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Korea eyes wider rollout of 5G-based Wi-Fi on trains

South Korea’s ICT authority pledged to support mobile operators and transit providers to ensure 5G-based Wi-Fi would be available on underground railway networks across the country, following a deployment on two lines in Incheon.

In a statement issued at an event showcasing the newly-installed technology on Incheon Metro Lines 1 and 2, second vice minister at the country’s Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) Ryu Je-myung highlighted the “quality improvements achieved”.

He added the government agency would “continue to cooperate with the three mobile operators and regional transit corporations and provide policy support so that 5G-based subway Wi-Fi can be expanded nationwide.”

The project saw LTE replaced by 5G to supply connectivity to the Wi-Fi system, with all three of the country’s mobile operators supporting the service.

To assess the quality of the connection on a section of one of the lines, politicians and other officials were joined by representatives from the operators, Incheon Transit Corporation and a handful of members of the public at the event.

The showcase involved participants streaming video, browsing the internet and using social network services. MSIT noted users were able to experience faster response times than before the upgrade.

“Even when many users were connected simultaneously, high-definition videos could be viewed without interruption, enabling smooth use of data-intensive services,” it added.

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Agile Robots, Nvidia target up to 2,000 humanoids in 2027

Germany-based robotics firm Agile Robots reportedly plans to produce up to 2,000 humanoid robots next year through a fresh partnership with Nvidia, targeting universities and corporate research labs.

The collaboration was announced at Nvidia’s GTC conference in Berlin. Agile CEO Zhaopeng Chen told Reuters the pair are set to begin production of the Agile ONE S and ONE SN humanoid robot models by the end of 2026, expecting to manufacture between 1,000 and 2,000 units. Stanford University and ETH Zurich are among potential customers.

The Agile ONE SN, with the N standing for Nvidia to denote the chipmaker-specific configuration, combines Agile’s humanoid hardware with Nvidia’s Jetson Thor onboard computing platform and Isaac GR00T robotics AI model. It features five-fingered hands, cameras and other sensors to support dexterous manipulation and interaction with the physical environment.

Standing 1.4 metres tall and weighing around 40 kilograms, the robot is designed as a smaller alternative to full-sized humanoids. Nvidia said the robot intends to simplify the integration of hardware, simulation, training and deployment tools on a single platform, “cutting setup time from weeks to days”.

Spencer Huang, Nvidia’s product director for robotics, told Reuters the standardised configuration could save researchers two or three months of work procuring separately purchased components. “If we can bring researchers something that’s already 80% of the way there, it accelerates their development,” he said.

Nvidia said Agile’s ONE SN is scheduled to become available in early 2027, as competition intensifies among European humanoid developers.

ChatGPT moment
Alongside the partnership, the chipmaker also revealed its expanded robotics development platform, Nvidia Isaac, equipped with new tools for training and deploying AI-powered machines. The expanded platform includes Isaac OS, an open-source runtime framework, and Isaac Lab 3.0, a robot learning framework designed to train and refine robot skills. The company also introduced new reference workflows and simulation resources to speed up development.

“General-purpose robotics is advancing at extraordinary speed — the ChatGPT moment for robotics is fast approaching,” noted Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, adding the platform would give developers “the models, data, simulation tools and computing systems to bring physical AI to the world’s largest industries”.

The chipmaker added European robotics players including UK-based Humanoid, French start-up Hugging Face and Swedish firm ABB Robotics are applying its technologies including Nvidia Isaac to industrial autonomous machines.

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AT&T CEO Stankey argues scale matters in satellite debate

AT&T CEO John Stankey (pictured) outlined the advantages he sees over the potential threat of a direct-to-device (D2D) service by SpaceX during a Q3 earnings call, which included much more low-band spectrum, a scaled network and the ability to penetrate buildings with its mobile service.

During yesterday’s (20 October) SpaceX earnings call, president Gwynne Shotwell said the low-band spectrum her company agreed to buy earlier this month can be paired with Wi-Fi for mobile connectivity indoors, along with devices in towers and Starlink installs across businesses and consumers’ homes.

Shotwell said Wi-Fi accounts for the vast majority of mobile connectivity, estimating its share at between 85% and 93% without providing details on how portals and passwords will be used.

“There are significant loads, even with robust Wi-Fi networks, that are out there,” AT&T’s Stankey countered on the operator’s own financial call today (21 October). “I think it takes a lot of years and a huge level of investment to get to the kind of performance levels that customers have become accustomed to in scaled networks that are running on the infrastructure that most of the incumbent providers have today.”

SpaceX has touted the nationwide low-band spectrum portfolio it bought from Grain Management as the means to enable in-building penetration for its D2D service, which Musk said yesterday will generate billions of dollars in revenue on a yearly basis.

“I wouldn’t over-rotate on what I would call one carrier of low-band spectrum,” Stankey said. “Let’s put this in perspective.”

By contrast, Stankey said AT&T operates six to eight carriers of low-band spectrum, deploying it not only at macro sites but also across every indoor building system in high-rises, hospitals and stadiums.

