Starlink, de SpaceX, ha activado su servicio de conexión via satélite directa a móviles (Direct to Cell, D2D) en la provincia de Toledo, donde la mañana del miércoles 28 chocaron dos trenes de alta velocidad -uno de Renfe y otro de Iryo- en la línea Madrid-Sevilla, entre Los Yébenes y Urda.

El gobierno regional de Castilla-La Mancha cifra en 69 los fallecidos, en un balance todavía provisional. La red satelital, que funciona con smartphones convencionales, sirve de apoyo a la cobertura terrestre afectada por el accidente.

Gratuito para clientes de Orange y Movistar

El servicio está disponible para los clientes de Movistar y de Orange y sus marcas, entre ellas MásMóvil, Pepephone, Simyo y Yoigo.

En un mensaje en X, Starlink Mobile ha señalado que es gratuito para los afectados de Orange y Telefónica, y que quienes tengan un teléfono compatible pueden seguir conectados con aplicaciones y mensajes de texto aunque las torres no funcionen.

Orange ha explicado en un comunicado que su objetivo es mantener las comunicaciones y facilitar la labor de los servicios de emergencia.

La operadora ya había enviado a la zona unidades móviles y de wifi. El servicio permite mandar SMS y utilizar datos para mensajería, llamadas de WhatsApp y Google Maps.

Espectro de pruebas y sin protección

El portal Banda Ancha ha accedido a una carta de Eduardo Rodríguez, director de Servicios Digitales de Orange España, en la que afirma que la operadora y su socio SpaceX cuentan con las autorizaciones necesarias del Gobierno.

Se utiliza espectro autorizado antes para pruebas: 2.560-2.565 MHz en el enlace ascendente y 2.680-2.685 MHz en el descendente.

Según la carta, el servicio funciona sin causar interferencias y sin protección frente a ellas, conforme a las autorizaciones de la FCC estadounidense a SpaceX para la cobertura suplementaria desde el espacio (SCS).

En el documento se habla de más de una docena de torres destruidas o inutilizadas. El portal citado cifra en 18 los nodos afectados al principio, de los que 10 se han recuperado ya.

En la zona, Orange comparte red con Vodafone, que se encarga de su mantenimiento. Las primeras informaciones apuntan a que la causa son cortes de suministro eléctrico o de fibra.

Segunda activación este año

En julio ya se recurrió a esta tecnología durante el complejo de incendios de la Sierra Oeste, que quemó más de 60.000 hectáreas en Ávila, Madrid y Toledo.

Un permiso excepcional de la Secretaría de Estado de Telecomunicaciones permitió pasar en pocas horas de un piloto técnico a un servicio de emergencia, que también se abrió a Movistar.

Según un análisis de Ookla el número de dispositivos conectados a la red satelital llegó a multiplicarse por 30 respecto al nivel habitual.

Starlink ha cifrado en unos 270.000 los usuarios de aquel episodio y ha pedido al Gobierno que autorice el servicio de forma definitiva.

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Apple y Google han recibido multas conjuntas de 63.700 millones de wones surcoreanos (47,6 millones de dólares, unos 42 millones de euros) por actos prohibidos en sus respectivas tiendas de aplicaciones, y el regulador de comunicaciones surcoreano les ha ordenado revisar sus prácticas comerciales.

La Comisión de Medios y Comunicaciones de Corea (KMCC) ha impuesto a Google una multa de 42.900 millones de wones (unos 28 millones de euros) y a Apple una de 20.800 millones (unos 14 millones de euros), y les ha comunicado que deben revisar sus políticas de pagos externos y corregir otros problemas.

En un comunicado, el organismo ha afirmado que las empresas «incurrieron en actos prohibidos» conforme a la Ley de Empresas de Telecomunicaciones.

El regulador lleva investigando desde 2022 diversos aspectos de los procedimientos de distribución de aplicaciones de ambas firmas.

La investigación ha analizado si se imponían métodos de pago concretos, las denuncias de retrasos injustificados en la revisión de aplicaciones y, en el caso de Apple, el «perjuicio a los intereses de los usuarios», en referencia a las comisiones.

La KMCC acusa a ambas empresas de imponer «condiciones poco razonables» a los desarrolladores que querían utilizar métodos de pago de terceros, lo que, según el organismo, obligaba de hecho a emplear los sistemas integrados en las aplicaciones de las marcas.

También sostiene que las firmas «retrasaron de forma injustificada la revisión de las aplicaciones», pese a que los «plazos de revisión predecibles» son «fundamentales» para los negocios de los desarrolladores.

