployment as it brings on additional customers under its hyperscale AI strategy. The company pointed to a recent power purchase and hosting agreement with a GPU customer, which it said will require a rapid, modular buildout at the Texas site.

“This agreement establishes the networking framework supporting our initial 500-megawatt Texas AI platform while creating a scalable operating model that can support future expansion as additional projects move forward under our hyperscale AI strategy,” Azio COO Elgin Tracy stated.

The company’s broader strategy centres on scalable, liquefied natural gas-backed energy capacity intended to meet rising demand for GPU cloud and AI workloads.

It stated the Texas site was picked in part due to the location being able accommodate large-scale industrial infrastructure without the land-use and community constraints which can complicate data centre projects in urban areas.

The agreement adds AT&T to the growing list of telecoms operators positioning themselves as connectivity partners for the AI infrastructure buildout, as data centre operators race to secure the fibre capacity needed to link GPU clusters to enterprise and hyperscale customers.

Azio did not disclose a timeline for construction completion or when the Texas campus is expected to become operational.

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Ericsson scoops 5G rail deal down under

30 July 2026 at 17:55

Ericsson signalled its selection as the digital radio system (DRS) supplier for a multi-billion-dollar rail and public transport project in Australia, a win which puts its 5G systems on track to play a key role in a future Olympic Games.

The work involves rail engineering company UGL Transport and mission-critical communications provider Frequentis and covers the first of three stages of The Wave, a massive infrastructure upgrade to public transport services on the Sunshine Coast in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic games scheduled to take place in Brisbane in 2032.

Stage one involves improvements to the track and infrastructure between the towns of Beerwah and Caloundra in which the national and regional governments are investing a total of AUD5 billion ($3.5 billion).

Ericsson stated the DRS would enable the updated rail network to employ the standardised European Train Control System signalling and control set-up.

Ludvig Landgren, head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, said the company’s 5G systems would “underpin” the region’s transport upgrade plans, delivering “safer operations” and “digital train control”.

Ericsson expects its infrastructure to enable the launch of Future Railway Mobile Communications System capabilities in the future, replacing current rail-oriented iterations of GSM connectivity.

The regional Queensland government expects work on the first stage of The Wave to commence early in 2027.

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Boldyn doctors 5G for Italian hospitals

30 July 2026 at 15:15

Boldyn Networks equipped a pair of Italian hospitals with the connectivity needed to unlock a host of digital health services, overcoming 5G penetration issues by installing equipment inside the facilities.

The neutral host network player stated DAS installations leave the Policlinico Tor Vergata in Rome and San Carlo Borromeo Hospital in Milan set to handle services including telemedicine, remote consultations and patient monitoring.

Boldyn Networks’ 5G DAS deployment is also set to be used for hospital management, bringing IoT, augmented and virtual reality into the mix to improve back-office operations and clinical training.

CEO Antonino Ruggiero said the 5G installations are “another tangible example” of Boldyn Networks’ potential contribution to digital transformation in Italy. He explained the deployments “demonstrate the strategic importance” of the nation to the company’s “global growth strategy”.

Ruggiero argued healthcare is a sector ripe for some of the greatest benefits of innovative connectivity, citing potential advantages for patients and professionals alike.

Boldyn Networks emphasised the 5G DAS set-ups open doors for telecom service providers to offer innovative indoor services.

It made mention of working on projects in other Italian cities and industries, part of a mission to grow 5G connectivity in the nation.

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Qualcomm buckles-up for long haul with BMW

29 July 2026 at 16:23

BMW Group handed Qualcomm Technologies a long-term deal to be the lead supplier of chips for its digital cockpit and next generation automated and assisted driving systems.

The chip company revealed it had been appointed the automotive giant’s lead compute silicon provider for the business areas over the next decade, with products being used from its Snapdragon Digital Chassis portfolio.

It noted the latest deal follows years of technical collaboration between the pair, pointing to a commercial launch of an automated driving system in the BMW iX3 vehicle in November 2025.

Qualcomm EVP and group GM, Automotive, Industrial and Embedded IoT and Robotics Nakul Duggal said “as agentic and physical AI drive a new generation of intelligent vehicles, this collaboration enables both companies to define the future of mobility”.

The company added the deal “establishes the hardware basis for BMW Group to deliver the next generation AI-powered experience”.

Qualcomm has been actively pursuing the automotive sector in recent years as part of a diversification strategy to spread its revenue away from being handset-heavy.

Accelerating ambitions
Last month, the company upped financial targets for revenue from automotive and general non-smartphone earnings.

At its investor day in June, it set out an ambition to make $10 billion in revenue from the automotive segment in its fiscal 2029 (ending late September 2029), forming part of a wider target of $40 billion in non-handset revenue that year.

It expects revenues from handsets to make up a third of its top line figure in fiscal 2029.

The previous target for fiscal 2029 was $8 billion from automotive out of a non-handset figure of $22 billion.

In its fiscal 2025, automotive revenue generated almost $4 billion of its total $38.4 billion. Handsets contributed $27.8 billion of its top line.