“We’ve got the scale where the scale matters,” he said. “98% of the traffic is where we’ve already built and where we already have capabilities and customers have become accustomed to a level of service that is pretty high.”

He added: “I feel really good about where we’re at.”

Q3 metrics
AT&T revenue grew 5.3% to $32.3 billion in the quarter ended 30 September, up from $30.7 billion a year ago.

Total service revenue increased 3.8%, its best consolidated growth in more than four years, reaching $26.3 billion. Wireless, fibre and the Lumen mass markets fibre business all contributed. Equipment revenue rose 12.1% year-on-year to $6 billion.

Income from continuing operations came in at $1.3 billion compared with $9.7 billion in the year-ago quarter, which benefited from the DirecTV transaction gain.

Post-paid phone net adds were 379,000, down 6.4% from 405,000 a year ago, with churn flat. The post-paid phone base now stands at 75.283 million, up 2%. Prepaid phone lost 21,000 customers.

Consumer and business internet net additions rose 25.4% to a record 769,000 from 613,000 a year earlier. Fibre net additions increased to 442,000 from 309,000, while fixed wireless access additions climbed to 327,000 from 304,000.

Total internet connections increased 29.3% to 16.2 million. Combined with phone additions, this pushed AT&T’s Advanced Connectivity net additions above 1 million for the second consecutive quarter. Advanced Connectivity service revenue reached $23.9 billion, up 6.1%.

AT&T added approximately 350,000 converged customers, with 42.8% of households using its fibre or Internet Air service also taking its mobile service.

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Nvidia, Nokia claim AI-RAN hype is justified as momentum grows

INTERVIEW: Nokia chief technology and AI officer Pallavi Mahajan and Nvidia SVP of telco Ronnie Vasishta told the Mobile World Live Podcast their AI-RAN partnership is showing tangible progress, as they announced close to 20 operators are lined up for lab and commercial trials of the technology.

In an exclusive interview to outline progress of their efforts, Vasishta and Mahajan highlighted the fact it had only been 12 months since the two companies announced a joint AI-RAN partnership, which included a $1 billion investment from Nvidia into the Finnish vendor.

A year on, today (21 October) at Nvidia’s GTC 2026 event in Berlin the duo announced almost 20 operators globally have committed to AI-RAN collaboration, including 10 from EMEA. Mahajan said these operators are at different stages, lined up for both lab and commercial trials.

In 2027 trials are expected from BT Group, Deutsche Telekom and Elisa, with the latter preparing for commercial deployment.

In the US, T-Mobile has completed what was claimed as the world’s first AI-RAN call on a live network, while in France Orange is introducing new voice and intelligence services for enterprises based on the technology.

Speed of light
Vasishta told MWL it was hard to overhype development based on the progress it had seen over the past year, and the number of trials and deployment is only set to grow.

“A year ago, or two years ago for sure, I think people would have scoffed at the idea. Nokia talking about operator commercialisation with AI-RAN, I think, that would have been perhaps seen as somewhat sceptical.”

Mahajan concurred, describing the pace of development as occurring “at the speed of light” with the game changer centred on being able to outline the true “value of what AI brings in terms of making RAN efficient” such as significant spectrum efficiency gains.

“In the next few years, the distinction between the networks and computing infrastructure will just blur,” she said, inevitably opening up a host of operator opportunities across applications beyond 5G and 6G.

Vasishta added Nvidia had started on the journey of software-defined RAN eight years ago and the inclusion of Nokia in 2025 had accelerated this dramatically.

“We see all operators around the world are created differently. They service different markets, they have different DNA, but overall, all of them have gravitated towards this concept now of AI RAN.”

Click here to listen to the full interview.

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Amazon prépare 16 milliards d’euros d’investissements en Allemagne

Amazon a présenté un projet visant à investir plus de 16 milliards d’euros dans ses activités allemandes en 2027. Le géant de la vente en ligne escompte développer son infrastructure d’IA, son informatique en nuage et sa connectivité satellite.

Cette nouvelle enveloppe s’ajoute aux plus de 100 milliards d’euros investis par Amazon outre-Rhin depuis 2010, où le groupe se mesure à ses rivaux Google et Microsoft pour développer ses services d’IA et son infrastructure cloud.

David Zapolsky, Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer d’Amazon, décrit l’Allemagne comme un centre d’innovation et l’une des destinations d’investissement les plus attractives d’Europe.

« Nous voulons que les entreprises, les communautés et les créateurs allemands disposent de l’infrastructure et des outils dont ils ont besoin pour rivaliser et se développer », explique-t-il.

L’investissement comprend 4,8 milliards d’euros destinés à étendre la région cloud d’Amazon Web Services à Francfort et son infrastructure d’IA, afin de répondre à une demande croissante des clients.

Amazon prévoit aussi de renforcer sa connectivité via sa constellation satellite Amazon Leo afin de fournir un internet haut débit à l’ensemble du pays.

Amazon Leo a réservé 24 créneaux de lancement auprès du fournisseur européen Arianespace.