La KMCC señala que los desarrolladores no recibieron «razones concretas cuando se retrasaron las revisiones» y que Apple y Google no respondieron con claridad a las consultas individuales en las que se pedían explicaciones o plazos previstos.

También acusa a Apple de aplicar «comisiones discriminatorias» a los desarrolladores de aplicaciones entre 2015 y 2023.

El regulador ha ordenado a Google y Apple que modifiquen sus procedimientos comerciales eliminando las restricciones sobre las opciones de pago alternativas o los procesos de revisión de aplicaciones, «y que eviten que se repita la discriminación entre desarrolladores de aplicaciones nacionales y extranjeros».

El presidente de la KMCC, Kim Jong-cheol, ha dicho que espera que «las sanciones sirvan como punto de inflexión hacia cambios sustanciales en la estructura del mercado, que puedan percibir tanto los desarrolladores de aplicaciones como los usuarios finales».

Con información de Chris Donkin.

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A US university tackled discrepancies in broadband access across its residences by tasking Boldyn Networks to provide a network which treats all buildings as equals.

The neutral host infrastructure player installed the network across 44 residences at Radford University in the US state of Virginia. Around 3,000 students are now being promised a consistent browsing experience through the institution’s ResNet service.

Matt Loecke, SVP for Higher Education with Boldyn Networks US, said the network takes “the day-to-day” off the plate of “an already stretched IT team” at the university.

Boldyn Networks explained it handles the everyday running of the network, enabling Radford University’s IT staff to focus on “initiatives including complex ERP and LMS transitions”.

It stated the IT team would likely also benefit as they work to deploy AI capabilities.

The company cited predictability as a key benefit for Radford University, highlighting hardware management, predetermined service costs and full-time customer care facilities.

Ryan Bailey, director of IT infrastructure at Radford University, said the institution wants to remove barriers to students getting online and welcomed the option to keep his staff focused on “projects that will define how we teach and work” over the next ten-years.

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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed auctioning 25MHz of spectrum for satellite direct-to-device (D2D) services and terrestrial wireless networks.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) covers allocations in the 1675-1695 MHz and 2020-2025 MHz bands. The agency said the spectrum would help meet growing demand for D2D connectivity alongside traditional mobile services.

The FCC’s three commissioners unanimously backed the proposal, part of a broader effort by the administration of US President Donald Trump to clear up to 400MHz of spectrum for commercial use by 2028.

“We expect big interest in this seemingly modest amount of spectrum, indeed, similar D2D bands are selling for tens of billions of dollars on the secondary market today,” FCC chair Brendan Carr said. “Today’s proposal is a strong start.”

The move follows an AWS-3 spectrum auction which raised $3.5 billion. A further 160MHz of upper C-band spectrum is due to be auctioned by July 2027.

D2D framework
In a separate NPRM, the FCC proposed updating D2D licencing rules and sought public comment on opening nearly 482MHz across eight additional frequency bands for satellite-to-phone coverage.

The changes would remove geographic restrictions on spectrum leasing and routine waiver requirements. It also proposed updating technical standards and performance rules for networks combining terrestrial and satellite coverage.

The rules also advance reallocating portions of the 1675-1695 MHz band for non-federal fixed and mobile services. Mobile satellite services would receive secondary allocations in the band to provide supplemental coverage from space.

“With today’s proposal, we take our most comprehensive step yet to modernise the FCC’s rules for direct-to-device,” Carr said.

SpaceX and Amazon Leo are both developing planned D2D services and could benefit from the FCC’s proposals.

Separately, the commission adopted final rules removing a restriction on drone operations in the 800MHz cellular band. Carr said the change would make spectrum available for commercial and defence uses.

The commissioners unanimously approved the D2D rulemaking and the final drone rules.

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Honeywell Technologies completed an automation system deployment for a major cruise ship operator which is designed to deliver a double-whammy in terms of passenger and crew systems.

The cabin automation system was deployed in more than 8,400 rooms on a trio of Royal Caribbean ships which Honeywell Technologies described as being at the cutting-edge of innovation.

Passengers can use the set-up to customise their room using the cruise company’s app. It covers climate, lighting, window blinds and other elements in the cabins.

The company expects the system to improve the efficiency of Royal Caribbean’s operations, in particular by helping it cap energy usage.

Honeywell Technologies stated such guest experience elements are becoming a point of differentiation in the hospitality sector.

