Vodafone Group PLCVOD
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance
Vodafone collaborates in testing and joint venture, strengthening partnership.
Impact on assets 5
Cloud & Digital Infrastructure
Vodafone Group PLC
Deutsche Telekom AGDTE
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance
Deutsche Telekom participates in testing, potentially expanding service reach.
Communication Services
Orange S.A.ORA
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance
Orange involved in testing, supporting potential adoption.
Telefónica S.ATNE5
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance
Telefónica joins testing, indicating interest in integrating satellite service.
Space Economy
Ast Spacemobile IncASTS
▲ PositiveDemandrelevance
Expands integration testing with major operators, advancing commercial deployment.
Theme Impact 2
Off-coverage companies 2
Satellite Connect EuropePrivate▲ Positive
Demandrelevance
Expands integration testing with major operators, boosting adoption of its satellite broadband service.
Vodafone UkrainePrivate▲ Positive
Demandrelevance
Vodafone Ukraine participates in expanded testing, enhancing its network integration with satellite technology.
Related news
United States▲
Verizon Joins AT&T and T-Mobile Satellite Connectivity Venture
Verizon Communications has entered into a joint venture with AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile US, Inc. to expand wireless coverage and reduce mobile dead zones across the United States using satellite connectivity. The venture will complement Verizon's existing network with direct-to-device services, letting compatible devices connect to satellite networks and providing backup connectivity during natural disasters or other network disruptions. The partnership is expected to reduce coverage gaps, improve reliability and provide more satellite service options, while helping Verizon adopt common technical standards that improve compatibility among devices, operating systems and satellite networks. Existing carrier-satellite agreements will remain in place, allowing Verizon to continue its independent connectivity initiatives alongside the new venture. Verizon shares have gained 10.8% over the past year compared with the industry's growth of 119.6%, and the stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 8.77 versus the industry average of 37.6. Earnings estimates for 2026 have remained static at $5.03 per share, while estimates for 2027 have increased 0.2% to $5.30 over the past 60 days.
About megatrends
Space Economy › Satellite Connectivity & Direct-to-Device ▲Technology
Space Economy › Direct-to-Device (satellite-to-cell) ▲Technology
VZ · Demand · Positive Verizon joins the AT&T/T-Mobile satellite venture to expand coverage, improve reliability and offer more satellite service options
T · Demand · Positive AT&T is a partner in the satellite joint venture that expands wireless coverage and direct-to-device service offerings
TMUS · Demand · Positive T-Mobile is a partner in the satellite joint venture to reduce dead zones and add direct-to-device connectivity
CanadaUnited States▲
TELUS and AST SpaceMobile Complete First Satellite-to-Smartphone Integration Test
TELUS and AST SpaceMobile have successfully completed their first integration test between TELUS' wireless network and AST SpaceMobile's space-based network, a milestone toward delivering broadband data, voice calls and text messages directly between smartphones and satellites. The service is expected to be available to TELUS customers within the next year, letting eligible smartphones connect beyond the reach of traditional cell towers. AST SpaceMobile's constellation features the largest communication arrays ever deployed in Low Earth Orbit. Nazim Benhadid, Executive Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer at TELUS, called the milestone a major step forward in extending cellular coverage to places where service isn't available today, while AST SpaceMobile Chief Commercial Officer Chris Ivory said the test reflects the strength and maturity of the company's technology. The partnership builds on TELUS' ongoing investments in its wireless network, including faster 5G+ and LTE speeds and expanded coverage across Canada.
About megatrends
Space Economy › Satellite Connectivity & Direct-to-Device ▲Technology
Space Economy › Direct-to-Device (satellite-to-cell) ▲Technology
Space Economy › Satellite Broadband, MSS & Ground Equipment ▲Technology
ASTS · Technology · Positive AST SpaceMobile's space-based network completed its first integration test with TELUS, validating its satellite-to-smartphone technology.
TU · Technology · Positive TELUS completed a first integration test linking its wireless network to AST SpaceMobile's satellite network, advancing direct satellite-to-smartphone service for its customers.
United States▼
AST SpaceMobile Hit by Securities Class Actions Over Funding Disclosures
Law firms Schall, Brown & Schwartz LLP and Rosen Law Firm have announced securities class action lawsuits against AST SpaceMobile, alleging misleading statements about its capital resources, competitive position and user adoption between March 4, 2025 and July 15, 2026. The cases focus on whether AST SpaceMobile misrepresented its balance of cash, debt and share issuance while scaling its satellite network, raising fresh questions about how robust its funding model really was during this critical buildout phase. The allegations land against the backdrop of the August 2026 launch of BlueBird satellites 11 to 13, which pushed the constellation further toward continuous coverage in initial markets. Before these lawsuits, the most pessimistic analysts already assumed revenue might reach about US$2.1 billion by 2029 while warning that heavy dilution and a possible 7 percent annual share count increase could still leave AST SpaceMobile trading at over 100 times earnings. AST SpaceMobile's narrative projects $2.2 billion revenue and $190.9 million earnings by 2029, requiring 165.5% yearly revenue growth and an $809.7 million earnings increase from -$618.8 million today.
About megatrends
Space Economy › Direct-to-Device (satellite-to-cell) ▼Capital
Space Economy › Satellite Connectivity & Direct-to-Device ▼Capital
Space Economy › Satellite Broadband, MSS & Ground Equipment Capital
ASTS · Regulation · Negative Securities class actions allege AST SpaceMobile misled investors about its capital resources, competitive position and user adoption.
