TECH

SpaceX announced on 3 March 2026 the launch of the Starlink Mobile service. The company published a coverage map on which Poland is marked as a market included in the planned rollout. SpaceX said the project is to use Direct-to-Cell satellites. The company announced it plans to build a constellation of up to 15,000 Direct-to-Cell satellites. In the project description, it was stated that there are currently around 650 Direct-to-Cell satellites in orbit providing basic connectivity in several countries.

SpaceX said the new-generation satellites are designated V2, while V3 had been used previously. The company said V2 units, once their solar panels are deployed, are comparable in size to a Boeing 737. SpaceX said V2 satellites are expected to offer up to 20 times greater throughput than current models. As the date for full-scale deployment of the technology in iPhone smartphones and Android devices, 2027 was indicated.

Samsung and Vodafone said on 3 March 2026 they completed validation of a radio access network call using virtualised RAN. The companies said they made the first call using Samsung’s vRAN running on an Intel Xeon 6 SoC platform. The test was carried out in Europe as part of work on cloud-native network architecture and Open RAN. The statement said the project builds on Vodafone’s ongoing Open RAN rollout in Germany. The companies said the validation is intended to support the development of more highly automated networks, including functions linked to the use of AI.

They did not disclose throughput figures or comparative results against existing hardware platforms. No commercial deployment timetable was announced as a direct outcome of the test. The companies said further work will cover additional software development and integration of network components. The statement did not include contract values or the scale of any future hardware purchases.

MWC Barcelona takes place from 2–5 March 2026 in Barcelona. The event is organised by the GSMA and is one of the world’s largest gatherings for the mobile industry and the wider technology sector. The exhibition and conference are held at the Fira Gran Via venue in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. The programme includes keynote speeches, panel discussions, and product and service showcases from companies across devices, networks and software.

During MWC, companies present new solutions in connectivity, telecoms infrastructure, digital services and industrial technology.
4YFN runs alongside the event, focusing on start-ups and investor meetings. The organiser provides the agenda and live streams of selected sessions. https://www.mwcbarcelona.com/

Tesla announced it will convert part of its Fremont, California facility from electric vehicle manufacturing to the production of its humanoid robot, Optimus. The company said production of the Model S and Model X will end in the second quarter of 2026. The freed production space is to be repurposed for manufacturing robots developed by Tesla’s robotics and artificial intelligence division.

Optimus is a bipedal humanoid robot equipped with vision systems and software based on Tesla’s AI technologies. The project was first introduced in 2021 as a platform intended to perform repetitive and potentially hazardous tasks. Tesla has stated that a new generation of the robot is being developed with serial production in mind. Planned capacity in the converted section of the plant is expected to reach hundreds of thousands of units annually. The company has not disclosed a detailed timeline for the full launch of the new production line.