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Siemens, HD Hyundai digitise shipbuilding

24 July 2026 at 16:41

Siemens and HD Hyundai added momentum to moves to apply AI in specific ways, agreeing to develop methods to improve shipbuilding processes in a deal primarily intended to boost capacity in the US.

The deal is valued in the low-triple-digit millions of dollars range and involves using Siemens’ Xcelerator digital business platform to provide an overview of engineering, manufacturing, supply chain and shipyard operations.

Siemens explained the “digital shipyard” concept holds the potential to speed production and improve quality, facets expected to benefit the entire shipbuilding value chain.

It stated such a step-up would help satisfy growing “demand for greater and more advanced shipbuilding capacity in the US and other markets”.

Siemens anticipates benefits for full modernisation schemes along with projects taking a more staged approach to upgrades.

President and CEO Roland Busch said the companies are moving to use AI to help shipbuilders manage the “enormous complexity” of producing “advanced vessels”.

The companies are “building the operating system for industrial AI” by “connecting data, software and automation”.

Siemens and HD Hyundai also plan to back the Korea-US Shipbuilding Partnership Centre, a site opened in Washington D.C. yesterday (23 July) to foster collaborations on digitising shipbuilding which The Korea Times reports forms part of a $150 billion investment in the industry in the US agreed in a bilateral trade deal with South Korea in 2025.

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Telefonica tests Wurth of AI, quantum

24 July 2026 at 11:37

Telefonica and materials producer Wurth Group boxed clever in applying advanced computing and AI to a logistics scenario, delivering various benefits in packing efficiency and a reduced environmental impact.

The companies worked with Spanish applied research and technology development centre Tecnalia and quantum computing start-up QCentroid to test a means of optimising logistics packing processes.

Telefonica explained the approach employs quantum computing and AI algorithms and was proven to improve packing efficiency “across 14% of the more than 6,000 orders processed”.

The sum translated to a 3% cut in the number of boxes used, in turn lowering the volume of cargo transported by road along with cardboard usage.

Leonor Ostos, director of product and service development with Telefonica Espana, said the work with the domestic unit of Wurth proved a combination of quantum computing and AI could improve services, provided of course the underlying communications network is up to the task.

Wurth Espana chief operations officer Begona Lopez said the fastenings and assembly materials producer is always seeking ways to improve efficiency and the project enabled it to explore the potential of the technologies “from a highly practical and operations-focused perspective”.

Telefonica is establishing something of a reputation for researching the potential of quantum computing, with work on data protection and pharmaceutical research notable examples.

The operator asserts a leading position in providing “quantum-safe communications services”, pointing to a pilot with a Spanish police force and the opening of a dedicated research centre which it employed in the Wurth work.

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Rockwell, Augury target AI insights

23 July 2026 at 16:00

Rockwell Automation and industrial AI company Augury spotted an opportunity to help industries make sense of the vast pools of data the technology is now generating, teaming on a product focused on delivering usable information to manufacturers.

The US-headquartered automation company explained the partnership with Augury would benefit businesses seeking to employ AI in predictive ways spanning maintenance, reliability and overall industrial performance.

Rockwell Automation’s own research indicates less than half of all data collected is being used in effective ways, despite the growing ability for AI to execute on the insights it provides.

“Manufacturers don’t need more alerts, they need a faster path to action,” Angela Rapko, VP and GM of Visualisation and Asset Management at Rockwell Automation explained.

The set-up uses relevant products from each company to provide the route highlighted by the executive: Rockwell Automation stated it enables manufacturers to go beyond “early issue detection and diagnosis”.

It emphasised the use of an Augury reliability agent and its own maintenance assistant as a key differentiator.

The Augury agent “continuously analyses machine conditions” for potential problems and generates ideas on how to avoid or fix them. Rockwell Automation’s assistant is used to make sense of the recommendations to provide “maintenance workflows, work orders and orchestration of execution activities”.

Rockwell Automation indicated the partnership could be foundational in future agentic AI developments in addition to the companies’ more practical aim of helping industrial players to improve the efficiency of their manufacturing operations.

The companies aim to provide initial access to the set-up from September.

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Ericsson recruited to UK defence list

17 July 2026 at 11:57

Ericsson emphasised the strengths of advanced 5G technology for the defence sector as it got the nod as a supplier under the UK’s Tactical Communication Systems framework for public sector procurement.

The vendor explained it was selected under the sections covering services and components, noting the UK procurement vehicle had a budget of up to £8 billion over its eight-year span.

As a result of its selection, domestic authorities and military agencies are cleared to buy products from across the vendor’s range, including specific 5G offerings for mission critical uses.  

The UK government described the framework as providing it and other public sector organisations with a way to acquire specialised tactical communication and information systems.

Ericsson highlighted how the widely-publicised low latency and high bandwidth qualities of 5G could help armed forces in connecting sensors, personnel and platforms.

Potential applications listed span multi-domain command and control platforms, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

Head of Ericsson UK Nadine Allen said it is now able to work directly with the UK’s Ministry of Defence “to deliver secure, resilient and future-proof communications that will serve as the foundation for the UK’s digital defence capabilities for years to come”.

