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Starlink News 7 June 2025 - 8 July 2025

Namibia’s Digital Frontier: How Internet Access and Starlink Are Rewiring the Nation’s Future

Namibia’s Digital Frontier: How Internet Access and Starlink Are Rewiring the Nation’s Future

<li Namibia had about 1.6 million internet users by early 2024, roughly 62% of the population, up from 53% in early 2023. <li The 2012 landing of the West Africa Cable System (WACS) at Swakopmund dramatically expanded international capacity and reduced latency. <li Equiano landed in Namibia in 2022–2023, delivering up to 20 times more international bandwidth and adding redundancy beyond WACS. <li MTC launched the 081Every1 rural coverage project in 2017, helping mobile 4G reach roughly 88% of the population by 2024. <li Mobile subscriptions exceed the population at about 2.9 million, while fixed broadband subscriptions were only around
8 July 2025
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Fiber-Optic Odyssey: How Greece’s Internet Is Evolving from DSL to Starlink

Fiber-Optic Odyssey: How Greece’s Internet Is Evolving from DSL to Starlink

By mid-2023 FTTP availability was 38.4% of Greek households, with 0% rural fiber and over 60% of homes lacking fiber. By mid-2023 5G coverage reached 98.1% of the population, with about 59% of households having access to ultra-fast 5G mid-band (3.5 GHz) and just 6% of rural households covered by mid-band 5G. Starlink arrived in Greece in early 2022 and was fully available nationwide by March 2023, delivering typical speeds of 150–300 Mbps down and 20–40 Mbps up with latency about 30–50 ms. Starlink pricing fell from about €99/month to €60, then €40/month in late 2023, while hardware costs run
25 June 2025
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Starlink’s Sky‑High Cell Service—How T‑Mobile’s October Data Launch Could Obliterate Dead Zones and Rewrite Mobile Internet Forever

Starlink’s Sky‑High Cell Service—How T‑Mobile’s October Data Launch Could Obliterate Dead Zones and Rewrite Mobile Internet Forever

On 1 October 2025, T-Mobile and SpaceX will enable third‑party app data for a curated list of apps (WhatsApp, X, Google, Apple, AccuWeather, AllTrails) after the commercial SMS/MMS debut on 23 July 2025. SpaceX has placed more than 650 direct‑to‑cell satellites in orbit, with 657 currently operational forming the initial U.S. mesh. U.S. coverage now spans about 500,000 square miles, with capacity projected to double by 2026 as more satellites with 2 GHz payloads launch. The FCC approved the service in November 2024 as a “public‑interest benefit” and said it can support 911 access in remote areas while deferring higher
24 June 2025
Shocking Showdown: How Iran Is Trying to Snuff Out Elon Musk’s Starlink—and Why Tens of Thousands of Dishes Keep Beaming Freedom Back

Shocking Showdown: How Iran Is Trying to Snuff Out Elon Musk’s Starlink—and Why Tens of Thousands of Dishes Keep Beaming Freedom Back

On 23 June 2025, Iran’s Ministry of Communications warned that owning or installing a Starlink terminal is a punishable offense and asked the ITU to compel SpaceX to deactivate unauthorized devices inside Iran. Following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion on 13 June, Iran’s internet blackout peaked with connectivity falling by 97 percent. In 2021 Iran filed its first Starlink complaint at the ITU, launching the dispute over SpaceX’s operation. In October 2023 the ITU Radio Regulations Board ruled in Iran’s favor and ordered Starlink to obey Iranian licensing laws. In March 2024 the ITU RRB reiterated the demand after objections from
24 June 2025
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Iran’s Internet Access Exposed: From Aging ADSL to an Underground Starlink Revolution

Iran’s Internet Access Exposed: From Aging ADSL to an Underground Starlink Revolution

Iran aims to connect 20 million premises with fiber by the end of 2025 under the National Fiber Optic Plan, but rollout is behind schedule. As of early 2024, Iran had 73.1 million internet users (81.7% penetration) and 146.5 million mobile connections, indicating widespread multi-SIM use. Median download speeds were about 15 Mbps on fixed broadband and 37 Mbps on mobile as of May 2024, with mobile often outperforming ADSL. Iran’s 4G coverage is broad (around 90% device coverage), while 5G is in its infancy (about 29% coverage in 2023) with up to 4,000 5G base stations projected by March
24 June 2025
Starlink Goes Dark-Busting in Iran: How Elon Musk’s Satellite Beams Shattered Tehran’s Internet Blackout and Triggered a Global Free-Speech Showdown

Starlink Goes Dark-Busting in Iran: How Elon Musk’s Satellite Beams Shattered Tehran’s Internet Blackout and Triggered a Global Free-Speech Showdown