L’entreprise prévoit également d’élargir son empreinte logistique et de créer de nouveaux contenus pour sa plateforme Prime Video.

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SpaceX veut lancer son service D2D début 2028

SpaceX prévoit d’activer son service de connexion directe aux appareils (Direct-to-Device, ou D2D) début 2028, après le lancement de la deuxième génération de la constellation Starlink Mobile en 2027 et l’intégration du spectre en cours d’acquisition.

Lors de la conférence consacrée à ses résultats du troisième trimestre, la présidente Gwynne Shotwell a indiqué que le spectre en bande basse dont SpaceX a convenu l’achat plus tôt ce mois-ci, ainsi que l’autorisation de la Federal Communications Commission (FCC) américaine de lancer 15 000 satellites V2 de nouvelle génération, « ouvrent la voie pour que Starlink Mobile devienne un grand opérateur mobile aux États-Unis ».

Le 8 octobre, SpaceX a conclu un accord pour acheter jusqu’à 14 MHz de spectre apparié dans la bande 800 MHz afin de soutenir ses projets. L’accord avec Grain Management devrait être finalisé au premier semestre 2027, sous réserve de l’approbation des régulateurs.

Gwynne Shotwell a rappelé que ses propos du trimestre précédent portaient sur des stations radio plus petites pour le service D2D, qu’elle décrit comme n’ayant pas tout à fait les capacités d’une tour, et que SpaceX pourrait installer chez des particuliers et des entreprises déjà équipés de Starlink.

« Donc, il ne s’agit pas seulement du spectre en bande S dont nous avons parlé, a-t-elle précisé lors de la conférence du 20 octobre. Nous allons en gros tirer parti des emplacements des installations Starlink et d’autres tours. »

SpaceX prévoit d’associer ses satellites à des stations radio au sol pour fournir une couverture mobile 5G, un plan que de nombreux dirigeants du secteur jugent irréaliste.

Interrogé sur les rôles que joueront les réseaux satellitaire et terrestre pour le service D2D, Elon Musk a estimé qu’une présentation plus détaillée pourrait être nécessaire pour expliquer la stratégie de connectivité de Starlink et les raisons pour lesquelles l’entreprise pense pouvoir un jour générer plusieurs centaines de milliards de dollars de revenus annuels.

« Il vous manque certains éléments que nous connaissons en interne, a-t-il affirmé. Je peux dire que nous voyons clairement la voie vers plusieurs centaines de milliards de dollars par an de revenus de connectivité, mais je pense que nous devrions probablement le décrire plus en détail dans un cadre qui ne se limite pas à quelques minutes lors d’une conférence de résultats. »

SpaceX dans le vert

SpaceX a enregistré un bénéfice net de 4,4 milliards de dollars (3,9 milliards d’euros) au troisième trimestre (clos le 30 septembre), contre une perte de 1,1 milliard de dollars (980 millions d’euros) un an plus tôt, son chiffre d’affaires ayant plus que doublé pour atteindre 14,6 milliards de dollars (13 milliards d’euros), porté en grande partie par son activité d’IA.

Il s’agit du deuxième rapport de résultats de l’entreprise depuis son introduction en Bourse en juin. Le chiffre d’affaires a progressé de 161 % sur un an.

Le segment Super Intelligence (ex-IA) représente environ 6,7 milliards de dollars (6 milliards d’euros) de la hausse d’environ 9 milliards de dollars (8 milliards d’euros), son chiffre d’affaires passant de 813 millions de dollars (724 millions d’euros) à 7,6 milliards de dollars (6,8 milliards d’euros). SpaceX attribue la croissance de ce segment à de nouveaux accords de services cloud, à l’acquisition de Cursor et à l’usage croissant de Grok.

Le résultat d’exploitation s’élève à 2,8 milliards de dollars (2,5 milliards d’euros), contre une perte de 273 millions de dollars (243 millions d’euros) un an plus tôt, et le BAIIA (EBITDA) ajusté atteint 8,8 milliards de dollars (7,8 milliards d’euros), en hausse de 306 %.

Le chiffre d’affaires tiré de la connectivité progresse de 69 % pour atteindre 5,2 milliards de dollars (4,6 milliards d’euros). Le résultat d’exploitation de ce pôle double quasiment, avec une croissance de 99 % à 2,4 milliards de dollars (2,1 milliards d’euros).

Starlink compte 13,6 millions d’abonnés grand public au haut débit, soit 1,6 million de plus sur le trimestre, contre 7,2 millions au troisième trimestre 2025.

Pour son service de connexion directe aux appareils, Gwynne Shotwell indique que Starlink Mobile a dépassé 22 millions d’utilisateurs mensuels à la fin du trimestre, en hausse de 37 % par rapport au trimestre précédent.

En dépit des résultats qui précèdent, SpaceX reste déficitaire sur l’année en cours, avec une perte nette de 413 millions de dollars (368 millions d’euros) sur neuf mois.

