• Verizon set for D2D launch in 2026 with AST SpaceMobile
• AT&T boasts nationwide 5G SA coverage
• Sateliot boasts ‘industry milestone’

In today’s industry news roundup: Verizon expands its agreement with satellite operator AST SpaceMobile; AT&T says its 5G standalone network now has nationwide reach; Spanish satellite firm claims first 5G satellite-to-IoT device transmission; and more!

This is turning out to be a big week for Verizon. Following the unexpected news that it has appointed a new CEO (with immediate effect) and that it is acquiring fixed wireless access (FWA) network operator Starry, the US telco has announced it is on course to launch direct-to-device (D2D) satellite-to-smartphone services in 2026 following an expansion of the strategic agreement it struck with low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator AST SpaceMobile last year. “Through our definitive commercial agreement with Verizon, we are working to deliver space-based cellular broadband coverage from space across the continental United States,” said Abel Avellan, founder, chairman and CEO of AST SpaceMobile. “The agreement will extend the scope of Verizon’s 850 MHz premium low-band spectrum into areas of the US that would benefit from the ubiquitous reach of space-based broadband technology,” he added. Srini Kalapala, senior VP of technology and product development at Verizon, added: “This partnership with AST SpaceMobile is a good step forward in our mission to build a seamlessly connected world. We are not just filling in the map; we are creating a new paradigm of connectivity that will unlock the full potential of the digital age. By integrating our expansive, reliable, robust terrestrial network with this innovative space-based technology, we are paving the way for a future where everything and everyone can be connected, regardless of geography.” The partners have already trialled voice and video calls as well as two-way messaging between AST SpaceMobile satellites and standard everyday smartphones. Verizon, of course, is playing catch-up with T-Mobile US, which has already launched its commercial D2D service, called T-Satellite.  

Still in the US… AT&T says its 5G standalone (SA) network is now deployed nationwide and that it is “thoughtfully moving customers onto it in select areas every day”. The telco’s network CTO, Yigal Elbaz, noted in this blog that “5G standalone networks have now reached a level of maturity that enables our nationwide expansion. This growth is powered by an open and virtualised network, which enables us to scale efficiently and foster collaboration within an open ecosystem of partners. By embracing this open and virtualised network architecture, we are not only modernising our infrastructure but also unlocking significant advantages for our customers and partners. This approach not only accelerates our ability to roll out new technologies like 5G standalone but also helps ensure our customers benefit from a network that is robust, innovative and designed with their needs in mind. With 5G standalone now nationwide, we’ve set the stage for the next wave of innovation, creativity and connection.” In this respect, AT&T is also playing catch-up with T-Mobile US, which has had its nationwide 5G SA network up and running for some time already. That’ll be why Elbaz noted: “When it comes to connectivity, it’s often not about who’s first or fastest, it’s about the network you can count on.”

Spanish LEO satellite specialist Sateliot, which is focused on connecting internet of things (IoT) devices from space, claims it has “achieved a historic industry milestone by successfully completing the first-ever 5G IoT transmission between a standard commercial cellular IoT device directly from its LEO satellite constellation.” Sateliot noted that its demo consisted of a message being sent to and from a Nordic Semiconductor nRF9151 low-power cellular IoT module. “Without any hardware changes, the nRF9151 module successfully connected through Sateliot’s LEO constellation, replicating the seamless roaming experience that mobile networks already offer on the ground,” stated Sateliot, which added that the demo was developed in collaboration with Nordic and 5G satellite software specialist Gatehouse Satcom. “Both companies contributed their expertise to validate the end-to-end solution in compliance with the 5G NB-IoT Release 17 standard,” added Sateliot. Read more.  

Cisco has unveiled a high-end router that, it claims, is capable of processing 51.2 Tbit/s of data traffic and, thus, is ideal for “efficiently and securely connecting datacentres and powering the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) workloads”. The router, dubbed the Cisco 8223, has the vendor’s latest Silicon One chip, the P200, at its heart and, according to Cisco, it has been designed to cope with “the intense traffic of AI workloads between datacentres”. Martin Lund, executive VP of Cisco’s Common Hardware Group, stated: “AI compute is outgrowing the capacity of even the largest datacentre, driving the need for [the] reliable, secure connection of datacentres hundreds of miles apart. With the Cisco 8223, powered by the new Cisco Silicon One P200, we’re delivering the massive bandwidth, scale and security needed for distributed datacentre architectures.” Read more.

European Union (EU) member states have the best smart device security in the world thanks to the region’s Cyber Resilience Act, according to a new report from Comparitech, followed by the UK, Australia, Brazil and the US. Only 34 countries have legislation that is specific to smart device security and this matters because, as the report notes, the number of IoT devices globally has increased from 15.4 billion in 2015 to 75.4 billion in 2025 “but smart device security wasn’t always a priority as manufacturers scrambled to release devices as quickly as possible”. The report adds: “From smart speakers to doorbell cameras, many consumers and their internet-connected devices are exposed to vulnerabilities and hackers,” and “compromised smart devices may be incorporated into botnets and used to collectively perform distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.” And as we’ve heard elsewhere, such attacks are on the rise. 

– The staff, TelecomTV