Amazon is playing catch-up to Elon Musk’s Starlink with its satellite-based Internet service Leo, the rebrand of Project Kuiper. Leo is previewing a gigabit-speed “Ultra” antenna for business customers. Amazon claims that Leo Ultra is “the fastest customer terminal in production,” with download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds that max at 400 Mbps. Amazon Leo has “more than 150 satellites in orbit” with “initial network testing underway” and plans to have a total of 3,000 satellites. Because it’s satellite rather than terrestrially based, Leo is accessible in areas without reliable connectivity, anywhere on the globe. Continue reading Amazon Leo Ultra High-Speed Satellite Internet Is in Preview

In opposition to the Pentagon, Federal Communications Commission chair Ajit Pai backed Ligado Networks’ plan to develop the L-band spectrum of airwaves for cellular service. In his draft order, Pai stipulated “certain conditions” that would protect against interference with Global Positioning System technology. Opponents say the company’s usage would interfere with military operations and weather forecasting bandwidth. Ligado, originally known as LightSquared, went bankrupt in 2012 when its business plans were rejected. Continue reading FCC Backs Ligado Plan to Develop L-Band Spectrum for 5G

Major U.S. corporations are beginning to see acquisitions of startups as a way to purchase rather than develop new technologies, a major turnaround from many decades of avoiding Silicon Valley. Until recently, established manufacturers preferred to build their own new products or buy other deep-rooted companies. Then, in 2015, Ford Motor Company bought Chariot, a crowd-sourced commuter-shuttle startup for $65 million, signaling a change in strategy, not just among auto-manufacturers, on how to move into future technologies. Continue reading Established Companies Look to Startups for New Tech Growth