Satellite operator Eutelsat is planning to expand low-Earth orbit (LEO) connectivity across Portugal in partnership with operator MEO. Under the terms of the agreement, MEO (which has nothing to do with the term “medium-Earth orbit” here, by the way) will integrate Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO services into its connectivity offerings, combining satellite, fiber and 5G to provide backup connectivity for businesses, critical infrastructure operators and other organizations across the country. The agreement builds on Eutelsat’s existing partnership with MEO, which has seen the Portuguese operator hosting Eutelsat’s ground station infrastructure for several years. MEO boss Ana Figueiredo described the deal as a “step towards building a European connectivity ecosystem that is more resilient, self-sufficient and fit for the future.” (See Eurobites: Eutelsat beams up €1B for more LEO satellites.)
EE tops nPerf’s 4G, 5G ratings in UK
EE has come up trumps in nPerf’s latest survey of mobile network performance in the UK. Covering the 12 months up to the end of August 2026, the survey rated EE’s 4G coverage score – combining coverage by geography and population – as 96.50, compared with 93.85 for O2, 94.13 for Three and 92.40 for Vodafone. On the 5G front, EE was even more dominant, with a coverage score of 77.02, compared with 58.73 for O2, 49.56 for Three and 37.48 for Vodafone. It is worth noting that measurements are collected by the nPerf mobile application on Android only because Apple does not open the signal-strength APIs to developers. (See Eurobites: You’re not the Nation’s Network, EE tells Vodafone.)
Liberty Global gets conversational with Sierra
Liberty Global is to deploy the Sierra conversational AI platform for customer service across its 80 million or so fixed and mobile connections in Europe. Trotting out a by now familiar rationale for such a move, the US-based company says that by enabling AI agents to handle routine customer interactions, the partnership will allow customer-care teams to focus on “situations requiring judgement and deep expertise.” Sierra was founded by Bret Taylor, a former co-CEO of Salesforce and chairman of OpenAI, and Clay Bavor, a former Google executive. In the UK, Virgin Media O2 – which is co-owned by Liberty Global and Telefónica – will be using Sierra specifically for interaction with its broadband customers, though the company’s chief operating officer, Alan Stott, was keen to stress that the move is “about supporting our people, not replacing them.”
SES begins work on new plant
SES has begun construction of a new satellite manufacturing plant in Luxembourg. The company says the facility, in Kockelscheuer, will support the development of its meoSphere MEO network and contribute to Europe’s IRIS² program through payload development and satellite assembly, integration and testing. (See Eurobites: EU taps Eutelsat and friends for IRIS2 satellite system.)
Look, no hands
Deutsche Telekom has hooked up with Unikie for automated vehicle logistics at Audi’s site in Ingolstadt, Germany, where vehicles are being driven automatically onto railway wagons and unloaded again without the need for direct human intervention. Such movements are particularly challenging because cars must be maneuvered and positioned with high precision in very confined spaces. Deutsche Telekom provides the digital infrastructure, including 5G mobile connectivity, SIM cards installed in the vehicles and edge cloud infrastructure, while Unikie’s Marshalling Solution provides the technology for automated vehicle steering and maneuvering.
Telefónica Spain creates new unit
Telefónica Spain has created a new Hardware and Devices division within its B2C business. The new unit will oversee the company’s entire devices, terminals and hardware product mix under a single leadership structure, with Alberto Ruano – currently general manager of Levono for Spain and Portugal – joining Telefónica Spain on October 1 to head up the unit.
Airties beefs up customer experience platform
France-based Airties has added new cybersecurity features to its Connectivity Experience Management Platform which in effect turn the router into an additional security layer that safeguards every device on the network, says the company. The software is suitable for homes and small businesses, says Airties.
