The latest telecom news includes announcements on Telespazio, Rivada Space Networks, Viasat, NASA, Vodafone Egypt, Ericsson, and others.
Telespazio Brasil Partners with Rivada for 600-Satellite Optical Communications Network
Telespazio Brasil and Rivada Space Networks announced a satellite connectivity partnership on November 9, targeting government, telecom and enterprise communications across Latin America. Rivada’s proposed Outernet architecture comprises 600 low-Earth-orbit satellites connected through inter-satellite laser links and onboard routing equipment. The design allows traffic to travel between satellites without requiring intermediate terrestrial gateways. Telespazio Brasil, operating in the region since 1997, will evaluate the platform for high-capacity connectivity services and participate in Rivada’s customer advisory activities. Rivada reported more than $20 billion in prospective global business arrangements associated with its network. The partnership does not establish an operational satellite constellation or a confirmed commercial launch date. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Viasat Wins NASA Phase 1 Contract for Commercial Ka-Band Satellite Relay Infrastructure
Viasat announced on November 9 that NASA had selected the company for the first phase of its Network Extension for User Continuity and Sustainability initiative. The award covers development of a commercial Ka-band satellite relay architecture using smaller geostationary satellites. Viasat was selected as one of three commercial awardees under NASA’s NextSTEP-3 procurement framework. The project aims to supplement NASA’s existing Tracking and Data Relay Satellite infrastructure and develop commercial communications services for spacecraft operating near Earth. Viasat will mature its satellite and ground-network design through the initial contract phase. The award represents technology development rather than an operational satellite network. Contract value, satellite quantities, transmission capacity and deployment dates were not disclosed.
Vodafone Egypt and Ericsson Achieve 50 Percent Higher 5G Download Throughput in AI-RAN Trial
Vodafone Egypt and Ericsson announced on November 9 that a live-network trial of Ericsson’s AI-native Scheduler for Link Adaptation delivered up to 50 percent improvement in downlink throughput and 14 percent improvement in radio spectrum efficiency. The trial used Vodafone Egypt’s existing 2600 MHz 5G spectrum and focused on optimizing radio performance under challenging interference conditions. Ericsson’s AI-based software dynamically adjusts radio-link parameters to improve resource utilization and connection quality. The deployment builds on the companies’ existing network modernization partnership. The results are measured trial improvements, not nationwide performance gains. Neither company disclosed the number of participating 5G sites, commercial rollout schedule, equipment expenditure or projected nationwide capacity improvements.
