Carlos Slim has terminated collaboration with Elon Musk's Starlink following controversial accusations, redirecting $22 billion investment to Chinese and European companies. The decision came after Musk posted unsubstantiated claims about Slim's alleged criminal connections, resulting in a $7 billion loss for Musk and reduced US commercial presence in Latin America.
ARPA funds are enabling the deployment of affordable community-owned gigabit fiber networks in underserved areas, with prices ranging from $50-65 monthly for high-speed internet access. States like New York and Minnesota are leveraging these funds to build open-access infrastructure, challenging traditional telecom monopolies and treating broadband as an essential utility.
Mobile and landline data growth rates are showing a consistent decline, suggesting bandwidth demand may plateau around 2027, contrary to industry predictions of continued exponential growth. Current consumer applications rarely require more than 1 Gb/s, with even demanding use cases like 4K streaming and AI applications comfortably operating within existing 4G/5G capabilities. The telecommunications industry may need to shift focus from bandwidth expansion to improving efficiency, reliability, and addressing digital divide issues.
Mobile and terrestrial data growth is slowing down, with consumer bandwidth demand expected to plateau below 1 Gb/s within years. Current 5G networks already meet most consumer needs, while no emerging technologies demonstrate requirements beyond existing capabilities. The telecommunications industry may need to shift focus from continuous bandwidth expansion to improving reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Starlink and T-Mobile have launched a satellite texting service available to all users, offering free access until July regardless of carrier status, addressing connectivity issues in remote areas.
Starlink users in the Falkland Islands are facing service terminations as their 60-day roaming period expires, despite widespread adoption by hundreds of residents and a successful petition backed by 70% of the population. The service remains technically illegal due to Sure International's monopoly and lack of official government approval, even for users who paid the £5,400 FIG VSAT license fee. A resolution is being delayed until April 2024, prompting discussions about declaring a National Emergency to expedite the approval process.