https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Coverage/Interference


News

Lynk Global inks deals with eight carriers, plans for global broadband coverage by 2025

Lynk Global inks deals with eight carriers, plans for global broadband coverage by 2025

  • Written by Donny Jackson
  • 8th March 2022

Satellite-direct-to-phone company Lynk Global is signing a partnership agreement with a commercial wireless carrier on a monthly basis and plans to provide global broadband service by 2025, if it can secure adequate funding, according to Lynk CEO Charles Miller.

Lynk ultimately plans to have 5,000 low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites acting as cell towers in space that will support broadband service that connects directly to unmodified cell phones, without the need for some sort of satellite dish to receive the signal, Miller said during a video interview with Light Reading, an Informa partner of IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

“Our objective is to get continuous real-time service—that means at least 1,000 of those 5,000 [satellites]—by 2025,” Miller said last week during the interview conducted at MWC 2022 in Barcelona.

“The biggest constraint on our schedule is raising the capital. So, we’re in talks with a lot of major investors right now and strategic investors. As long as we can hit those milestones of raising the capital, we will—in the next four or five years—have broadband everywhere, directly to your phone.”

When Lynk completes its planned constellation of satellite, the company’s broadband service will feature a high level of reliable connectivity, according to Miller.

“We’re going to have a lot of redundancy in orbit,” he said. “Our plan ultimately is that—over any part of the earth—if a satellite fails, we have about five other satellites as backup.

“But more importantly, we’re backup for planet Earth. When the hurricane hits—or the fires or the tornadoes or the tsunamis—when they hit and take out the terrestrial towers, we’re instant backup. Our whole focus is on saving lives and connecting people on Earth.”

This promise has intrigued many public-safety officials, some of whom have described the proposed satellite-to-phone offerings from Lynk and AST SpaceMobile as “game-changing” when they become reality. With a service like Lynk, communications between first responders—and the people they serve—would not be dependent upon terrestrial network infrastructure that often is destroyed or overwhelmed during a large natural and man-made disasters.

Lynk’s promise of global coverage also is proving to be attractive to commercial wireless carriers, or mobile network operators (MNOs) that Lynk officials view as partners, Miller said. Lynk already has announced several carrier deals, although the service it plans to offer this year will be limited supporting text.

“We’re signing with an MNO—a carrier—once per month,” Miller said. “We started signing contracts last August. We have eight contracts to date. We just announced two contracts last week with island nations. It’s a big deal for island nations, which have huge coverage problems.

“Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, we announced. We’ve done the Bahamas, and [there are] a bunch of others that we’re in discussions with, and some we’ve signed we’re not even talking about. So, [for] the MNOs, we’re their best friend. This is a huge solution to what the MNOs have been struggling with for 30 years: How do you extend connectivity everywhere?”

Lynk global coverage not only promises to ensure that customers can remain connected when traveling outside the carrier’s coverage footprint, but it could change carriers’ approach to network deployments in locations that cannot be covered with terrestrial infrastructure in a manner that is economically viable.

“We have some MNOs telling us that they’re going to use this to replace towers,” Miller said. “Some of the towers that they are operating are losing money, and they can’t wait to shut down some of the towers, because they really are money losers.

“So, we’re very much listening to the MNO partners we’re talking to. We have some really big MNOs—not just in rural areas but developed nations—who see the promise of this in the long term for maybe tower replacement.”

Lynk’s coverage benefits are not limited to cell phones, as the Virginia-based company also has an opportunity to make an impact within the Internet of Things (IoT) arena by connecting sensors in myriad use cases, Miller said.

“Mobile cars come off the assembly line with a cellular chip in them,” Miller said. “You don’t have [to make] any change to the car, and now the car is in a stay-connected-anywhere [mode]. John Deere tractors have cellular chips in them; they’re going to stay connected everywhere. So, we solve a big problem for mobile IoT solutions, like cars and trucks and planes. [It’s like] LoJack everywhere and OnStar everywhere, so you never lose track of these hugely valuable assets.

“It’s the lowest-cost form of IoT, too, because the IoT chips that are cellular chips cost you $5 or $10. It’s not a $100 satellite IoT chip; this is a $5 or $10 chip.”

 

Tags: homepage-featured-4 5G Backhaul Companies Coverage/Interference Critical Infrastructure Dispatch/Call-taking Enterprise FCC Federal Government/Military Funding Internet of Things Interoperability IoT/Smart X Long Term Evolution (LTE) News Policy Public Safety Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet Regional Coordination Standards State & Local Government Subscriber Devices System Design System Installation System Operation Test & Measurement Tower & Site Wireless Networks News

Most Recent


  • Dubai to use satellite IoT terminals for utility industry
    Dubai’s Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is collaborating with Infra X, the IT and telecommunications arm of Digital DEWA, and its British technical partner Wyld to establish IoT satellite terminals to help streamline operations and maintenance efforts. The project comes under DEWA’s Space-D programme and will connect DEWA’s water and electricity assets to nano-satellites to […]
  • VMware, airline targeted as ransomware chaos reigns
    Ransomware incidents are on the rise and this week proved no exception, with the discovery of a Linux-based ransomware family called Cheerscrypt targeting VMware ESXi servers and an attack on SpiceJet, India’s second largest airline. Meanwhile, an oddball “GoodWill” variant purports to help the needy. The Cheerscrypt ransomware variant was uncovered by Trend Micro and relies on […]
  • Artificial intelligence used to detect guns at schools
    At around midday on Tuesday, May 24 an 18-year-old shooter walked into an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas and shot and killed 21 people including 19 children. It is the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history. There have been 30 mass shootings at K-12 schools so far in 2022. “I am sick and […]
  • Restrictions on Chinese imports hurting equipment vendors working in India
    Vendors have requested a relaxation on imports from China so that domestic telecom operators can roll out upgraded networks faster. With 5G deployment around the corner, telecom equipment vendors are finding themselves in a catch-22 situation. Since the Indo-Sino clash on the Galwan border in 2020, cross-border trade with China has been severely restricted. Multinational […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Lynk CEO Charles Miller: The sky's the limit
  • Lynk Global: Margot Deckard explains company's LEO satellite-to-phone tech, rollout plans
  • Lynk official: ‘We’ve solved the uplink challenge’ for LEO satellite-to-phone connectivity
  • Lynk signs satellite-to-phone deals with first two wireless carriers

Commentary


LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

  • 2
6th May 2022

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

18th April 2022

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

22nd February 2022
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Dubai to use satellite IoT terminals for utility industry dlvr.it/SRB0Jn

27th May 2022
UrgentComm

VMware, airline targeted as ransomware chaos reigns dlvr.it/SR9gBZ

27th May 2022
UrgentComm

Artificial intelligence used to detect guns at schools dlvr.it/SR8wBY

27th May 2022
UrgentComm

Restrictions on Chinese imports hurting equipment vendors working in India dlvr.it/SR8sj7

27th May 2022
UrgentComm

Infrastructure improvements in cities often feature clean energy or connected technologies dlvr.it/SR8n7G

27th May 2022
UrgentComm

Panasonic Connect launches Toughbook 40 rugged laptop dlvr.it/SR5vl2

26th May 2022
UrgentComm

Newscan: ‘Predator’ spyware let government hackers break into Chrome and Android, Google says dlvr.it/SR2lBG

25th May 2022
UrgentComm

Malicious Python Repository Package drops Cobalt Strike on Windows, macOS & Linux systems dlvr.it/SR0Qb2

24th May 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • Microwave/RF
  • T&D World
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X