United States▼
AT&T CEO Stankey Says SpaceX's Starlink Cellular Plan Won't Work, Touts Fiber
AT&T CEO John Stankey said Elon Musk-led Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s plan to roll out a cellular network will not work, arguing fiber-based connectivity beats satellites. In an interview with Axios on Tuesday, Stankey said fiber is three times faster than satellite networks and that satellite, even at its best over the next 10 years, still will not beat fiber. Asked about SpaceX's plan to install cellular base stations alongside Starlink dishes, Stankey said it would cost as much as building a macro network to handle those capabilities, and that companies cannot radiate cellular signals from someone's house without permission. He cited a whole bunch of reasons why SpaceX's plan would not work. Earlier this month, SpaceX won Federal Communications Commission approval to provide international telecommunications services, boosting its plans for direct-to-cell 5G connectivity via the Starlink constellation, and the FCC is set to vote on September 30 on unlocking an additional 1,000 MHz of spectrum for satellite broadband.
About megatrends
Space Economy › Satellite Connectivity & Direct-to-Device ▼Competition
Space Economy › Direct-to-Device (satellite-to-cell) ▼Competition
Space Economy › Satellite Broadband, MSS & Ground Equipment ▼Competition
Cloud & Digital Infrastructure › Telecom Towers, Fiber & Colocation ▲Competition
T · Competition · Positive AT&T CEO touts fiber as superior to satellite and dismisses SpaceX's Starlink cellular plan, positioning AT&T's fiber connectivity as the winning approach.
SPCX · Competition · Negative AT&T CEO Stankey publicly argues SpaceX's Starlink direct-to-cell plan won't work and fiber beats satellites, casting doubt on the viability of SpaceX's cellular ambitions.
SEAASEAN
Malaysia
Vietnam
Indonesia
Philippines
Singapore
ThailandUnited States
MalaysiaVietnamIndonesiaPhilippinesSingaporeThailandUnited StatesKiatnakin Phatra says Starlink has yet to hit ASEAN mobile operators, picks ADVANC as top dividend stock
Kiatnakin Phatra Securities said in an analysis dated October 1, 2026, that over the next three to four years low-earth-orbit satellite services, especially Starlink, are unlikely to significantly affect the market share of ground-based telecommunications operators in ASEAN, due to network capacity constraints and prices that remain higher than terrestrial services. Starlink's monthly service fee in Malaysia is about 58% higher than comparable-speed ground broadband, and nearly four times higher in Vietnam. As for direct-to-device, or D2D, satellite-to-handset connectivity, Kiatnakin Phatra sees it serving more as a supplementary service than a replacement, with the potential to support average revenue per user, or ARPU, but over the longer term it will be necessary to watch competition from Starlink more closely, as network capacity will increase significantly by 2030 with the deployment of the Starship rocket and V3 satellites. Since SpaceX's initial public offering in mid-June 2026, about half of ASEAN telecom stocks under Bank of America's coverage have underperformed the market, which Kiatnakin Phatra attributes to factors other than concerns about LEO competition. Its top pick in the ASEAN communications sector is Advanced Info Service, or ADVANC, on the back of an appropriate dividend yield, alongside Globe Telecom, or GLO, Indosat-Hutchison, or ISAT, SingTel, and PT Telkom, or TLKM. Starlink currently operates in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam, but has not yet launched in Thailand because of a rule limiting foreign shareholding in entities granted rights to use ground stations to no more than 49%. OneWeb has already offered fixed broadband services in Thailand since 2025, and Amazon LEO plans to launch services in Indonesia and Thailand in the future.
About megatrends
Space Economy › Satellite Connectivity & Direct-to-Device Competition
Space Economy › Satellite Broadband, MSS & Ground Equipment Competition
Space Economy › Direct-to-Device (satellite-to-cell) Competition
ADVANC.BK · Capital · Positive Kiatnakin Phatra names ADVANC its top pick in ASEAN communications on an appropriate dividend yield.
Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison · · Neutral ISAT is only listed among Kiatnakin Phatra's sector picks with no company-specific development.
United States▲
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Form Joint Venture to Close U.S. Coverage Dead Zones, Name Paul Roth Interim CEO
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have entered into a joint venture agreement aimed at expanding satellite-enabled coverage in underserved areas across the U.S., following a May announcement that the three carriers would pool limited spectrum resources to help eliminate coverage dead zones. Paul Roth, a wireless industry veteran who previously held leadership roles at AT&T, Cingular Wireless and Ameritech, will serve as interim CEO while a search for a permanent chief executive is underway, and the venture will be managed by a board with representatives from each founding member. The JV is designed to complement terrestrial mobile networks rather than replace them, with the goal of nearly eliminating dead zones currently without mobile service, providing redundant connectivity during natural disasters, and improving direct-to-device access as a first step. The partners said the venture will support industry competition and innovation, work with rural mobile network operators, and pursue a standards-based approach to device compatibility, while existing carrier-satellite agreements remain in place and the three companies can continue connectivity efforts independently.
About megatrends
Space Economy › Satellite Connectivity & Direct-to-Device ▲Supply
Space Economy › Direct-to-Device (satellite-to-cell) ▲Supply
Space Economy › Satellite Broadband, MSS & Ground Equipment Supply
Cloud & Digital Infrastructure › Telecom Towers, Fiber & Colocation Supply
T · Demand · Positive AT&T is a founding partner in the JV to expand satellite-enabled coverage and eliminate dead zones, expanding its service reach.
TMUS · Demand · Positive T-Mobile is a founding partner in the JV pooling spectrum to close U.S. coverage dead zones, extending its connectivity offering.
VZ · Demand · Positive Verizon is a founding partner in the JV to expand satellite-enabled coverage in underserved U.S. areas.