First Layer of IRIS2 Telecommunications Satellites Enters Design and Build Phase

Eutelsat holds responsibility for the Low Earth Orbit segment of the IRIS2 constellation as part of the SpaceRISE consortium. The first layer under this programme comprises at least 66 LEO satellites, with delivery targeted for 2029.

Under the agreements, Airbus Defence and Space will produce the satellite platforms and handle the integration of each satellite with its payload. Thales Alenia Space will supply the payloads for these satellites, bringing its expertise in digital and secure communications to the programme.

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus Defence and Space, said it is a privilege to contribute to this strategic programme, which will strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy. He added that Airbus will leverage its proven experience in the production of large-scale LEO constellations to deliver this critical first layer.

Hervé Derrey, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space, expressed gratitude to the European Commission, the SpaceRISE consortium of telecom operators, and Eutelsat for placing their confidence in Thales Alenia Space. He stated that the company will provide all governmental communications payloads for the 330 IRIS2 satellites in Low Earth Orbit and that the programme will represent the pinnacle of telecommunications constellations. He noted that Thales Alenia Space will draw on its legacy in constellations, digital payloads, 5G communications and system security to address this programme.

Secure Telecommunications Infrastructure and the Wider IRIS2 Constellation

IRIS2, which stands for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite, is the European Union’s flagship space programme. Designed as a multi-orbit satellite constellation, it aims to deliver secure connectivity for governments and citizens across Europe via Ka-band frequencies between 26.5 GHz and 40 GHz.

The broader LEO segment of the constellation consists of 330 satellites, for which Thales Alenia Space will supply all governmental communications payloads. The joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%) said this order represents a tranche of approximately €500 million out of the global IRIS2 contract.

The telecommunications infrastructure created through IRIS2 is designed to support Europe’s strategic and digital autonomy by providing resilient and secure connectivity. The programme underscores the growing importance of LEO constellation technology in modern satellite communications and telecommunications infrastructure development.

With development now officially underway, the IRIS2 telecommunications satellites programme moves into its design and build phase, with the first layer of at least 66 satellites on track for delivery by 2029. The programme positions both Airbus and Thales Alenia Space at the centre of Europe’s efforts to build independent and secure satellite communications capability.

The satellite ground station orders cover both the 5.5-metre and 6.1-metre configurations of the GAIA 100 Tri-Band product family. These ground station antennas are designed to receive satellite data across the S, X and Ka frequency bands, serving Earth observation, New Space and satellite communications applications. Kratos did not disclose the identities of the buyers, the number of systems ordered or the combined order value beyond the multi-million-dollar description.

Kratos Books Satellite Ground Station Orders from Global Customers

The orders mark an early commercial milestone for Orbit Communication Systems under Kratos ownership. Orbit now operates within the Kratos Microwave Electronics Division, headquartered in Jerusalem. The division focuses on satellite communications, tracking and communications-management hardware for airborne, maritime, land and space platforms.

Kratos had outlined at the time of the acquisition that its strategy was to pair its existing microwave and RF subsystem capabilities with Orbit’s established satellite communications and ground station products. These satellite ground station orders arriving five months after the deal closed are the first public sign of that combined offering reaching international customers.

GAIA 100 Supports Multi-Band Satellite Communications

The GAIA 100 family is Orbit’s ground station product line for receiving data from satellites in low Earth orbit, medium Earth orbit and geostationary orbit. The systems provide uninterrupted horizon-to-horizon tracking across full hemispherical coverage.

A key feature of the Tri-Band variant is its Ka-band capability. As Earth observation constellations generate increasingly large data volumes, operators are shifting downlink traffic from the more congested X band into higher Ka frequencies. This shift demands tighter pointing accuracy from ground station antennas. The GAIA 100 uses Orbit’s Auto Track technology to maintain satellite alignment throughout a pass, while an integrated radome protects the antenna components, which Orbit says extends service life and reduces lifecycle maintenance costs.

