#spectrum

#spectrum

SpaceX just fired off one of the biggest shots yet in the spectrum wars, agreeing to pay $17 billion to take over a massive chunk of wireless airwaves from EchoStar for Starlink's Direct-to-Cell services. The deal is the most aggressive signal yet that SpaceX wants to rule the satellite-to-phone market. The significance of the sale, which sees SpaceX paying a mix of $8.5 billion in cash and $8.5 billion in SpaceX stock, centers around a finite resource: spectrum.

Connectivity infrastructure-as-a-service provider Freshwave has brought nearly 50 outdoor small cell sites live for mobile operator (MNO) EE in the Square Mile of the City of London, expanding coverage, and improving 4G and 5G connectivity. The small cells comprise miniature mobile masts that are designed to offer performance boosts in high-demand areas thanks to their size, which makes them easy to install on everyday street infrastructure.

Customers visiting Spectrum locations in Bay Ridge (531 86th St.), Downtown Brooklyn (523 Fulton St.), Park Slope (522 5th Ave.) and Williamsburg (177 North 7th St.) can now access an on-demand ASL interpreter via their smartphone or tablet.

"Customers are being notified via on-air channel slates and bill messages or inserts of this change..." - Chris Bresnan, Optimum's senior director of government affairs.

Spectrum suffered a 1.8% internet revenue rise, but lost 60,000 customers in Q1 2025, highlighting significant challenges despite recent promotional efforts.