Juan Picon, president and CEO of its Building Automation division, said the system also provides Royal Caribbean with the tools to manage “some of the most-advanced vessels in operation today”.

The Icon Class ships involved are giants in the cruise shipping sector, with capacity for around 7,500 guests and crew on each of the three already in service.

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Operator KPN acquired Dutch business communications software developer Xelion for an undisclosed sum, bolstering its offering for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Xelion is to become part of KPN’s business division which serves SMEs, though will operate independently.

The software company provides a platform combining audio and video calling, messaging and customer contact services. It is compatible with WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams and various CRM systems.  

KPN noted the move fits with its strategy to “help entrepreneurs work smarter” and simplify how they deal with their customers.

It explained end users “expect companies to be reachable via various channels and to be able to switch quickly between calls, messages and customer information”, something helped by Xelion products.

In the long-term, KPN noted its newly acquired technology would offer “new opportunities to further connect communication, customer contact and AI support”.

The move is KPN’s latest targeting SMEs and comes a month after it launched a version of its Mobile AI product aimed at the segment, which provides the means to use AI to process the content of phone calls and make the information quickly usable.

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A Deutsche Telekom plan to merge with its subsidiary T-Mobile US reportedly hit an obstacle, prompting the German operator to decide against making a formal offer for now.

Bloomberg reported Deutsche Telekom faced opposition from its works council and trade unions, which the news outlet stated account for 50% of supervisory board seats.

The news outlet reported Deutsche Telekom was interested in a merger in April. It became the majority stakeholder in T-Mobile US in 2024 and now has close to a 53% stake.

Bloomberg noted Deutsche Telekom could still bring an offer later.

Last month, Bloomberg reported activist investor Elliott Investment Management was pressing Deutsche Telekom to drop the plan, having “built a sizeable stake” in the company.

Deutsche Telekom steadily accumulated T-Mobile US shares in recent years and its former German unit chief Srini Gopalan is now CEO of the latter.

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Japanese conglomerate Hitachi Group revealed when a fresh entity borne of two US subsidiaries would commence operations, a move unveiled earlier this year as it looks to capitalise on businesses’ digital transformation plans.

Hitachi Digital Services and GlobalLogic are being combined to provide a one-stop shop for digitalisation. The company originally explained the united business would aid internal transformations and help external organisations with their own digital shifts.

The united Hitachi Digital entity is scheduled to launch on 1 April 2027, comprising around 35,000 staff across 27 countries.

Hitachi stated the business can offer extensive expertise in vertical industries and emerging applications of AI including for physical purposes.

Staff are also well-equipped to handle AI data and intelligence, cloud and site reliability engineering, and enterprise systems. Hitachi highlighted “longstanding operational technology and domain knowledge” in the industrial sector.

Jun Abe, EVP and head of the Digital Systems and Services Sector, said Hitachi Digital would drive an evolution of the company into a “global digital services” player which would “work alongside clients throughout their business transformation”.

Hitachi is hoping to feel the benefits of the new unit itself through a so-called “customer zero” strategy, whereby it applies fresh services and knowledge to its own digital transformation.

The company previously stated Hitachi Digital would target businesses operating in the automotive, rail and energy sectors.

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Canada-based Terrestar Solutions struck a deal with the UAE company Space42 and US player Viasat to work on an open framework for sharing satellite infrastructure, with the ultimate aim of scaling direct-to-device (D2D) services while preserving national control over critical networks.

The Canadian satellite operator signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the two companies to establish interoperability standards linking its planned CaStar low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellation with Equatys, a shared satellite infrastructure venture formed by Space42 and Viasat.

The proposed arrangement would allow operators to share network resources while retaining ownership and control of their satellite assets, ground networks and customer relationships.

For Terrestar this would maintain Canadian control of CaStar, including domestic gateways and ground infrastructure, while enabling it to connect with Equatys globally.

The companies expect the approach to reduce capital and operating costs by allowing operators to extend coverage without having to build and run standalone global constellations.

Under the proposed framework, the companies would coordinate resources including satellite capacity, beams, power and ground gateway access through vendor-neutral interfaces aligned with 3GPP non-terrestrial network specifications, GSMA roaming and interconnection frameworks and other recognised industry standards.

Space42 and Viasat agreed last year to establish Equatys, backed by up to $1 billion in combined equity commitments.

At the time they noted the venture aimed to provide shared infrastructure for satellite operators and other companies delivering D2D and advanced mobile satellite services. The Terrestar agreement marks the first planned application of Equatys’ “sovereign shell” model, which combines shared global infrastructure with satellite systems controlled and operated at a national or regional level.