New GAIA 100 Variant Expands Ground Station Capability

Alongside the satellite ground station orders, Orbit revealed the GAIA 100 Tri-Band 6.1, a new larger-aperture variant designed for higher gain, improved link margins and enhanced Ka-band tracking performance.

Daniel Eshchar, General Manager of Orbit Communication Systems, said in the announcement: “The market is placing increasing emphasis on ground station performance, particularly as satellite operators move toward higher-frequency communications and larger data volumes. The GAIA 100 Tri-Band 6.1 was developed to address these evolving requirements by combining enhanced antenna performance, highly accurate Ka-band tracking and a robust, low-maintenance architecture within a single platform.”

The introduction of the 6.1-metre variant positions the GAIA 100 family to serve a broader range of professional satellite communications infrastructure requirements. The product expansion responds directly to the growing demand that the current satellite ground station orders reflect, as operators worldwide invest in ground station systems capable of handling higher frequencies and greater data throughput from modern satellite constellations.

The Cognitive Shift in Smart Manufacturing and Robotics Integration

The primary differentiator in the modern industrial landscape is the move toward cognitive manufacturing. Traditional robotics integration focused on precision and speed, but modern systems prioritize perception and decision-making. Through the use of advanced computer vision and sensor fusion, robots are now capable of operating in unstructured environments. They can identify irregular objects, navigate around human coworkers safely, and correct their own errors without stopping the production line. This adaptability is the hallmark of AI driven automation industry operations, allowing factories to switch between different product variants with minimal downtime. The result is a “mass customization” model where the efficiency of large-scale manufacturing is combined with the flexibility of a bespoke workshop.

Predictive Maintenance as the Engine of Operational Stability

One of the most immediate and impactful applications of intelligence in industry is the transition to predictive maintenance. In the legacy model, machinery was either run until it failed or maintained on a rigid, often unnecessary schedule. Both approaches are inherently wasteful. By applying AI driven automation industry operations to telemetry data from industrial assets, companies can now identify the “signatures” of impending mechanical failure weeks before they occur. Algorithms analyze heat patterns, vibration frequencies, and energy consumption to detect microscopic anomalies that a human inspector would never notice. This foresight allows for “just-in-time” repairs, ensuring that the production line only stops when it is most convenient for the business, thereby virtually eliminating the catastrophic costs of unplanned downtime.

Orchestrating Enterprise Automation through Digital Twins

To manage the complexity of a modern smart factory, engineers are increasingly turning to the concept of the “Digital Twin.” This is a high-fidelity virtual replica of the entire production ecosystem, kept in sync by real-time data. Within this virtual environment, AI driven automation industry operations can run millions of simulations to find the optimal configuration for any given task. If a manager wants to increase the throughput of a specific line, they can first test the change in the digital twin, observing how it affects upstream supply and downstream logistics. This risk-free experimentation allows for a level of Industry 4.0 innovation that was previously impossible, transforming the factory from a static asset into a dynamic, software-defined entity that evolves alongside the needs of the market.

The Human-Centric Side of Industrial Automation AI

A common anxiety surrounding the rise of autonomous systems is the potential displacement of the human workforce. However, the reality of AI driven automation industry operations is often one of augmentation rather than replacement. By taking over the “three Ds” tasks that are dull, dirty, or dangerous AI allows human workers to move into roles that require creative problem-solving and emotional intelligence. In a modern plant, a technician might spend their day working alongside a “cobot” (collaborative robot), training it to perform a new task or analyzing the data generated by the plant’s AI. This synergy between human intuition and machine precision is what drives the highest levels of operational excellence, creating a safer and more engaging environment for the workforce.

Overcoming the Challenges of Scalable Enterprise Automation

While the benefits are clear, the path to fully integrated AI driven automation industry operations is not without its hurdles. One of the primary obstacles is “data silos” situations where different machines or departments use incompatible data formats. For AI to be effective, it requires a unified data fabric that spans the entire organization. This necessitates a robust digital transformation strategy that prioritizes interoperability and standardized communication protocols like OPC-UA or MQTT. Furthermore, the massive amount of data generated at the “edge” of the network requires high-performance computing localized on the factory floor to ensure that decisions can be made in milliseconds, without the delay of sending data to a distant cloud server.

