Bharti Airtel taps into free-space optical communications to expand coverage and boost capacity

Many European markets are lagging behind in terms of network quality and the deployment of advanced mobile networks. To quantify the investment required for Europe to meet its 5G goals and regain its global leadership in mobile connectivity, GSMA Intelligence conducted a detailed economic modelling exercise.

Latin America’s mobile markets are transitioning deeper into the data era, where rising data demand, high investment requirements and declining mobile prices have made operator scale increasingly important. This report examines how market structure, consolidation and entry have affected investment, network quality and consumer outcomes across Latin America since 2010.

As of Q1 2026, Starlink continues to maintain a significant gap in its deployed capacity versus the rest of the field. It has now deployed over 75% of its initial constellation. Meanwhile, Amazon's recent agreement to acquire Globalstar reinforces the trend of consolidation among satellite companies to address scale challenges. For operators, satellite capability is emerging as both a defensive necessity and competitive differentiator, positioning NTNs as a dual lever for ARPU uplift and churn reduction.