SpaceX completes 16th Starlink launch, feedback from beta users

On Tuesday, November 24, SpaceX successfully completed its 16th Starlink launch mission, delivering a further 60 satellites to orbit, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites launched to date to over 950. The number of Starlink satellites currently in ordit may be a bit lower, as media reports indicate that the company could have de-orbited a small number of its earliest satellites. 

Following Tuesday's launch, the booster rocket successfully landed on a drone ship off the Florida coast. The Falcon 9 first stage rocket booster that supported this mission previously flew on six other missions.

SpaceX also confirmed that its "Better Than Nothing Beta" test program is underway. A Reddit page with feedback from participants is here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/jybmgn/we_are_the_starlink_team_ask_us_anything/

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Mavenir and Airtel demo O-RAN RIC

Bharti Airtel and Mavenir demonstrated an O-RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) that makes use of advanced machine learning algorithms to optimize network performance. This demonstration showed RIC in action, ingesting configuration data and performance metrics from a demonstration RAN, and iteratively optimizing the configuration parameters to achieve improvement in key performance indicators. The target objective function is configurable by the operator, guiding the optimization process to meet potentially dynamically changing business requirements at runtime. Scope of demonstration also includes O-RAN O1 interface testing of Mavenir Non-RealTime RIC.

The demo occurred at the recent Global O-RAN ALLIANCE Plugfest hosted by Airtel.

Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO Mavenir, said, “We are excited to partner with Airtel in the first global O-RAN plugfest event that enables re-thinking of traditional network deployment models.”

“We are delighted to partner with the global O-RAN community. Our engagement with Mavenir for this successful demonstration is yet another step forward towards building 5G systems with open network architecture,” said Randeep Sekhon, CTO at Bharti Airtel.

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U.S. to block China's SMIC from accessing U.S. investment

The Trump administration is planning to add Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China's leading chip producer, to a blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies, according to an exclusive report from Reuters. The move would restrict the company's access to U.S. investors. Reuters also reports that China Construction Technology Co Ltd, China International Engineering Consulting Corp, and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) will also be added to the list.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-military-companies-exclusiv/exclusive-trump-to-add-chinas-smic-and-cnooc-to-defense-blacklist-sources-idUSKBN28A036

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NEC participates in the UK Government-led 5G Open RAN trial

NEC is showcasing its Open Radio Access Network (RAN) technology in the UK.

The NeutrORAN project will be used to test and demonstrate a multiple operator, neutral host solution using an Open RAN ecosystem. 

NEC also confirmed that will establish a Global Open RAN Center of Excellence in the UK. The NeutrORAN will be one of the first solutions delivered by the Center of Excellence.

"The project is another step in NEC's growing commitment to the UK and follows the establishment of the company's Global Open RAN Center of Excellence in the UK," said Oliver Dowden, UK Government Digital Secretary.

"We see this project as a catalyst for NEC introducing Open RAN into the UK and enabling the acceleration of 5G deployment," said Chris Jackson, CEO of NEC Europe Ltd.

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