The Role of AI in Sustainable and Circular Manufacturing

As the global community faces the urgent challenge of climate change, the role of intelligence in driving sustainable manufacturing cannot be overstated. AI driven automation industry operations are a powerful tool for reducing the environmental footprint of industry. By optimizing energy consumption and minimizing material waste through precision control, AI ensures that every watt of power and every gram of raw material is utilized to its full potential. Furthermore, AI is the key to the “circular economy,” where products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling. Intelligent systems can identify and sort materials at the end of their life cycle, ensuring that valuable components are returned to the production loop rather than ending up in a landfill.

The Future Horizon: Autonomous Supply Chains and Beyond

Looking toward the end of the decade, the scope of AI driven automation industry operations will expand far beyond the walls of the factory. We are moving toward a world of “autonomous supply chains,” where AI systems manage everything from the procurement of raw materials to the final delivery to the consumer. In this future state, the supply chain is a self-correcting organism that can anticipate a port strike on one continent and automatically reroute shipments through a different channel, all while optimizing for cost and carbon emissions. This level of systemic intelligence will provide the global economy with a level of resilience and efficiency that is currently unimaginable, cementing AI as the foundational technology of the modern industrial age.

Ethical Governance and the Security of Industrial AI

As we cede more operational control to autonomous systems, the importance of cybersecurity and ethical governance grows exponentially. An AI-driven factory is a high-value target for state-sponsored actors and cybercriminals. Therefore, AI driven automation industry operations must be protected by “security by design,” utilizing AI-driven threat detection to monitor for any signs of tampering or sabotage. Ethically, companies must ensure that their algorithms are transparent and that there is always a “human-in-the-loop” for critical decisions. The future of industry depends on the trust of both the workforce and the public, and that trust is built on a foundation of safety, transparency, and accountability.

Key Takeaways:

1. AI driven automation is transforming industry from a model of rigid, pre-programmed tasks to one of flexible, cognitive workflows that learn and optimize in real-time.
2. Predictive maintenance and digital twins are the primary drivers of operational stability, allowing for the elimination of unplanned downtime and risk-free experimentation.
3. The future of manufacturing lies in the synergy between human creativity and machine precision, supported by a commitment to sustainability and the ethical governance of autonomous systems.

T-Mobile Starlink enables mobile signals using Direct-to-Cell satellites orbiting over 200 miles above the Earth. This technology provides text messaging now, with picture messages, voice calls, and mobile data expected to follow soon.

“T-Mobile Starlink is the first and only space-based mobile network in the US that automatically connects to your phone so you can be connected even where no cellular network reaches. It’s a massive technical achievement and an absolute game changer for ALL wireless users,” said Mike Sievert, President and CEO, T-Mobile. “We’re still in the early days — I don’t want to overhype the experience during a beta test — but we’re officially putting ‘no bars’ on notice. Dead zones, your days are numbered at the Un-carrier.”

Seamless User Experience

The simplicity of T-Mobile Starlink sets it apart. Smartphones, even those made in the last four years, seamlessly connect to the satellite network when users move out of traditional cell tower coverage. There is no need for additional equipment or manual setup.

This service also supports Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) nationwide, ensuring that critical and potentially life-saving messages reach users even in remote areas or during natural disasters. Whether on hiking trails or in disaster-affected areas, T-Mobile Starlink ensures that users stay connected when they need it most.

The beta service will remain free until July 2025. After that, T-Mobile Starlink will be included at no extra cost for Go5G Next plans, including variations like Go5G Next 55+. Business customers can also access Starlink at no cost on Go5G Business Next plans, while first responder agencies benefit from T-Priority plans. Customers on other T-Mobile plans can add Starlink for $15/month per line. Early adopters registering before February receive a $10/month discount during the beta period.

