In February 2023 Parliament exempted UAVs from import duty and VAT, with the exemption extended through 2025 and renewed to cover defense goods until at least January 1, 2026; by early 2025, 98% of drones imported entered duty-free. A late-2022 Cabinet resolution allowed drones to clear customs with simplified procedures and no required bonds, and…
Read more
The Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky fiber-optic FPV drone, built by the Russian volunteer group Ushkuinik led by Aleksey Chadaev, was deployed in August 2024 in Russia’s Kursk region to counter Ukrainian incursions. By late 2024 and early 2025, elite Russian fiber-optic FPV units named Rubicon and Sudny Den operated in eastern Ukraine, carrying spools up to…
Read more
In February 2023 Ukraine abolished value-added tax (VAT) and import duties on drones and related equipment, with exemptions extended to at least January 1, 2025 under martial law. Under the “235 Preference,” international postal and express UAV shipments to Ukraine are fully exempt from customs duties and VAT. In early 2023 the Cabinet canceled the…
Read more
By 2030, satellite-connected IoT devices are projected to exceed 26 million and the market is expected to reach about $4 billion. The 3GPP Release-17 NTN standards were finalized in 2022, enabling a single IoT module to operate on both cellular and satellite networks. By 2027, 5G NR-NTN standards under 3GPP Releases 18 and 19 will…
Read more
The global market for flat-panel and phased-array antennas was valued at about $5.05 billion in 2024 and is on track to surpass $13 billion by the early 2030s, with a roughly 11–12% CAGR. Flat-panel antennas for satellite communications and mobility are expected to grow from about $0.49 billion in 2024 to $1.37 billion by 2029,…
Read more
Equatorial Guinea is described as a digital desert due to the internet’s high cost, slow speeds, and limited availability. Internet access began in 1997 via a France-backed connection, and by 2010 only about 2% of the population were internet users. GETESA, the state-dominated operator, held about 60% ownership with Orange S.A. around 40%, and controlled…
Read more
The global satellite bus market is projected to rise from $14.1 billion in 2023 to $23.4 billion by 2033, a CAGR of about 5.4%. Lockheed Martin is developing the LM-2100 modular bus with upgradeable components, while Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Airbus, and Thales Alenia Space remain leaders in GEO and military programs. SpaceX has mass-produced Starlink…
Read more
Cablenet’s hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network passes around 80% of premises in Cyprus. Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) rollouts are underway with a target to reach 200,000 gigabit-capable premises nationwide. Cyprus’s four mobile network operators are Cyta (Cytamobile-Vodafone), Epic, PrimeTel, and Cablenet. By end-2022 Cyprus achieved 100% 5G coverage in populated areas, with Cyta claiming full-population 5G coverage. Starlink…
Read more
In 2024 the global space economy reached $415 billion, with commercial satellite activities totaling about $293 billion (71%). The number of active satellites rose from about 3,300 in 2020 to over 11,500 by end-2024 due to mega-constellations. SpaceX and OneWeb have joined traditional players like Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Thales Alenia, Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat, and…
Read more
September 2008: Falcon 1 reached orbit on its fourth flight, becoming the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket to orbit Earth. December 2008: NASA awarded SpaceX a $1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract to deliver cargo to the ISS. May 2012: Dragon cargo capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous with and deliver cargo to…
Read more