“The future of mobile satellite connectivity won’t be built by countries or constellations acting alone,” said Jacques Leduc, president and CEO of Terrestar Solutions. “It will be built through open standards-based networks that combine national sovereignty with global reach, positioning us to compete at scale.”

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Samsung Electronics booked its previously flagged profit boost for Q3 as it continues to cash in on demand for memory products for AI, though cost pressures still hamper its mobile devices unit.

Its Mobile eXperience and Networks business, which includes its smartphones and mobile network products, posted an operating loss of KRW600 billion ($448.5 million) compared with a profit of KRW3.6 trillion in Q3 2025.

Revenue for the division was KRW37.7 trillion, up 11%.

It noted although its latest flagships and foldable range drove revenue, cost pressures hit the bottom line, a trend it also cited in Q2.

Samsung plans to focus efforts in the current period on sales of premium handsets and new related products, while aiming to “mitigate profitability risks through efficiency improvements across all business processes”.

In 2027 it intends to focus its device business on flagships and providing “differentiated experiences by customer segment”. It also plans to push “hardware and form-factor innovation”.

To “minimize declines in profit” it plans to undertake “agile market responses and operational efficiency initiatives”.

Samsung’s Networks business recorded a decline in earnings on lower sales in North America and high-margin software.

It is targeting revenue growth across North America, Japan and its home market of South Korea in the current quarter.

Memory boom
Across the whole company, Samsung booked net profit of KRW75.1 trillion, up from KRW12.2 trillion. Revenue was KRW195.3 trillion, an increase of 127%.

It noted the figures are a quarterly high, driven by demand for memory products.

Samsung was bullish on its prospects, expecting “industry-wide competition for AI leadership to drive continued AI infrastructure investment” in the current quarter.

In 2027, it anticipates “AI infrastructure capital expenditure to reach an historic level”.

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Apple unveiled a long-awaited touchscreen MacBook Pro after years of resisting the feature, topping off a fresh wave of product announcements under CEO John Ternus.

The redesigned MacBook Pro in 14- and 16-inch sizes was presented yesterday (28 October), with a tandem OLED display it calls PROLED XDR and touch input which is being brought to macOS for the first time.

Apple stated the touch sensor is built into the panel rather than layered on top, which cuts latency.

It is targeting the feature at designers, musicians, and developers testing iPhone and iPad apps. It noted the touch function works alongside the keyboard and trackpad rather than replacing them. Hardware chief Johny Srouji called it a monumental step for the Mac.

Reuters noted Apple executives had long resisted the idea. Steve Jobs said in 2010 laptop touchscreens were “ergonomically terrible”, and Tim Cook, then CEO, said in 2012 that such devices would be as pleasing to users as converging a toaster and a refrigerator.

“I’m glad to see Apple adopt the best-in-class display technologies with its industry leading silicon and design,” Anshel Sag, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, told Mobile World Live. “OLED and touch has long been the mark of a premium laptop for Windows and now I’m glad to see Apple embracing both technologies together.”

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch models of the MacBook Pro offer configurations featuring the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with up to 24 hours of battery life.

Orders opened yesterday, with shipping from 6 November. Prices start at $2,899 for the 14-inch M5 Pro and run to $4,799 for the 16-inch M5 Max.

The launch is the latest in a run of hardware announcements under Ternus, who took over as CEO from Tim Cook in September. His first big reveal was the foldable iPhone Duo foldable smartphone, priced at almost $2,000.

On 13 October, Apple expanded its smart home portfolio of devices, led by the $299 HomeView display built to show off Siri AI. Apple also announced a new Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini 2 and accessories made with LG and Schneider Electric.

Ternus is reportedly pushing to speed up product development and is weighing a move away from Apple’s usual launch cycles.

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T-Mobile US CEO Srini Gopalan (pictured) shut the door on a network deal with SpaceX during a Q3 earnings call, telling analysts he sees no reason for an MVNO with the space company.

Gopalan said the operator’s MVNO philosophy has not changed: its criteria includes whether a deal opens a new addressable market, distribution channels or capabilities.

The executive and T-Mobile have long maintained satellite is a complementary product so there is no case for a satellite MVNO.

Gopalan said he does not see an MVNO adding to physical AI and edge efforts for which the operator is building out its standalone (SA) 5G capabilities and moving towards 6G.

“If we’re talking about SpaceX as a customer, or us being a customer of them, that’s a purely commercial agreement,” he said, adding: “I see no room for an MVNO with SpaceX”.