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Podcast: Exclusive – Nokia, Nvidia advance AI-RAN at GTC

With Nvidia’s GTC Berlin event in full swing, the company’s telecoms boss Ronnie Vasishta and Nokia chief technology and AI officer Pallavi Mahajan sit down with the Mobile World Live Podcast in an exclusive interview to reveal the next stage of the pair’s AI-RAN journey, as they team up with European heavyweights to turn networks into distributed intelligence platforms.

Listen on Spotify
Listen on Apple

00:00 — AI-RAN explained
7:20 — Operator trials
11:00 — Beyond edge hype
15:05 — AI-RAN economics
17:45 — Sovereign AI
21:10 — Commercialisation and 6G

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Porsche seeks broader industrial opportunities

Renowned German sports car maker Porsche hopes to break the mould on industrial digitalisation by forming a business unit to improve internal operations along with boosting its work with other sectors and companies.

Porsche Technologies is being formed by combining the company’s current engineering and digital units, a marriage deputy chair Dr Michael Steiner said would deliver the best of both worlds.

Steiner said the unit would “play a central role” in Porsche’s own “strategic development activities and in its business with other automotive and industrial customers”.

Sectors including space, maritime, defence and medical technology were listed as potential targets.

The company aims to launch Porsche Technologies early in Q2 2027 to provide services spanning development of hard and software through to validation of digital and physical products.

Porsche stated AI and data systems would play important roles in the work of the business, particularly for process optimisation.

Current Porsche Engineering CEO Markus-Christian Eberl (pictured, centre) is to head the new division.

Porsche Digital CEO Stefan Zerweck (pictured, left) is to become the CTO, with engineering unit CFO and COO Dirk Philipp (pictured, right) to occupy the same roles in the new business.

Staff numbers for the combined division stand at around 2,700, located at sites throughout Europe, the US and China.

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La FCC valide la constellation C-3 de Globalstar avant le rachat par Amazon

Globalstar a obtenu l’approbation de la Federal Communications Commission (FCC) américaine pour C-3, son système satellitaire de nouvelle génération, alors qu’Amazon s’apprête à racheter l’entreprise.

La FCC a accordé une autorisation d’exploitation à l’échelle nationale pour ce système, conçu pour connecter des centaines de millions d’appareils mobiles aux États-Unis, y compris via des liaisons Direct-to-Device (D2D) vers des smartphones. L’ordonnance couvre également des antennes au sol en Alaska, à Hawaï, au Nevada, au Texas, en Floride et à Porto Rico.

Le feu vert de la FCC renforce la position réglementaire d’un actif central dans l’effort d’Amazon pour concurrencer Starlink (SpaceX) sur les services D2D.

C-3 comprendra 48 satellites en orbite basse à 1 414 kilomètres d’altitude, ainsi que six satellites de rechange en orbite et environ 90 antennes de six mètres de diamètre au sol installées partout dans le monde. MDA Space construit les satellites au Canada, tandis que des centres de contrôle à Toulouse, en France, et au siège de Globalstar en Louisiane superviseront les opérations. La France a déposé la notification du système auprès de l’UIT.

Le directeur général Paul Jacobs décrit cette approbation comme une étape clé pour améliorer la capacité, les performances et la flexibilité des services de Globalstar. Barbee Ponder, responsable des affaires réglementaires, indique que cette étape clôt un processus d’autorisation de plusieurs années avec le Space Bureau de la FCC.

En avril, Amazon a convenu d’acquérir l’entreprise de satellites pour 11,6 milliards de dollars (10,3 milliards d’euros), dans le cadre de sa volonté d’ajouter des services D2D à sa constellation Amazon Leo. La finalisation de l’opération est attendue en 2027, sous réserve de l’approbation des régulateurs et de l’atteinte par Globalstar de jalons satellitaires spécifiques.

En juillet, Amazon Leo a demandé à la FCC l’autorisation de déployer jusqu’à 5 105 satellites pour des services de connexion directe aux appareils.

Selon Zack Brown, responsable de la communication d’Amazon, l’entreprise comptait en octobre 396 satellites en orbite basse et en avait construit plus de 1 000 dans son centre de production de 16 000 mètres carrés à Kirkland (État de Washington).

Apple est un partenaire de longue date de Globalstar et a investi plus de 1 milliard de dollars (891 millions d’euros) dans l’entreprise. La flotte existante de Globalstar prend en charge des fonctions satellite de l’iPhone, dont les messages d’urgence, la messagerie, l’assistance routière et le partage de localisation.

Amazon a également signé un accord distinct pour fournir une connectivité satellite aux iPhone et Apple Watch actuels et futurs, en s’engageant à maintenir ces services.

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Jio Platforms launches long-awaited India listing

Jio Platforms’ $3.2 billion IPO was reportedly fully subscribed within around 100 minutes of opening on Wednesday (21 October), as investors rushed to take part in India’s largest share sale.

Sources told Reuters institutional investors covered their allocated portion within 10 minutes of bidding opening, although demand from retail investors was slower. Around a third of the shares are reserved for retail buyers.

“It’s the fastest in the history of India,” a source said.

