The potential Intelsat/OneWeb deal isn't just a satellite transaction but "a single piece in a puzzle" being assembled by Masayoshi "Masa" Son, CEO of SoftBank, a major backer of OneWeb that's also putting $1.7 billion into the deal, Northern Sky Research analyst Blaine Curcio said in a NSR blog post Sunday. SoftBank and Son seem to be driving toward a future of 5G, autonomous vehicles and machine-to-machine IoT through investments into such areas as semiconductors and robotics and partnerships with automakers, NSR said. A key step in an IoT connected world model would be cheap, ubiquitous coverage, such as what could be provided through Intelsat, NSR said. It said a variety of satellite challenges include OneWeb securing landing rights internationally; development of cheap, portable terminals; tackling interference issues; and Intelsat's finances. The firm said the deal "appears to put Intelsat/OneWeb at a massive head start" for creating such an integrated system.
The potential Intelsat/OneWeb deal isn't just a satellite transaction but "a single piece in a puzzle" being assembled by Masayoshi "Masa" Son, CEO of SoftBank, a major backer of OneWeb that's also putting $1.7 billion into the deal, Northern Sky Research analyst Blaine Curcio said in a NSR blog post Sunday. SoftBank and Son seem to be driving toward a future of 5G, autonomous vehicles and machine-to-machine IoT through investments into such areas as semiconductors and robotics and partnerships with automakers, NSR said. A key step in an IoT connected world model would be cheap, ubiquitous coverage, such as what could be provided through Intelsat, NSR said. It said a variety of satellite challenges include OneWeb securing landing rights internationally; development of cheap, portable terminals; tackling interference issues; and Intelsat's finances. The firm said the deal "appears to put Intelsat/OneWeb at a massive head start" for creating such an integrated system.
Sandwich Isles Communications made its case to FCC officials against agency actions targeting the carrier for violations and alleged violations of high-cost USF rules in Hawaii, but the company also sought a way to address commission concerns. SIC representatives cited the "substantive and procedural defects" of a commission Dec. 5 order directing the Universal Service Administrative Co. to recover $27.3 million in subsidy support the company received. They also cited "the inconsistencies" of that order with a related notice of apparent liability proposing to fine SIC $49.6 million (see 1612060032), said a filing Monday in docket 10-90 on meetings with staffers of Chairman Ajit Pai, Commissioner Michael O'Rielly and the Wireline Bureau. Meeting participants discussed ensuring continued telecom services in the Hawaiian Home Lands (HHL) and USF program integrity, plus SIC's role in the HHL and "a process to resolve the perceived issues that would protect the interests of the Native Hawaiians," the filing said.
The potential Intelsat/OneWeb deal isn't just a satellite transaction but "a single piece in a puzzle" being assembled by Masayoshi "Masa" Son, CEO of SoftBank, a major backer of OneWeb that's also putting $1.7 billion into the deal, Northern Sky Research analyst Blaine Curcio said in a NSR blog post Sunday. SoftBank and Son seem to be driving toward a future of 5G, autonomous vehicles and machine-to-machine IoT through investments into such areas as semiconductors and robotics and partnerships with automakers, NSR said. A key step in an IoT connected world model would be cheap, ubiquitous coverage, such as what could be provided through Intelsat, NSR said. It said a variety of satellite challenges include OneWeb securing landing rights internationally; development of cheap, portable terminals; tackling interference issues; and Intelsat's finances. The firm said the deal "appears to put Intelsat/OneWeb at a massive head start" for creating such an integrated system.
Wireless industry officials plan to laud draft bills on siting and dig once policies that lawmakers circulated last week (see 1703170065), during a Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Congress must do even more, they will say, citing inaccurate broadband mapping data and deployment challenges. Witnesses will point to the need for addressing broadband as part of a bigger infrastructure package. The two draft bills involve the many siting provisions the subcommittee put together in 2015, collected in one text, and the dig once policies of the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act offered by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. These ideas typically enjoyed bipartisan support.
Wireless industry officials plan to laud draft bills on siting and dig once policies that lawmakers circulated last week (see 1703170065), during a Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Congress must do even more, they will say, citing inaccurate broadband mapping data and deployment challenges. Witnesses will point to the need for addressing broadband as part of a bigger infrastructure package. The two draft bills involve the many siting provisions the subcommittee put together in 2015, collected in one text, and the dig once policies of the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act offered by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. These ideas typically enjoyed bipartisan support.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai “circulated to my colleagues an order that would assist carriers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modern high-speed networks" in early February (see 1702170066), he told a group of lawmakers led by Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in a March 7 letter the commission released last week: “The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rural carriers do not face, resulting·in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lands.” Pai also told the Universal Service Administrative Company “to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program,” Pai told lawmakers. Pai also wrote to Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye on the matter, he said.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai “circulated to my colleagues an order that would assist carriers serving Tribal lands in deploying, upgrading, and maintaining modern high-speed networks" in early February (see 1702170066), he told a group of lawmakers led by Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in a March 7 letter the commission released last week: “The order recognizes that carriers serving Tribal lands incur costs that other rural carriers do not face, resulting·in significantly higher operating expenses to serve very sparsely populated service areas. The proposal I have put before my colleagues would allow carriers serving Tribal lands a greater ability to recover operating expenses, thus improving the financial viability of operating a broadband network serving Tribal lands.” Pai also told the Universal Service Administrative Company “to give additional time to Tribal families living in the remote reaches of the Navajo Nation to comply with a certification deadline for the Lifeline program,” Pai told lawmakers. Pai also wrote to Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye on the matter, he said.
House Commerce Committee lawmakers are reviving broadband infrastructure proposals they floated last Congress ahead of Tuesday’s Communications Subcommittee hearing on the topic. Two draft measures were posted last week -- one 30-page bill text compiling many siting provisions (see 1703090046), and the seven-page dig once legislation led by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.
House Commerce Committee lawmakers are reviving broadband infrastructure proposals they floated last Congress ahead of Tuesday’s Communications Subcommittee hearing on the topic. Two draft measures were posted last week -- one 30-page bill text compiling many siting provisions (see 1703090046), and the seven-page dig once legislation led by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.