MVNO questions came in the wake of reports SpaceX is seeking access to at least 80,000 US cell sites for Starlink Mobile.

Gopalan said satellite broadband was generally inferior to T-Mobile’s fixed wireless access (FWA) service outside some remote areas, with additional limitations including beam size.

He sees little reason to combine satellite and FWA, noting two-thirds of T-Mobile’s FWA customers are in dense urban areas where it still sees substantial room to grow using fallow network capacity.

“So, we don’t really see a synergistic opportunity with satellite providers”

“I’m very happy to look at a resale arrangement…but an MVNO is a wholly different thing”.

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman also recently ruled out an MVNO with SpaceX and AT&T CEO John Stankey played down the threat SpaceX might pose.

Q3 numbers
T-Mobile’s net income rose 27.3% year-on-year to $3.5 billion on revenue of $23.5 billion, up 7.4%.

Service revenue grew 6.2% to $19.3 billion and post-paid service revenue rose 9.3% to $16.2 billion.

T-Mobile no longer reports wireless customer additions as a separate metric, but stated it added 274,000 net accounts, down 30.8%.

Post-paid account churn was 1.09%, up from 0.97%, attributed to more broadband-only accounts which churn more, and the temporary effect of monthly plan changes.

It had 34,974,000 post-paid accounts compared with 33,979,000 a year earlier. Average revenue per account rose from $149.44 to $155.73.

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Italian shipbuilding behemoth Fincantieri established a specialised training programme to equip future staff with the skills it sees as vital to deliver on a vision of smart ships and digitalised production processes.

Fincantieri teamed with technology college ITS Academy Udine to create the two-year Mechatronics and Robotics, Smart Ship programme, which involves a mix of classroom and on-the-job training.

The first class comprises 16 students: Fincantieri stated they would learn about “planning, coordination and work progress management” and “soft skills” comprising “leadership, problem solving” and management.

Alessio Belli, head of group organisation Development, Learning and Labour Cost, said Fincantieri views the training programme as “essential to supporting the industrial and technological transformation” of the shipbuilding sector.

Like many industries, shipbuilders are preparing for all aspects of digital transformation. Fincantieri explained the course covers the core skills in its moniker along with automation, AI and digital twin technologies.

Cybersecurity is also on the curriculum, as are elements covering onboard systems and equipment, digitalisation of production processes and predictive maintenance.

Fincantieri emphasised the importance of helping students to transition into full-time work and plans to begin offering apprenticeships from the second year of the course.

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TikTok is taking on recommendation platforms Yelp and Google Maps with a new guide which allows users to research restaurants in their areas.

The Must Eat feature taps into more than 40 million posts, reviews and comments shared on TikTok to curate lists of food establishments and recommendations in one location.

Tips are presented across two categories: Everyday Eats which features casual favourites and the go-to spots people recommend, and Elevated Dining to highlight locations for celebrations or special occasions.

In addition, restaurants can be booked directly from the TikTok app through OpenTable. The feature is launching in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Must Eat is available on TikTok Go, an in-app travel and local experiences booking feature built directly into the company’s main application. It is accessible through the search bar, the Local feed, points-of-interest pages and location anchors on videos tied to listed restaurants.

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Mike Sievert cut his last ties with T-Mobile US, resigning from the board and stepping down as vice chair a little over a year after he gave up the CEO job.

In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Sievert (pictured) told the board he would resign from it and from its Transaction Committee on 1 November.

T-Mobile noted the resignation is not the result of any disagreement with the company over operations, policies or practices.

Recon Analytics founder and analyst Roger Entner noted on X Sievert’s exit echoes the departure of his predecessor John Legere years earlier.

The timing matches the expiry of an amendment to his employment agreement and made in September 2025 and completes a handover process begun when T-Mobile confirmed then COO Srini Gopalan would succeed Sievert as CEO.

A contract struck with Sievert in 2023 would have seen him remain CEO until 2028. He was appointed to the post in 2020 when T-Mobile closed its merger with Sprint.

He took on the vice chair post to stay involved in the management of the company and on the board.

Gopalan became T-Mobile’s COO in March 2025 after heading Deutsche Telekom’s German business.

He joined the US operator’s board in 2022.

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Le directeur général de Verizon, Dan Schulman, balaie les inquiétudes liées au projet de service mobile de connexion directe aux mobiles (D2D) de SpaceX lors d’une conférence consacrée aux résultats du troisième trimestre. Il souligne que l’opérateur de satellites fondé par Elon Musk fait face à des années de construction et à des centaines de milliards de dollars de dépenses pour bâtir un réseau terrestre concurrent.