Reliance Industries’ telecoms unit is offering 270 million shares priced at between INR1,065 ($11.28) and INR1,119 apiece, with the offer closing on Friday (23 October). The IPO values the business at up to $108.3 billion and marks the first public offering from billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance conglomerate in two decades.

The company plans to use most of the IPO proceeds to repay or prepay borrowings at Reliance Jio Infocomm, its telecoms subsidiary, with the remainder earmarked for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditure.

Jio Platforms reported a profit of around $3.2 billion on revenue of $15.5 billion in the year to March.

The offering also comes despite a weak domestic equity market, after the country’s Nifty 50 benchmark index of 50 leading Indian companies slumped this year.

However, Indian wealth management firm SMIFS Limited noted “the long-term outlook for Jio Platforms Limited remains highly favourable, driven by sustained growth in India’s digital economy”.

According to the company, Jio Platforms will “benefit from rising 5G adoption, increasing smartphone penetration, accelerating broadband penetration, growing enterprise digitalisation and expanding demand for cloud and AI-enabled services”.

Jio’s telecoms business has more than 500 million subscribers, making it the world’s second largest telecoms operator in a single country after China Mobile. It disrupted India’s telecoms market after launching in 2016 with low-cost data plans, putting pressure on rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

However, the company continues to face regulatory uncertainty and growing competition in satellite connectivity, as billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink prepares to enter India’s market.

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Toshiba launches quantum security platform

Toshiba addressed what it believes is complexity in deploying quantum-safe networks with the release of a platform it stated can lower the need for specific fibre connectivity and equipment.

The Japanese company is targeting the platform at network operators, enterprises, public-sector groups and companies running data centres. It is pitching the set-up as offering more than a bump to security, highlighting potential competitive advantages and revenue opportunities.

Toshiba echoed concerns expressed by many over the potential dangers of quantum computing, noting some nefarious types are already harvesting data to be decrypted when compatible machines come online.

It stated governments, “regulators and standards bodies” are already pressing for action to address potential threats.

The sales pitch for Toshiba’s platform centres on the simplicity of deployment. It states organisations “do not need to rebuild their networks” to use the set-up, which “integrates with existing network infrastructures” and can be run through “a single dedicated connection to large metro, hub-and-spoke, ring, mesh and long-distance networks”.

Andrew Shields, VP of Toshiba Europe and head of its Quantum Technology Division, said the platform should prove cost-effective in deployments “across large-scale networks”.

Toshiba equipped the platform with post-quantum cryptography, quantum key distribution and random number generation, technologies widely regarded as being suitably robust to secure the future computing systems.

Hiroshi Tsukino, VP of Toshiba’s ICT Solutions Division, said the move to quantum-safe technologies is “the largest cryptographic transformation in history” and urged organisations to begin preparing today.

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US farm machinery maker set for Agility Robotics pilot

Agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO inked a deal to trial Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid for various factory operations including sorting and stacking parts, with a view to using robots to automate repetitive and hazardous tasks.

In a statement on the project, Agility Robotics explained its robot would be used to support key assembly and production operations, with the pilot set to kick-off during 2027 at an AGCO manufacturing site in the US state of Kansas.

The pilot is part of a wider agreement between the pair to “advance the future of manufacturing” using humanoid automation, supporting an aim by AGCO to create more flexible and intelligent factories.

Agility Robotics added by automating physically demanding work, its robot would “help enhance ergonomic safety, improve operational efficiency and empower employees to focus on higher-value, skill-driven work that advances innovation and productivity”.

The agricultural sector player claims to be the largest “pure-play farm equipment manufacturer” in the world, supplying a wide range of heavy equipment for the sector including tractors and combine harvesters.

AGCO director of manufacturing technology Thomas Enghof said “this strategic relationship views humanoid robotics and AI as essential teammates in building flexible, intelligent factories”.

The executive added the machines would augment “human capabilities by absorbing repetitive, strenuous or hazardous tasks. By pairing human ingenuity with robust robotic engineering and strict safety governance, we create resilient manufacturing systems that empower the workforce and deliver measurable business value.”

Agility Robotics noted the latest deal adds to deployments with other leading companies including Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, GXO Logistics and manufacturer Schaeffler.

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SpaceX targets early 2028 for own D2D service launch

SpaceX plans to turn on its direct-to-device (D2D) service in early 2028 after launching the second generation Starlink Mobile constellation during 2027 and integrating spectrum it is acquiring.

On its Q3 earnings call, president Gwynne Shotwell said the low-band spectrum SpaceX agreed to buy earlier this month and the Federal Communications Commission’s approval to launch 15,000 next generation V2 birds “pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the US”.

On 8 October, SpaceX struck a deal to buy up to 14MHz of paired spectrum in the 800MHz band to support its plans. The agreement with Grain Management is expected to close in the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approval.

Shotwell indicated comments on the previous quarter’s call covered smaller radios for the D2D service, which she described as not quite tower capable, that SpaceX could place on homes and businesses where Starlink is already installed.

“So, it’s not just the spectrum that we’ve talked about with the S-band,” she said on yesterday’s (20 October) earnings call. “We will basically leverage the real estate from Starlink installs and other towers.”

