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Mobile satellite meaning

What does Mobile satellite mean?
In communications law, mobile satellite describes satellite connectivity delivered to moving or portable user terminals (for example on vehicles, ships or aircraft). It is commonly used as shorthand for the mobile-satellite service (MSS). Under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio Regulations—followed by Ofcom in the UK and ComReg in Ireland—the MSS is a radiocommunication service between mobile earth stations and one or more space stations, and may include feeder links between gateway earth stations and the satellite. The term is significant for spectrum allocation and licensing (including Wireless Telegraphy Act licences, gateway and earth station authorisations), coordination under national frequency allocation tables, and regulatory regimes for L-band and S-band MSS (for example Inmarsat-type maritime and aeronautical services, emergency communications and certain IoT applications). It is distinct from the fixed-satellite service (FSS) and from terrestrial mobile networks. Usage and scope are broadly consistent across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Ireland also applies EU instruments on MSS (such as Decision No 626/2008/EC) for pan-EU authorisations; the UK is no longer bound by those instruments but applies materially similar ITU-based definitions and licensing practice through Ofcom policy.
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NEWS
UK Public Law Weekly: Brexit SPS alignment, Windsor Framework update, Lords reform, digital ID consultation, key judicial review and FOI rulings, Procurement Act transparency—12 March 2026

Brexit headlines Defra sets out scope of legislative alignment under UK-EU SPS Agreement The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has outlined the EU legislation it considers to sit within the scope of the proposed UK‑EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. The statement confirms the government’s intention to seek legislative alignment with EU rules, including dynamic alignment, to lessen administrative burdens and reduce costs associated with agrifood trade. It indicates that, in most cases, alignment is anticipated to substitute for, rather than add to, current domestic requirements, despite the limited divergence since EU exit. Defra also signals that the referenced EU measures, together with related implementing and delegated acts, presently set the expected boundaries of the agreement’s scope, and that further updates and detailed guidance for businesses will be issued following the conclusion of negotiations...

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NEWS
TMT weekly highlights: UK–Australia AI security partnership; self-driving pilots; NIS2 templates; Ofcom Online Safety Act enforcement; trade mark and defamation judgments; EU 2 GHz MSS reform; ASA rulings.

In this issue: New technologies Information technology Internet Media Advertising, marketing and sponsorship Reputation management Telecommunications LexTalk®TMT: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information New technologies DSIT announces UK-Australia AI security partnership The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) says the UK AI Security Institute (AISI) and its Australian counterpart have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen co-operation on AI safety and security risks. The arrangement will see both AISIs exchange insights on frontier AI capabilities, work jointly on research into emerging risks, and shape best practices for testing and evaluating AI systems. It also envisages staff secondments between the institutes to strengthen day-to-day collaboration. See: LNB News 26/05/2026 41. DfT opens applications for operators to join self-driving vehicle pilot scheme The Department for Transport (DfT) has opened applications for operators to take part...

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NEWS
UK and EU TMT update: AI copyright licensing pilot, EuroHPC gigafactories, children’s social media measures, ASA rulings, cybersecurity reforms, EU Digital Networks Act proposal, CMA plan

New technologies In this issue: New technologies Internet Advertising, marketing and sponsorship Media Information technology Telecommunications LexTalk®TMT: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information New technologies MLex reports that the UK’s creative industries will be able to access a nationwide marketplace to licence digital content, with a government pilot scheduled to begin at the end of January 2026, according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport also indicated that the AI copyright consultation working groups are set to meet again in February. They further noted there is presently no solution on an opt-out mechanism that would allow rights holders to exclude their content from training AI models, if the government adopts a default-access approach for AI developers. See: UK...

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View the related Practice Notes about Mobile satellite

PRACTICE NOTES
UK regulation of mobile satellite services: spectrum, Ofcom/CAA licensing, ITU and UNCOPUOS regimes, and post-Brexit assimilated law

This Practice Note explains and outlines the legal and regulatory framework that applies to mobile satellite services (MSS) in the UK at present. The principal categories of communications satellite service are as follows: the MSS the fixed satellite service the broadcast satellite service Broadly, in general, both within the UK and internationally, the regimes for these services are alike when it comes to securing spectrum access (even though they may operate in distinct spectrum bands) as well as when applying for a launch and operations licence. However, they can materially diverge regarding the need for associated terrestrial licences and in particular certain elements of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) filing processes and relevant obligations under the ITU Radio Regulations. An MSS network may additionally need spectrum for communications between an Earth station and a satellite, and vice versa (feeder links), required for operation. This Practice Note concentrates specifically on UK law and regulation affecting MSS at UK level. For further detail on...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Strategic ICT Planning for Legal Organisations in the UK: Benefits, Risks (including AI), DPIAs, Resources, Implementation and Review

This Practice Note outlines the meaning of information and communication technology (ICT), how organisations can gain from integrating it, and the potential risks tied to its use. It also offers practical guidance on how to formulate, draft and implement a strategic ICT plan. For guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), see subtopic: Artificial intelligence compliance. What is ICT? Information and communication technology (ICT) is an umbrella term for all technical means used to manage information and support communication. It spans tools such as computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and mobile phones, together with the many services and applications linked to them. Many regard the significance of ICT not as the technology itself but as its ability to expand access to information and communication. Benefits of ICT With tighter budgets and growing economic and environmental pressures, organisations may find they need to invest in and deploy ICT to streamline processes and enhance efficiency. Implementing ICT can be crucial to an organisation’s economic...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK wireless telecoms guide for commercial lawyers: mobile networks (2G-5G), satellite, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and LPWAN essentials

Mobile networks This Practice Note delivers a concise, quick-reference overview of the wireless telecoms sector for commercial lawyers. Mobile electronic communications networks are commonly called cellular networks because they consist of a mosaic of cells, arranged to let the network exploit its allocated frequency spectrum with maximum efficiency. A cell is the coverage area served by a base station (BS), and neighbouring cells operate on different frequencies to reduce channel interference. In rural locations, cells span wider areas than in dense urban settings, where additional capacity is needed. GSM networks Global System for Mobile communications (GSM—so named as a backronym, the original title being Groupe Spécial Mobile) is the most widespread network standard. GSM is regarded as 2G (second generation, with the first generation being analogue mobile networks). 2G has evolved from the platform first rolled out in 1991, through the arrival of the packet data capability, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), in 1997 (therefore 2.5G), and further with higher packet data rates from 1999 via the...

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