Access for Everyone

T-Mobile is opening this service to users of all wireless carriers, including AT&T and Verizon customers, who can try T-Mobile Starlink text messaging for free during the beta period. Once the service officially launches in July, it will be available for $20/month per line for non-T-Mobile customers.

The beta phase allows T-Mobile to gradually test and perfect the service before its July launch. All wireless users, businesses, and first responder agencies can register to participate in the beta and provide feedback.

A Vision for Universal Coverage

T-Mobile and Starlink envision a future free of mobile dead zones and invite wireless providers worldwide to join the growing alliance for universal connectivity. Providers such as KDDI (Japan), Telstra (Australia), Optus (Australia), Rogers (Canada), and Kyivstar (Ukraine) have already joined the initiative.

Learn more about this partnership and how it delivers reliable satellite-to-mobile connectivity at direct.starlink.com.

T-Mobile Starlink is poised to change the wireless industry, ensuring that wherever you can see the sky, you stay connected.

This includes all airport asset tracking systems deployed for various motorised ground support equipment (GSE), non-motorised equipment (NME) as well as other applicable airport assets including on-road vehicles used in airport environments. The airport asset tracking market is served by a number of different types of players, ranging from specialists focused exclusively on tracking solutions for specific airport assets, to companies that offer a more comprehensive set of solutions for the aviation sector, and more general telematics players that also serve other industries.

“Berg Insight ranks Undagrid, Resonate MP4 and Quantum Aviation Solutions as the leading providers of airport asset tracking solutions, all having estimated installed bases of 10,000 active units or more“, said Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight. He adds that other notable players include EC2E, ADVEEZ and Pinnacle Telematics which all have installed bases of at least 4,000 units each.

“Targa Telematics is moreover a fast-growing provider which is expected to increase its market share considerably following a strategic alliance with the new partner TCR Group in 2018”, continued Mr. Andersson. TCR is also collaborating with Sensolus for non-motorised GSE tracking. Additional players active in the field of airport asset tracking for example include Litum IoT, INFORM, Tri-Logical Technologies, Smart Asset Manager, Geotab, I.D. Systems, Speedshield Technologies and Ctrack (Inseego). The latter cooperates with Undagrid for the non-motorised component of its airport solution. “Relatively different competencies are needed for motorised and non-motorised asset tracking respectively, so partnerships can make perfect sense in order to cover the full spectrum of assets”, concluded Mr. Andersson.

Download report brochure: The Airport Asset Tracking Market

About Berg Insight
Berg Insight is a dedicated M2M/IoT market research firm based in Sweden. We have been specialising in all major M2M/IoT verticals such as fleet management, car telematics, smart metering, smart homes, mHealth and industrial M2M since 2004. Our vision is to be the most valuable source of intelligence for our customers. Berg Insight offers numerous market reports, detailed market forecast databases and advisory services. We provide custom research tailored to your requirements including focussed research papers, business case analysis, go-to-market strategies and bespoke market forecasting. We have provided analytical services to 850 clients in 70 countries on six continents to date. Our customers range from many of the world’s largest mobile operators, IT companies and telecom vendors, to venture capitalists, technology start-ups and specialist consultants.

Knowing which security threats are out there, and what steps to take to proactively prevent security incidents is vital if personal healthcare information is to be kept safe.

We’ve re-examined the data within our Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) series (2016 and 2017) to focus in on the healthcare sector’s unique profile and security challenges, and particularly the use/abuse of protected health information (PHI). Our 2018 Protected Health Information Data Breach Report (PHIDBR) is underpinned by 1,368 incidents from this caseload covering 27 countries.

