Eurobites: Amazon primed for UK satellite broadband push – reportEurobites: Amazon primed for UK satellite broadband push – report

Amazon is pursuing plans to launch UK satellite broadband services in the UK within the next two years via its nascent Project Kuiper constellation, according to a Guardian report citing a regulatory filing. The company hopes to gain access to "Q/V bands" in the UK and elsewhere to increase the capacity of the Kuiper System, the filing reveals. In 2023, Vodafone and its African subsidiary Vodacom announced their intention to use Project Kuiper to extend the reach of their respective 4G and 5G networks across Europe and Africa. Amazon had initially hoped to launch its first commercial satellites by the end of last year but that didn't happen. It ultimately plans to launch 3,000 such satellites in what is seen as a response to the rise of Starlink, the satellite broadband service that is part of Elon Musk's SpaceX empire. (See Amazon will put $10B in Project Kuiper 'before seeing much cash flow,' says exec.)

Italy talks rockets

Talking of which, Italy is in "advanced talks" with SpaceX over a deal to provide secure connectivity for the nation's government, according to a Bloomberg report (paywall may apply). Speculation over such a deal, which was first mooted a couple of years ago, appears to have heightened on the back of Italy's President Giorgia Meloni visit to the Floridian lair of US President-elect Donald Trump. The project has, says Bloomberg, already been given the green light by Italy's intelligence services.

Nokia waves goodbye to subsea unit

Nokia has completed the sale of its ASN (Alcatel Submarine Networks) unit to the French state for €350 million (US$374 million). The Finnish vendor will retain a 20% shareholding with board representation to help achieve a smooth transition until it is able to complete a "targeted exit," at which point it the French state is expected to acquire Nokia's remaining interest. The rationale for the deal? Nokia wants to focus on what it sees as its core strengths, one of them being its Network Infrastructure Business Group.

Anchorgate, part 94

Mind you, who would want to be the owner of a subsea cable these days? In recent months they have become nothing but trouble, not least up in the Nordic/Baltic region. In the latest cable-calamity news twist, Finland's YLE website reports that the lawyer representing the Eagle S, an oil tanker suspected of dragging its anchor through one electricity cable and four telecom cables on Christmas Day, has demanded that Finland's investigation into the incident be "immediately concluded" and the eight detained crew members released. Among other gripes, the lawyer claims that the Finnish authorities do not have jurisdiction over the ship and its crew, citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in their defense. The ship remains seized by the authorities close to the Finnish coastal city of Porvoo. (See Eurobites: Sabotage suspected after latest subsea cable cut and Subsea cable risks are only increasing.)

Openreach adds 4.2 million premises to fiber fold in 2024

Openreach, the semi-autonomous network access arm of BT, says its full-fiber network now reaches 17 million UK premises, 4.2 million of them brought into the fiber fold in 2024. This, says Openreach, means its fiber now reaches around half of all UK homes and businesses. Openreach aims to reach 30 million premises with fiber by the end of 2030. (See Despite critics, fiber rollout is a rare UK success story.)