On 13–14 June 2025 Israeli strikes hit Iranian nuclear and missile sites, driving Iran’s internet speeds below 15% of normal per NetBlocks, and within about 24 hours SpaceX activated Starlink in Iran with Elon Musk posting “The beams are on.” Starlink operates 6,300-plus satellites at roughly 550 km altitude, making Iran unable to sever fiber backhaul or submarine cables to block the service. An estimated 20,000 dishes were already scattered across Iran before the crisis due to underground smuggling networks. Recent direct-to-device tests let ordinary phones send SOS messages through Starlink even without a dish. Iranian state media warned citizens
24 June 2025
State of Internet Access in Palau: From Coral Reefs to Starlink

State of Internet Access in Palau: From Coral Reefs to Starlink

Until 2017 Palau relied entirely on satellite internet, with only about 25% of the population online. In 2017 Palau lit its first fiber link by connecting a spur into the trans-Pacific SEA-US cable, known as Palau Cable 1, near Guam, financed by a $25 million Asian Development Bank loan. Palau Cable 2 is under construction as part of the Echo transoceanic cable, linking Palau to the Google/Meta-led Echo network; activation is now expected in Q1 2025 with a landing station in Ngardmau State and funding from a Japan–Australia–United States trilateral partnership. Mid-2023 Palau experienced a week-long outage of its lone
23 June 2025
Tanzania’s Internet Revolution: From 2G Villages to Starlink Skies

Tanzania’s Internet Revolution: From 2G Villages to Starlink Skies

As of January 2024, 21.82 million Tanzanians used the internet, a penetration rate of 31.9% of the population. By end-2024, active internet subscriptions reached 48 million, up 16% from the previous quarter, driven by multi-device data use. By December 2024, there were 25.6 million mobile broadband subscriptions (3G/4G/5G), while over 22 million users remained on 2G-only services. 4G coverage reached 88% of the population by late 2024, 3G coverage about 91%, and 2G signal was nearly universal at around 98%. Vodacom Tanzania launched the first 5G network in September 2022 in Dar es Salaam, and by end-2024 5G signals covered
23 June 2025
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Space‑Laser Shockwave: Inside China’s 2‑Watt Orbital Beam That Claims to Outgun Starlink and Reshape the Security Balance in Space

Space‑Laser Shockwave: Inside China’s 2‑Watt Orbital Beam That Claims to Outgun Starlink and Reshape the Security Balance in Space

In June 2025, Wu Jian of Peking University of Posts & Telecom and Liu Chao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences directed a 2-watt laser from 36,000 km in geostationary orbit to a ground station, achieving 1 Gbps. The test claimed the 1 Gbps downlink is five times faster than Starlink downlinks, per the South China Morning Post. The AO-MDR scheme combines adaptive optics and mode-diversity, routing eight spatial modes through a 1.8 m telescope and real-time selecting the three cleanest channels. Usable signal quality rose from 72% to 91% despite atmospheric turbulence thanks to AO-MDR. Starlink consumer downlinks typically
22 June 2025
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Elon Musk’s Starlink vs. Iran’s Blackout: Fact-Checking the 20,000 Secret Dishes Reconnecting a Nation

Elon Musk’s Starlink vs. Iran’s Blackout: Fact-Checking the 20,000 Secret Dishes Reconnecting a Nation

On June 14, 2025, after Israeli strikes, Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout, and Elon Musk tweeted that Starlink was “The beams are on,” effectively activating Starlink over Iran. The activation made Starlink connectivity available only to users with Starlink terminals, not to the entire Iranian population. Estimates by late 2024 placed roughly 10,000 to 20,000 clandestine Starlink terminals operating inside Iran. Reuters reported in December 2022 that nearly 100 Starlink terminals were active in Iran as SpaceX began enabling Starlink there. By January 2025, Iran International reported up to 100,000 Iranian users benefiting from satellite internet, with official figures
21 June 2025
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India Grants License to Starlink: A New Era for Satellite Internet Connectivity

India Grants License to Starlink: A New Era for Satellite Internet Connectivity

In mid-June 2025, India’s Department of Telecommunications granted Starlink a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) license, publicly confirmed by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Starlink becomes the third GMPCS licensee in India after Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio’s satellite venture. Starlink operates a Low-Earth Orbit constellation at about 550 km altitude, and globally has deployed nearly 7,000 satellites by early 2025, with about 4.6 million subscribers in 2024. The DoT license will be followed by spectrum allocation, with TRAI recommendations in May 2025 for a renewable 5-year license and 4% of AGR annual spectrum fee, plus a minimum ₹3,500
21 June 2025
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Track Satellites in Real Time – The Ultimate Guide to Satellite Trackers, Apps, and Imagery (ISS, Starlink & More)

Track Satellites in Real Time – The Ultimate Guide to Satellite Trackers, Apps, and Imagery (ISS, Starlink & More)