Ericsson and rival Nokia are actively pursuing the defence segment with 5G equipment.

Notable projects announced by the Swedish vendor earlier this year include a standalone 5G trial with specialist Leonardo and the Italian Navy.  

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Viasat, BMW hail first in-vehicle satellite voice call

16 July 2026 at 16:40

Viasat demonstrated what it claimed was the first satellite-enabled voice call integrated into a BMW Group vehicle, as the satellite operator targets a larger role for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity in connected cars.

Showcasing the technology during the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) Meeting Week in Munich, Germany, Viasat used a BMW iX3 Neue Klasse vehicle’s infotainment system to make the call.

The demonstration relied on Viasat’s L-band satellite network and used the NB-IoT protocol, a standards-based technology designed for lower-data-rate communications, to transmit voice.

Viasat used Qualcomm’s automotive connectivity platform, the Snapdragon Auto 5G Modem-RF Gen 2, and German IT research organisation Fraunhofer IIS’ NESC AI-based speech codec to support voice and audio transmission over the satellite network. The technology was integrated into the BMW vehicle’s architecture, allowing the call to be initiated and managed directly through the car interface.

According to Viasat, the trial demonstrated the potential of satellite connectivity to connect drivers and passengers in remote regions and support future automotive applications, including emergency communications, fleet management and messaging in areas with limited cellular availability.

Sandeep Moorthy, senior VP of advanced non-terrestrial solutions at Viasat, said the feat aims “to ensure consistent, resilient satellite capabilities for next-generation vehicles”, adding that “by bringing standards-based NTN to vehicles, we can integrate satellite voice and messaging and ultimately enable a future where drivers can remain connected, wherever the journey takes them”.

Viasat added that future releases could support more advanced services, including 5G New Radio (5G-NR) satellite capabilities, which could enable video streaming and improved interoperability between terrestrial and satellite networks.

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Bell edges closer to D2D service launch

16 July 2026 at 09:33

Bell Canada completed construction of its first sovereign direct-to-device (D2D) satellite ground station, a milestone in a strategy to offer connectivity beyond the reach of its traditional wireless network.

The facility in the province of Quebec connects with AST SpaceMobile satellites, with testing underway as the operator works to build the infrastructure required to provide D2D services.

Bell stated the companies completed integration testing covering “text messaging, broadband data connectivity”, and voice and video calls.

Video streaming, IoT and public alert tests are scheduled for the coming weeks.

The milestone builds on demonstrations Bell and AST SpaceMobile ran in 2025.

In addition to connecting customers in rural or remote locations, Bell stated the service is expected to support use cases including emergency response, environmental monitoring, resource development, energy production and transportation.

The company is continuing to build ground station infrastructure elsewhere in Canada, with additional sites under construction in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Bell explained the facilities would provide nationwide D2D coverage while ensuring customer traffic runs through domestic infrastructure and data remains sovereign.

EVP and CTO Mark McDonald said the ground infrastructure “is designed to support a full suite of D2D capabilities including messaging, data connectivity, voice calling and video streaming”.

AST SpaceMobile CCO Chris Ivory pointed to Canada’s geography as a driver for the project, explaining the work with Bell would provide seamless connectivity “beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial networks”.

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South Korea looks to AI-RAN, 5G to fuel future industry

14 July 2026 at 16:07

Authorities in South Korea kicked-off a project led by SK Telecom (SKT) and KT to pilot the use of advanced networks to support robots and other physical AI applications in industrial sites including shipyards and manufacturing facilities.

The Hyper AI Network Infrastructure Development project is being overseen by South Korea’s National Information Society Agency (NIA) and carries a total budget of KRW17.2 billion ($11.6 million).

Launching the project, the NIA revealed it selected two consortia to create the networks for industrial sites and hold the demonstrations.

One group is led by SKT and the other by its rival KT. Other organisations involved comprise AI companies, network vendors, universities, enterprises and certification bodies.

The project involves networks using standalone 5G and AI-RAN to provide the testing ground for a range of industrial applications under the broad umbrellas of physical and operational AI.

Equipment from various vendors and chipmakers is set to be used, with SKT identifying Samsung Networks, Nokia, Ericsson and HFR among its suppliers in its statement on the project.

Initial applications to be tested are “AI-based” welding, painting and patrol robots. From 2027 onwards, the infrastructure is expected to host demonstrations of humanoid robots.

Abilities of the AI-toting machines set to be verified include recognition, judgement and control performance in what the NIA described as high-risk and -difficulty working environments.

Swarm collaboration performance for multiple robots is one specific ability set to be looked at, a feature the agency highlighted as being “difficult to implement with on-device AI alone”.

The NIA expects the project to lay the groundwork for commercialisation of the technologies being assessed.

In a translated statement, the agency’s director Kim Hyung-chul noted “for physical AI to be safely and stably implemented in industrial settings, Hyper-AI networks that support ultra-low latency, high-reliability communication and large-capacity uplink are essential”.

“Through this project, we will verify the field applicability of next-generation AI network technologies such as AI-RAN, discover and spread physical AI service models optimised for industrial sites, and accelerate AX across the entire national industry.”

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