SpaceX plans to pair its satellites with ground-based radios to provide 5G mobile coverage, a plan many executives in the industry consider far-fetched.

When asked about the roles the satellite and terrestrial networks will play for the D2D service, CEO Elon Musk said a more detailed presentation may be needed to explain Starlink’s connectivity strategy and why the company believes it could eventually generate several hundred billion dollars in annual revenue.

“You are missing some of the pieces that we know about internally,” he said. “I can say we do see a clear path to several hundred billion dollars a year in connectivity revenue, but I think we should probably describe that in more detail in a forum that’s not limited to a few minutes at an earnings call.”

Q3 numbers
SpaceX reported net income of $4.4 billion for Q3 (ending 30 September), compared with a $1.1 billion loss a year earlier, as revenue more than doubled to $14.6 billion, driven largely by its AI business.

It was the company’s second earnings report since its June stock market listing. Revenue was up 161% year-on-year.

The Super Intelligence segment, previously reported as AI, accounted for around $6.7 billion of the roughly $9 billion increase, with revenue rising to $7.6 billion from $813 million. SpaceX attributed the segment’s growth to new cloud services agreements, the Cursor acquisition and growing use of Grok.

Income from operations was $2.8 billion, compared with a $273 million loss a year ago, and adjusted EBITDA was $8.8 billion, up 306%.

Connectivity revenue rose 69% to $5.2 billion and operating income climbed 99% to $2.4 billion.

Starlink had 13.6 million consumer broadband subscribers, up 1.6 million in the quarter and from 7.2 million in Q3 2025.

For its direct-to-device service, Shotwell said Starlink Mobile surpassed 22 million monthly users at the end of the quarter, up 37% from the previous quarter.

SpaceX remains loss-making for the year to date, with a nine-month net loss of $413 million.

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Amazon readies €16B German investment

Amazon outlined plans to invest more than €16 billion in its German operations in 2027 to expand its AI infrastructure, cloud computing and satellite connectivity.

The move adds to more than €100 billion Amazon invested in Germany since 2010 as it races against rivals Google and Microsoft to build out its AI services and cloud infrastructure in the nation.

David Zapolsky, chief global affairs and legal officer, described Germany as a centre of innovation and one of Europe’s most attractive investment destinations.

“We want German businesses, communities and creators to have the infrastructure and tools they need to compete and grow.”

The fresh investment includes €4.8 billion to expand Amazon Web Services’ Frankfurt cloud region and AI infrastructure to meet increasing customer demand.

It plans to bolster connectivity through its Amazon Leo satellite network to provide high-speed internet across the country.

Amazon Leo has secured 24 slots with European launch provider Arianespace.

The company plans to also broaden its logistics footprint and create new content for its Prime Video platform.

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Qualcomm prepara recortes de plantilla en todo el mundo tras las evaluaciones internas

El fabricante de chips Qualcomm recortará, según se informa, un número indeterminado de puestos de trabajo tras las evaluaciones anuales de empleados, y se prevé que los afectados reciban la notificación en las próximas semanas.

Según Reuters, el CEO Cristiano Amon (en la foto) envió un memorando en el que explicaba que los recortes forman parte de un plan para crear «una cultura de rendimiento más sólida» y abordar las áreas en las que la empresa «no ha estado a la altura de las expectativas de forma constante».

La agencia señaló que el memorando no precisaba cuántos empleados perderán su puesto, pero indicaba que, en septiembre de 2025, la empresa contaba con unos 52.000 trabajadores en todo el mundo, la mayoría a tiempo completo.

Aunque Amon ha tratado de diversificar la oferta de la empresa más allá de los chips para móviles, Qualcomm se ha visto afectada por la escasez mundial de memoria.

En el tercer trimestre fiscal, cerrado el 28 de junio, ingresó 9.900 millones de dólares (unos 8.800 millones de euros), un 4 % menos que los 10.400 millones de dólares (unos 9.300 millones de euros) del año anterior, y su beneficio neto fue de 2.000 millones de dólares (unos 1.800 millones de euros), un 25 % menos que un año antes.

Con información de Michael Robuck.

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Apple destina 100 millones de dólares a un proveedor de titanio para el iPhone Duo

Apple ha incorporado un proveedor estadounidense de titanio para el iPhone Duo: la empresa Perryman Company, con sede en Pensilvania, con la que se compromete a invertir hasta 100 millones de dólares (unos 89 millones de euros). Al mismo tiempo, amplía la producción nacional de tecnología de cámara para el iPhone 18 Pro.

Dentro de su Programa de Fabricación Estadounidense (AMP, por sus siglas en inglés), Apple ha explicado que el acuerdo con Perryman durará tres años y cubrirá el suministro de titanio para sus productos, entre ellos el iPhone Duo, cuyo precio de partida es de 1.999 dólares (unos 1.780 euros).