NASA released the Spot The Station mobile app in November 2023 to extend ISS flyover tracking beyond the website. FindStarlink.com provides Starlink sighting predictions with visibility labels (bright, average, dim) and a live map, plus free iOS/Android companion apps; it is ad-free and donations are optional. Orbitrack offers offline access to thousands of satellites, is a one-time purchase around $4.99, features 3D orbit visualizations and an AR Sky View, and has a Mac version for about $9.99. ISS Detector is a popular free Android and iOS app that can unlock a larger satellite catalog with a paid upgrade, sends alerts
20 June 2025
Slovenia’s High-Speed Makeover: From Fiber Frenzy to Starlink Skies

Slovenia’s High-Speed Makeover: From Fiber Frenzy to Starlink Skies

As of 2023, FTTP coverage reached about 78.5% of Slovenian households, well above the EU average of 64%. Telemach operates a hybrid DOCSIS 3.1 cable + XGS-PON fiber network, with its GIGA cable network covering over 350,000 households and delivering nearly ubiquitous 1 Gbps downloads, after a 600 Mbps top bundle in 2020. Telekom Slovenije (SiOL) fiber passes over 424,000 households as of 2024, offering up to 2 Gbps download and 100–200 Mbps upload, with DSL remaining in rural areas and 4G/5G fixed wireless for non-fiber zones. A1 Slovenija, with about 19% market share, provides up to 1 Gbps on
17 June 2025
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2025 Satellite Internet Showdown: Starlink vs Viasat vs HughesNet vs OneWeb & More

2025 Satellite Internet Showdown: Starlink vs Viasat vs HughesNet vs OneWeb & More

Starlink (SpaceX) is a LEO constellation (~4,500 satellites) delivering residential speeds ~100–250 Mbps down / 10–20 Mbps up, business up to ~350–400 Mbps, with a median latency ~45 ms in Q1 2025 and no hard data caps, employing a Fair Use Policy that deprioritizes after 1 TB. HughesNet Jupiter-3 (GEO) upgrade in 2024–25 offers 50–100 Mbps down (about 3 Mbps up), with latency ~600–700 ms, Fusion hybrid areas lowering latency, and a 24-month contract with equipment lease around $14.99/month or $299–$449 purchase, dish ~0.74 m, Wi‑Fi 6 modem, and 100–200 GB Priority Data per month plus 2 AM–8 AM unmetered
16 June 2025
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Fiber vs 5G vs Starlink: The Shocking Truth About Internet Speeds, Latency and Costs Worldwide

Fiber vs 5G vs Starlink: The Shocking Truth About Internet Speeds, Latency and Costs Worldwide

Fiber-optic broadband delivers 100–1000+ Mbps download and upload with latency around 5–20 ms, but availability is limited to about 25–40% of U.S. households and roughly 70% of OECD regions. Cable broadband offers 25–500 Mbps down and 5–50 Mbps up with 15–30 ms latency, is widespread in cities, and can reach up to 1 Gbps downstream with DOCSIS 3.1, while DOCSIS 4.0 targets up to 10 Gbps down. DSL provides 1–35 Mbps down and 1–10 Mbps up with latency around 20–50 ms, is nearly universal where phone lines exist, and remains the lowest-cost broadband option. Fixed Wireless Access typically delivers 10–100
16 June 2025
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State of Internet Access in Jordan: From Fiber Optics to Starlink

State of Internet Access in Jordan: From Fiber Optics to Starlink

As of Q4 2024, Jordan had about 812,000 fixed broadband subscriptions, with fiber representing roughly 73% (about 591,000) of fixed lines and total fixed broadband at 33.4% household penetration. Mobile broadband reached 8.0 million subscriptions in Q4 2024, with 4G LTE coverage exceeding 90% of the population and 5G launched commercially in 2023, tallying 112,900 5G subscriptions by end-2024. SpaceX Starlink became live in Jordan in April 2025, making Jordan one of the first Middle Eastern countries to offer land-based satellite internet. Orange Jordan introduced satellite broadband via the Eutelsat Konnect satellite in April 2025, delivering up to 100 Mbps
14 June 2025
Broadband Blackouts & Starlink Smugglers: Inside Venezuela’s Fight for Internet Access

Broadband Blackouts & Starlink Smugglers: Inside Venezuela’s Fight for Internet Access

CANTV, the state-owned fixed broadband incumbent, dominated traditional internet with about 56% market share as of late 2022, while its aging ADSL copper network remained slow and repair backlogs persisted. From August 2020 to August 2023, Venezuela jumped 50 places in Speedtest’s global broadband index, rising from an average 6.15 Mbps to 29.5 Mbps. By mid-2024, Speedtest reported a median fixed broadband speed of about 54 Mbps, placing Venezuela roughly 119th in the world. Movistar, Movilnet, and Digitel controlled about 50%, 26%, and 23–24% of Venezuela’s mobile market respectively in 2022–2023. About 60% of Venezuelan mobile users had 4G LTE
14 June 2025
Mobile & Portable Satellite Internet in 2025: The Ultimate Guide to Starlink Roam, HughesNet, Inmarsat, Viasat & More