« Je commencerais simplement par dire que ma philosophie d’action repose en général sur la réflexion approfondie, l’analyse et sur l’idée que rien n’est jamais acquis », répond Dan Schulman, interrogé sur la menace qu’un service D2D de SpaceX représenterait pour les opérateurs américains et sur la question de savoir si Verizon envisagerait un jour un accord MVNO pour donner à un acteur satellitaire accès à son infrastructure.

« Je garde toujours les yeux grands ouverts, ajoute Dan Schulman. De toute évidence, le secteur technologique et le paysage du sans-fil évoluent rapidement, et nous devons évoluer rapidement avec eux. »

Le dirigeant précise qu’il opère « dans l’hypothèse où SpaceX fera tout ce qu’elle dit et l’exécutera sans faute ».

Ces propos font suite à des informations selon lesquelles SpaceX cherche à accéder à au moins 80 000 sites cellulaires américains pour Starlink Mobile. Bloomberg a cité Crown Castle parmi les TowerCo en discussion sur d’éventuelles locations.

Dan Schulman estime que proposer un service concurrentiel nécessiterait de 65 000 à 80 000 sites macro, du backhaul, des équipements RAN et des alimentations électriques substantielles, ainsi que des activités de vente au détail, de service client et de back-office.

Pour le dirigeant, la mise en place complète du réseau prendrait au moins quatre à six ans et coûterait 300 à 500 milliards de dollars (270 à 450 milliards d’euros) sur sept ou huit ans, ce qui donnerait à SpaceX des capacités et une structure de coûts globalement identiques à celles de Verizon aujourd’hui.

« Je pense que SpaceX en a conscience et qu’elle explore une voie potentielle pour créer un réseau terrestre, assure le patron de Verizon. Il n’y a pas de baguette magique, pas d’ingrédient secret, pas de raccourci, pas d’avantage de coût structurel radicalement inférieur. »

Outre les locations de tours, SpaceX prévoit d’associer ses satellites à des stations radio au sol, le tout appuyé par un accord visant à acquérir jusqu’à 14 MHz de spectre apparié dans la bande 800 MHz auprès de Grain Management, pour un service D2D dont le lancement est attendu début 2028.

Dan Schulman soutient que le haut débit par satellite est surtout adapté aux zones isolées et ne peut égaler les réseaux terrestres dans les zones urbaines et périurbaines, qui représentent selon lui environ 98 % du chiffre d’affaires de Verizon.

Pour lui, Verizon continuera d’améliorer son réseau et sa structure de coûts pendant que SpaceX construit le sien. Il met en exergue les perspectives offertes par le spectre en ondes millimétriques (mmWave), les travaux sur des applications 6G et les projets de services dopés à l’IA.

Tout en laissant la porte ouverte à une collaboration avec des fournisseurs de satellites pour une couverture complémentaire, Dan Schulman écarte la perspective d’un accord MVNO et affirme que les accords existants n’offrent pas d’accès détourné.

Il dit ne voir aucun avantage à étendre un accord MVNO à un fournisseur de satellites, tout en observant qu’« il est très difficile de se battre contre quelque chose qui n’existe pas, mais dès qu’ils entreront sur le marché, nous serons férocement concurrentiels ».

Lors d’une conférence sur les résultats trimestriels d’AT&T la semaine dernière, son directeur général John Stankey a exposé pour sa part les avantages dont il estime disposer face à la menace potentielle d’un service D2D de SpaceX.

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Anthropic a déposé un dossier d’introduction en Bourse, tout en annonçant une spectaculaire croissance de son chiffre d’affaires et des milliards de dollars d’engagements de coûts d’infrastructure. L’opération pourrait permettre au champion de l’IA de friser le record réalisé par SpaceX.

Le formulaire S-1 déposé le 26 octobre par le développeur du grand modèle de langage (LLM) Claude auprès de la Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) américaine donne un premier aperçu public détaillé de ses finances. Anthropic avait soumis ses documents d’introduction en Bourse de manière confidentielle en juin, ce qui a permis à l’agence d’examiner les chiffres avant leur diffusion plus large.

Anthropic a demandé la cotation d’actions de classe A sur le Nasdaq Global Select Market sous le symbole ANT, sans préciser le nombre d’actions proposées, la fourchette de prix ni la valorisation. Goldman Sachs et Morgan Stanley figurent en tête de la liste des banques chargées du placement.