El anuncio llega tras las noticias sobre la escasez de existencias del primer smartphone plegable de Apple. El dispositivo llegará a las tiendas a finales de octubre, pero las estimaciones de entrega online se retrasaron hasta enero de 2027 a los pocos minutos de abrirse las reservas.

Según Apple, Perryman fundirá, forjará y laminará titanio de grado 5 que contendrá al menos un 80 % de material reciclado. Este metal se emplea en la carcasa del Duo, a la que, según el fabricante del iPhone, aporta durabilidad.

Apple amplía además su colaboración con Qnity Electronics, con sede en el estado de Delaware, para producir tecnología destinada a la nueva apertura variable del sistema de cámara del iPhone 18 Pro.

La empresa asegura que unos 100 componentes del iPhone Duo y del iPhone 18 Pro, desde los chips inalámbricos hasta el silicio que alimenta las funciones principales de los dispositivos, los fabrican empresas estadounidenses en más de una docena de estados.

La planta de Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) en Arizona producirá este año más de 100 millones de chips para Apple, y la planta de Corning en Kentucky fabricará, antes de que acabe el año, todos los cristales protectores de los iPhone y Apple Watch que se vendan en el mundo.

Apple también ha mencionado las inversiones de otros socios de AMP, como Broadcom, que fabrica chips en EE. UU., y Amkor Technology, que construye en Peoria (Arizona) una planta de encapsulado y prueba de semiconductores.

«Estamos encantados de ampliar nuestra colaboración con empresas que producen materiales y componentes avanzados para nuestra nueva gama de iPhone aquí mismo, en Estados Unidos», ha declarado Sabih Khan, director de operaciones de Apple.

Con información de Michael Robuck.

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Telefónica y NOS apuntan a usos militares y defensivos de la 5G

Telefónica ha demostrado las capacidades militares de su infraestructura 5G en un ejercicio con drones y vehículos no tripulados, uno de los primeros pasos de la colaboración que mantiene con la operadora portuguesa NOS Comunicações.

Las dos empresas combinaron sus tecnologías 5G en la demostración de Experimentación Robótica y Prototipado con Sistemas Marítimos No Tripulados. Según Telefónica, el trabajo ha demostrado que la infraestructura conjunta permite ofrecer nuevos servicios y usos.

Durante el acto, Telefónica y NOS Comunicações han suscrito un memorando de entendimiento que abarca el desarrollo conjunto de futuras infraestructuras de conectividad, comunicaciones seguras y servicios digitales.

Las aplicaciones de defensa y seguridad son la principal prioridad de ambas firmas. Joao Ricardo Moreira, miembro del consejo de administración de NOS Comunicações, ha afirmado que el contexto cambiante de la seguridad y la defensa exige una infraestructura digital capaz de operar de forma coordinada más allá de las fronteras nacionales.

Por eso, la interoperabilidad entre redes es una de las áreas que han acordado explorar.

El acuerdo también contempla proyectos de computación perimetral, inteligencia artificial, 5G y nuevas arquitecturas. Telefónica ha señalado que se prestará atención a cómo se integran estas tecnologías con los sistemas de mando y control, las plataformas autónomas y otras tecnologías emergentes.

Las empresas han necesitado un año para ultimar los detalles de la colaboración.

Javier López, director de defensa y seguridad de Telefónica España, ha asegurado que el proyecto puede contribuir a reforzar la soberanía europea y ha agradecido a las armadas española y portuguesa que hayan facilitado el «entorno operativo» para probar y evaluar las tecnologías.

Con información de Michael Carroll.

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Musk promete regalar una acción de SpaceX a cada niño de EE. UU.

Elon Musk (en la foto) ha anunciado que el año que viene regalará una acción de SpaceX a cada niño de Estados Unidos.

La promesa llega un día después de que la empresa de inteligencia artificial Anthropic presentara sus planes para dedicar parte de su capital a iniciativas de beneficio público.

«El año que viene, regalaré una de mis acciones de SpaceX a cada niño de Estados Unidos», escribió Musk en la red social X, y añadió: «Esta será la primera de muchas».

No ha explicado cómo se repartirían las acciones ni cómo se financiaría el plan. Según la Oficina del Censo, en Estados Unidos viven unos 73 millones de niños, lo que situaría el valor potencial del reparto en unos 10.700 millones de dólares (unos 9.500 millones de euros), tomando como referencia el precio de cierre de las acciones de SpaceX, de 146,03 dólares (unos 130 euros), el 16 de octubre.

Un documento presentado ante los reguladores en agosto reveló que, a 30 de junio, el multimillonario poseía el 48,4 % de SpaceX. La firma salió a bolsa a principios de año y recaudó 75.000 millones de dólares (unos 67.000 millones de euros) en su oferta pública inicial, lo que convirtió brevemente a Musk en el primer billonario del mundo.

Fondo de Beneficio Público

Por su parte, Anthropic anunció hace unos días que destinará el 5 % de sus acciones a un nuevo Fondo de Beneficio Público, una dotación que podría aumentar a medida que crezca la valoración de la empresa.