Mobile & Portable Satellite Internet in 2025: The Ultimate Guide to Starlink Roam, HughesNet, Inmarsat, Viasat & More

Starlink Roam hardware costs $599, with Regional plans at $150 per month and Global plans at $200 per month, offering unlimited data and high speeds. As of May 2025, SpaceX’s Starlink LEO constellation includes over 7,600 satellites and provides coverage in more than 100 countries. Starlink Roam typical real‑world performance ranges from 50–150 Mbps download and 5–20 Mbps upload, with latency around 30–50 ms. HughesNet’s Jupiter 3 satellite (GEO) delivers up to 100 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload, with roughly 600 ms latency across North and South America. Viasat is deploying the ViaSat-3 global constellation, with three satellites each
13 June 2025
Dominican Republic’s Digital Revolution: Fiber, 5G and Starlink Are Connecting Every Corner of Paradise

Dominican Republic’s Digital Revolution: Fiber, 5G and Starlink Are Connecting Every Corner of Paradise

Historical Development Current State of Internet Infrastructure Dominican Republic internet penetration is high (~89% in 2024 Datareportal), driven mostly by mobile broadband. As of mid-2023 there were 8.94 million mobile‑broadband subscriptions (about 73% of the population) versus only ~1.09 million fixed‑broadband lines (≈9%) Trade. Fixed broadband is available via fiber, cable and DSL in urban/suburban areas, while 4G/LTE mobile covers ~98% of the population Worlddata (4G “or better” at 97.6%) and 5G networks now cover roughly 54.9% of the country Worlddata. Urban vs. Rural Access There is a stark digital divide between cities and the countryside. In 2022, about 50.8% of urban
10 June 2025
Starlink Global Coverage and Availability Report

Starlink Global Coverage and Availability Report

As of mid-2025, Starlink is available in over 110 countries and territories. In the United States, Starlink began with limited trials in August 2020 and the public beta “Better Than Nothing Beta” in November 2020, and now has nationwide commercial coverage including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with over 2.5 million subscribers as of early 2025. Canada went live in January 2021 after a late-2020 beta and now has broad coverage across all provinces. Mexico received a license in mid-2021, began service by November 2021, and by 2024 had over 160,000 subscribers, with the federal “Internet para Todos”
7 June 2025
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Stock Market Today

Natural gas price heads into next week under pressure as warm forecasts, rising rigs crowd the trade

Natural gas price heads into next week under pressure as warm forecasts, rising rigs crowd the trade

7 February 2026
NEW YORK, February 7, 2026, 12:30 PM EST — Market closed. U.S. natural gas futures ended lower on Friday, with traders leaning on warmer weather forecasts and supply signals as the market heads into next week. The March Henry Hub contract settled down 8.7 cents, or about 2.5%, at $3.422 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), a standard measure of gas. (Barchart.com) That matters now because the market is trying to reset after a weather-driven whipsaw that pushed prices sharply higher during last week’s Arctic blast, then back down as forecasts moderated. With February heating demand still in play, every
Oil stocks jump on Iran risk lift for crude — what to watch before Monday

Oil stocks jump on Iran risk lift for crude — what to watch before Monday

7 February 2026
U.S. oil stocks surged Friday as crude prices rose on renewed Middle East tensions. Exxon Mobil gained 2.0%, ConocoPhillips 2.5%, and Occidental Petroleum 2.7%. Refiners rallied after a national union deal eased strike risk, though BP’s Whiting plant faces a local dispute. Brent settled at $68.05 a barrel, up 0.74%.
Silver price rebound masks fresh stress after CME lifts margins again

Silver price rebound masks fresh stress after CME lifts margins again

7 February 2026
Spot silver surged 8.6% to $77.33 an ounce Friday after dropping below $65, but still lost over 8.7% for the week. CME Group raised margin requirements for COMEX silver futures to 18% from 15%, effective after Feb. 6. China’s UBS SDIC Silver Futures Fund hit its 10% down limit for a fifth session. Traders await key U.S. jobs and inflation data next week.
Gold price near $5,000: China keeps buying as CME margin hikes raise the stakes

Gold price near $5,000: China keeps buying as CME margin hikes raise the stakes

7 February 2026
China’s central bank raised gold reserves for a 15th month in January, reaching 74.19 million ounces worth $369.58 billion. Gold prices swung sharply, hitting a record near $5,600 before dropping to $4,403.24. CME Group hiked COMEX gold futures margins to 9% after recent volatility. U.S. jobs and inflation data are due next week after a delay.
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