Les documents font état d’un chiffre d’affaires de 16,3 milliards de dollars (14,7 milliards d’euros) au premier semestre 2026, contre 1,2 milliard de dollars (1,1 milliard d’euros) au premier semestre 2025, soit bien plus que les 4,6 milliards de dollars (4,1 milliards d’euros) enregistrés sur l’ensemble de 2025.

Le coût des revenus est passé à 2,4 milliards de dollars (2,2 milliards d’euros), contre un peu plus d’un milliard de dollars (environ 0,9 milliard d’euros), le calcul et l’infrastructure en représentant la quasi-totalité. Anthropic prévient que ses marges d’exploitation fluctueront à mesure que de nouvelles capacités entreront en service.

L’entreprise a enregistré une perte nette de 80,7 milliards de dollars (72,5 milliards d’euros) au premier semestre, dont 72,4 milliards de dollars (65,1 milliards d’euros) correspondent à des charges sans effet de trésorerie liées à la réévaluation d’obligations convertibles et d’instruments similaires, au fil de la hausse de sa valorisation.

À noter qu’Amazon et Google fournissent des éléments clés pour l’infrastructure informatique d’Anthropic.

Les calculs sont assurés sur des processeurs Trainium d’Amazon Web Services (AWS), les Tensor Processing Units de Google et des GPU de Nvidia et AMD. Anthropic verse par ailleurs des commissions pour commercialiser Claude via AWS, Google Cloud et Microsoft Azure.

Amazon détient des obligations convertibles qui seront converties en actions de classe N sans droit de vote lors de l’introduction en Bourse, dans la limite d’un plafond de détention.

Côté infrastructure, Anthropic prévoit d’investir au moins 110 milliards de dollars (98,9 milliards d’euros) en services cloud d’Amazon jusqu’en avril 2036, et jusqu’à 120,5 milliards de dollars (108,3 milliards d’euros) avec SpaceX d’ici 2029.

Pour étoffer ses infrastructures informatiques, l’entreprise s’est aussi engagée à verser 114,5 milliards de dollars (102,9 milliards d’euros) supplémentaires à Google jusqu’en 2033, et 44,9 milliards de dollars (40,4 milliards d’euros) à Microsoft jusqu’en mai 2033.

Risques annoncés

Dans ses documents, Anthropic avertit que certains fournisseurs de cloud développent des modèles d’IA concurrents et pourraient restreindre son accès à la capacité de calcul, en modifier le prix ou le couper.

L’entreprise note également que des criminels ont déjà utilisé l’IA dans des cyberattaques et prévient qu’un usage détourné dans le domaine de la biologie pourrait causer des dommages plus graves.

Elle met aussi en avant le risque que l’IA concentre le pouvoir et déstabilise la géopolitique.

Anthropic utilise de plus en plus ses modèles pour développer leurs successeurs et note que les capacités des nouvelles versions pourraient progresser plus vite que les mesures de sécurité. Elle prévient aussi que des systèmes d’IA pourraient agir de manière autonome et nuisible s’ils ne parviennent pas à suivre les objectifs prévus.

À noter qu’OpenAI, le principal rival d’Anthropic, a déposé confidentiellement un dossier d’introduction en Bourse aux États-Unis en juin, mais a reporté la cotation au début de 2027.

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La directrice générale d’Orange, Christel Heydemann, met en avant l’évolution de plusieurs activités en Europe et de ses offres aux entreprises lors d’un échange optimiste sur les résultats du troisième trimestre, une période où l’Afrique et le Moyen-Orient (MEA) ont de nouveau soutenu le chiffre d’affaires.

La dirigeante souligne les avancées de son plan stratégique, dont le lancement de nouvelles offres en France, la croissance soutenue de sa filiale de cybersécurité et l’intégration en Espagne de l’ex-opérateur MasOrange, suite au rachat finalisé en juin.

Elle indique également avoir obtenu l’extension de la qualification SecNumCloud, relative à la sécurité et à la souveraineté numérique, pour les offres cloud d’Orange Business.

Bien que la signature soit postérieure à la clôture du trimestre, Christel Heydemann met également l’emphase sur la lettre d’intention signée avec Telefónica, Vodafone Group et Deutsche Telekom qui vise à explorer une candidature conjointe à des fréquences européennes pour les services mobiles par satellite.

« Cette initiative soutient l’ambition de renforcer la souveraineté, la sécurité et la résilience des infrastructures stratégiques de l’Europe », affirme Christel Heydemann.