La empresa de inteligencia artificial explicó que el fondo podría recibir un 2 % adicional de sus acciones por cada aumento del 50 % de su valoración sobre un valor de referencia que aún no ha revelado. Las asignaciones adicionales quedarían a criterio del consejo de administración.

Anthropic afirmó que el fondo le daría «mayor flexibilidad y alcance» para cumplir su misión, incluidas «grandes donaciones a organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro tradicionales o distribuciones directas a poblaciones específicas».

Uno de los posibles focos de atención es el impacto de la IA en el empleo. La empresa sostiene que, si bien la tecnología podría generar un «enorme valor económico», también podría «causar inestabilidad a muchos trabajadores». Ya ha destinado 200 millones de dólares (unos 180 millones de euros) a investigación e iniciativas para abordar este problema, pero, dado el ritmo de los avances en IA, podrían hacer falta otros enfoques.

«El Fondo tendrá la versatilidad necesaria para llevarlos a cabo», señala la empresa.

Anthropic, que ha presentado de forma confidencial su solicitud de salida a bolsa (OPI), ha indicado que en los próximos meses ofrecerá más detalles sobre la gobernanza del fondo y los umbrales de valoración.

Con información de Amiya Johar.

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Los operadores europeos confirman su interés conjunto en el espectro satelital

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica y Vodafone Group han suscrito una carta de intenciones para estudiar una oferta conjunta por una futura asignación de espectro para servicios móviles por satélite.

La iniciativa se enmarca en los esfuerzos por impulsar la comunicación directa con el dispositivo (D2D) en Europa.

Los operadores han declarado que su propuesta respalda la ambición de la Comisión Europea (CE) de reforzar la soberanía, la seguridad y la resiliencia de las infraestructuras de conectividad cruciales.

La posibilidad de una oferta conjunta salió a la luz hace unas semanas, cuando Bloomberg informó de que las cuatro empresas habían iniciado conversaciones para pujar por un tercio del espectro que la Comisión Europea debe asignar en la banda de 2 GHz, reservada para empresas europeas.

En una presentación centrada en las ventajas de trabajar juntos, el cuarteto explicó que una oferta conjunta permitiría a cada proveedor ofrecer servicios D2D a sus clientes, con acceso abierto y no discriminatorio, en un modelo pensado para «fomentar la competencia, reducir la fragmentación del mercado y ampliar las opciones para el consumidor en toda Europa».

Su objetivo es utilizar los satélites para dar cobertura a zonas con escaso acceso a estos servicios, reforzar las redes públicas, proteger las comunicaciones cruciales y apoyar el desarrollo de una constelación europea.

Los operadores prevén establecer las infraestructuras terrestres clave y las funciones cruciales de coordinación y seguimiento, pero sin invertir directamente en una constelación de satélites. Esto abre la puerta a colaborar con un socio satelital que todavía no han elegido.

Ejecución

La carta de intenciones no sustituye a ninguna de las alianzas que ya existen en materia de satélites. Vodafone, por ejemplo, es especialmente activa en este ámbito, ya que participa en una empresa conjunta con la estadounidense AST SpaceMobile.

Paolo Pescatore, analista de PP Foresight, ha afirmado que el anuncio es más un acuerdo exploratorio que un lanzamiento confirmado.

«La oportunidad reside en convertir la cobertura vía satélite en una extensión natural de la conectividad móvil. El éxito dependerá de la ejecución, de la compatibilidad de los dispositivos y de un precio que dé a los clientes un motivo convincente para pagar, además de la garantía de que podrán seguir conectados en más lugares».

Con información de Kavit Majithia.

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PLD Space da a conocer avances de su cohete reutilizable

PLD Space ha detallado los avances en el desarrollo de su lanzador reutilizable, con lo que mantiene el foco en los proyectos europeos de comunicación por satélite. Lo ha hecho poco después de que los principales operadores esbozaran sus planes de acceso al espectro radioeléctrico.

La empresa española de cohetes prepara un vuelo de demostración de su lanzador reutilizable MIURA 5 con tres unidades: dos para probar sistemas y una en la que se instalan tecnologías ya validadas.

PLD Space sostiene que este enfoque debería facilitar la repetibilidad en la fabricación de sus lanzadores y, además, permitirle validar nuevas características sin interrumpir las operaciones previstas.

La firma avanza en el desarrollo del hardware de vuelo, los motores y los mecanismos para elevar los cohetes hasta su posición en las plataformas de lanzamiento.

Sus unidades de prueba han servido para desarrollar carenados, y la empresa confía también en su modelo de trayectoria.

PLD Space tiene listos cuatro sistemas de aviónica de vuelo y sigue de cerca la infraestructura terrestre necesaria, que incluye 17.000 metros cuadrados de instalaciones de fabricación y diez bancos de pruebas.

Además, construye una plataforma de lanzamiento en la Guayana Francesa.

El cofundador y consejero delegado, Raúl Torres, ha afirmado que PLD Space debe probar rigurosamente «cada elemento del sistema», algo que convierte el enfoque de tres unidades en un elemento fundamental para acelerar el desarrollo.

Con información de Michael Carroll.

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