Our major findings are as follows:

• 58 percent of incidents involved insiders. Healthcare is the only industry in which internal actors are the biggest threat to an organization. Often they are driven by financial gain, such as tax fraud or opening lines of credit with stolen information (48 percent); fun or curiosity in looking up the personal records of celebrities or family members (31 percent); or simply convenience (10 percent).
• 70 percent of incidents involving malicious code within the healthcare sector were ransomware infections. Mirroring the ongoing use of ransomware across all business sectors, as we reported in our 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report and the cyber-attacks Europe witnessed mid-2017.
• 27 percent of incidents were related to PHI printed on paper. Medical device hacking may be in the news, but it seems the real criminal activity is found by following the paper trail. Whether prescription information sent from clinics to pharmacies, billing statements issued by mail, discharge papers physically handed to patients, or filed copies of ID and insurance cards, printed documents are more prevalent in the healthcare sector than any other. The very nature of how PHI paperwork is handled and transferred by medical staff has led to preventable weaknesses – sensitive data being misdelivered (20 percent), thrown away without shredding (15 percent), and even lost (8 percent).
• 21 percent of incidents involved lost and stolen laptops containing unencrypted PHI.More employee education is required to ensure that basic security measures are put in place.
  First step – get the basics right
  There are several short-term improvements that can directly address some of the common security challenges flagged by these findings:
• Full Disk Encryption (FDE): This provides an effective and relatively low-cost method of keeping sensitive data out of the hands of criminals.
• Routine monitoring of record access: Policies and procedures should be in place to mandate monitoring of internal PHI access. All employees should be aware, via security training and warning banners, that if they view any patient data without a legitimate business need there is potential for corrective actions.
• Build resiliency to combat ransomware attacks: Preventive controls for defending against malware installation are key, as is minimizing the impact that ransomware could have against a network. Do not allow end-user devices to propagate and spread ransomware to critical assets, and do not use devices with high availability requirements to surf the Internet or receive external email.

Implementing security measures for the long-term
More important, though, is the need to secure the use of PHI within the healthcare sector for future stability and success in the digital world. This means that longer-term strategic actions are also required.

One area to look at is electronic PHI (ePHI). Breaches involving ePHI included the publishing of sensitive data on public websites (7 percent) and misdelivery (7 percent) via email – still alarming, but much less so than those breaches associated with old-fashioned paper documents. So, organizations should work towards a reduction of paper-based PHI in their environments, and establish a holistic risk management program that protects not only ePHI, but also other sensitive data that they store and process.

We also need to recognize that overly strict restrictions in access to patient information has the potential to impact a healthcare professional’s ability to make timely and proper point-of-care decisions – but there are still improvements that can be made.

For example, a comprehensive review and ongoing audits of access rights to sensitive data would ensure ease of access to front-line medical providers, yet reduce unnecessary access elsewhere.

As the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more commonplace across the sector, establishing a proactive policy of building security into any and all implementations is vital in addressing what could be an increasing threat in the future.

Focusing on resiliency and availability in IoT implementations, as well as integrity and confidentiality, is also important.

Finally, having an overall incident response plan ready to go should a cyberattack occur will also enable quicker reactions, and can often make a difference to the level of impact an incident has on an organization. Testing those plans using table top exercises to discover gaps is critical before an incident occurs, as well as holding post mortem reviews after the fact to capture lessons learned.

The new thin and light laptop follows on from Huawei’s MateBook X from 2017, released in 2017 and looks strikingly familiar to Apple’s top-of-the-line notebook, with an aluminium body that’s available in silver or “space grey” – just like the MacBook Pro – a chiclet keyboard and large trackpad.

But it is the 14in 3K LTPS screen that Huawei hopes to sell the MateBook X Pro, which the company says, manages to fit into the body of a more traditional 12in laptop.

The MateBook X Pro has two USB-C ports and a headphone socket in one side and a USB-A port on the other. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs for the Guardian

“The MateBook X Pro has the world’s first full-view screen in a notebook, featuring a massive 91% screen to body ratio, which is down to the amount of engineering work we’ve done to reduce the bezels around the display,” said Peter Gauden, senior product marketing manager for Huawei. “With a 178-degree viewing angle range, if you’re working on confidential documents on a plane or train you’re going to have to invest in a privacy screen because everyone is going to be able to see what you’re working on – it’s that good.”