À tous ces projets s’ajoute une opération majeure pour le groupe : le projet d’acquisition conjointe de SFR, propriété d’Altice, avec Bouygues Telecom et Free–Groupe iliad.

Orange note que l’opération devrait se concrétiser au second semestre 2027, tout en ajoutant : « Alors que des décisions sont attendues dans le cadre des procédures engagées par des comités sociaux et économiques au sein du groupe Altice France, Orange reste attaché à la qualité du dialogue social qui se poursuit. »

Résultats en progrès

L’opérateur présente un chiffre d’affaires de 12,2 milliards d’euros au troisième trimestre, en hausse de 3,6 % sur un an. Toutes les zones géographiques ont contribué à la progression, même si elle reste modeste en France (+0,5 %) : +3,5 % en Espagne, +5,3 % pour le reste de l’Europe et, surtout, +14 % pour la région MEA.

« L’Afrique et Moyen-Orient poursuit sa croissance remarquable et l’Europe, en particulier la Pologne, délivre des résultats solides », confirme Christel Heydemann.

Orange ne publie pas de résultat net au troisième trimestre, mais indique que son EBITDAaL a progressé de 4,6 % à 4,1 milliards d’euros. L’objectif annuel de croissance de l’EBITDAaL passe ainsi de plus de 4 % à plus de 4,5 %.

« Ce troisième trimestre confirme la solide dynamique engagée par notre plan Trust the future », commente la directrice générale.

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Apple and Google were hit with a combined KRW63.7 billion ($47.6 million) in fines for banned activities related to their respective app marketplaces and told to revise their business practices by South Korea’s communications regulator.

The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) issued a penalty of KRW42.9 billion to Google and KRW20.8 billion to Apple, and informed the companies they must revise external payment policies and resolve other issues.

It stated the companies “engaged in prohibited acts” under rules in its Telecommunications Business Act.

The regulator has been undertaking investigations into various elements of the pair’s app distribution procedures since 2022.

It looked into whether specific payment methods were being imposed, claims of unfair delay on app reviews and, in Apple’s case, “impairing users’ interests”, which is about commission charges.

The KMCC accused both companies of imposing “unreasonable conditions” on developers seeking to use third-party payment methods, which it asserted effectively forced the use of the brands’ in-app systems.

It also argued the companies “unfairly delayed app reviews” despite “predictable review timelines” being “critical” to developer’s businesses.

The KMCC stated app companies were not given “specific reasons when reviews were delayed” and the companies did not clearly respond to individual inquiries for explanations or requests for expected timelines.

It also accused Apple of imposing “discriminatory commissions” on app developers between 2015 and 2023.

The regulator ordered Google and Apple to amend their business procedures by removing restrictions on alternative payment options or app review procedures “and to prevent the recurrence of discrimination between domestic and overseas app developers”.

KMCC chair Kim Jong-cheol said he hopes the “sanctions will serve as a turning point toward substantive changes in market structure that app developers and end users can feel”.

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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved Amazon’s $11.5 billion acquisition of satellite service provider Globalstar, removing a key regulatory hurdle in the company’s push to expand its Leo business into direct-to-device (D2D) services.

Amazon is to acquire full control of Globalstar, its subsidiaries, satellite infrastructure and mobile satellite spectrum.

The FCC’s Space Bureau approved the purchase of around 25MHz of Globalstar’s mobile satellite spectrum by Amazon.

It also cleared Amazon to access Globalstar’s C-3 system, a 48-satellite constellation intended to expand network capacity which the FCC approved last week.

Amazon must continue to comply with existing agreements between Globalstar and US defence and policing agencies.

The regulator explained the transaction could improve coverage in underserved areas, strengthen emergency communications, and grow industrial and enterprise data services.

“By approving this deal, the FCC has empowered Amazon Leo to deliver fast, next-generation satellite broadband services, increase competition and help communities stay connected”, FCC chair Brendan Carr said.

The FCC’s approval brings an anticipated close of the deal in 2027 a step closer and strengthens Amazon’s position in a market led by SpaceX’s Starlink, which operates more than 11,000 satellites.

Amazon Leo aims to launch services by the end of the year, with its next-generation D2D system planned for 2028.

It is seeking permission to launch up to 5,105 additional satellites for D2D services.

Globalstar provides connectivity for emergency calling and location features on Apple devices.

The FCC is due to vote on proposals to auction additional wireless spectrum and open up more for D2D services tomorrow (29 October).

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