The MateBook X Pro comes with the latest Intel 8th generation quad-core i7 U series processor, up to 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia MX150 discrete graphics processor with 2GB of memory. It also supports Thunderbolt 3, has two USB-C ports, a USB-A port and headphones socket, squeezed into a wedge shape that tapers from 16.6mm to 4.9mm, weighing 1.33kg.

The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which Huawei says will start and securely log into Windows from cold in under eight seconds. The laptop also has four speakers – two treble speakers at the back and two bass speakers at the front – supporting Dolby’s Atmos sound system

The camera pops up from under a function key. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs for the Guardian
The spill-proof chiclet keyboard resembles that fitted on Apple’s MacBook Pro, but has a trick up its sleeve: a recessed camera that hides under a key in the centre of the top function row.
Gauden said: “It’s hidden away so you can be completely comfortable with your privacy concerns over cameras – just pop it up when you want to use it.”

Huawei rates the battery life of the MateBook X Pro at 12 hours of video playback. The company is going to sell the machine with a new compact 65W USB-C charger, which is about the same size as smartphone fast chargers, describing it as “intelligent enough to charge anything safely”.

The MediaPad M5 Pro with a 10.8in screen and M-Pen stylus. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs for the Guardian Huawei also announced three new MediaPad M5 Android tablets. One with an 8.4in screen and two larger 10.8in versions including a “Pro” model that ships with a stylus. All three have 2K resolution LCD screens, Harman Kardon speakers and at least 10 hours of battery for video playback.

All three tablets will also run Huawei’s EMUI 8, which is based on Android 8 Oreo, with the two larger models capable of attaching to a keyboard case and presenting a desktop-like Android experience for productivity.

The NYK Group (NYK and MTI) previously developed a ship information management system (SIMS) that enables the gathering, monitoring, and sharing of detailed data between ship and shore, with the aim to promote safe, efficient operations. The data includes information on the operational condition and performance of oceangoing vessels.

From last September, the four companies began a collaboration to make use of NTT edge-computing technology to develop a next-generation onboard IoT platform by adding to SIMS a new system that would enable the remote distribution and management of onboard applications from land offices. This experiment was conducted using NTT DATA’s ANYSENSE IoT platform and the communication company’s expertise developing infrastructure that makes use of IoT solutions.

This platform is also compliant with onboard IoT international standardization being devised by the Japan Ship Machinery and Equipment Association. In addition, the gathered data can be utilized not only on board but also from an IoT open platform ShipDC, a ship data center established by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK).

The four companies performing this test will next conduct a proof-of-concept experiment on an oceangoing vessel operated by the NYK Group, and continue to create innovation in the maritime industry to improve safety and the efficiency of vessel operations, and promote environmental initiatives and global competitiveness.

The new system will force lenders to identify and tackle any stressed-asset accounts more rapidly, the regulator said. Under the new rules, banks will have to file for insolvency proceedings against loan defaulters with 20 billion rupees ($311 million) or more if a resolution plan is not implemented within 180 days of the initial occurrence of default, the RBI said.

It warned that any failure on the part of banks to meet the prescribed timelines, or any actions they take to conceal the actual status of accounts or evergreen stressed accounts, will expose banks to potential monetary penalties and other actions. It also tightened rules around resolution plans, saying any such process involving restructuring or change in ownership for large accounts with loans of 1 billion rupees or more will need independent credit evaluation by credit rating agencies that are authorised by the RBI.

Loans of 5 billion rupees or more will need two such independent evaluators, the RBI said. The RBI said all prior schemes, including the popular Strategic Debt Restructuring Scheme, the Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets, and the Corporate Debt Restructuring Scheme, will be withdrawn with immediate effect.“All accounts, including such accounts where any of the schemes have been invoked but not yet implemented, shall be governed by the revised framework,” the RBI said.Some of the current loan restructuring rules have been criticised for helping to evergreen bad loans.

The debt for equity swap programme, one of the central bank’s most popular plans, has had little success, with creditor banks struggling to find new buyers for the companies they tried taking over by exchanging part of the debt for equity.