Latest news with #NTN
Broadcast Pro
10 hours ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Catalonia to launch Europe's first 6G satellite lab by year-end
The Minister of the Presidency of the Government of Catalonia and President of the Board of Trustees of the i2CAT Research Centre, Albert Dalmau, has visited the facilities of the Catalan company Open Cosmos in Barcelona to see the progress of the 6GStarLab satellite manufacturing, Europes first open 6G research laboratory in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). During the visit, Sergi Figuerola, PhD, Director of i2CAT, accompanied the Minister. The 6GStarLab, a project led by i2CAT, will focus on the research and development of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and enable the experimental validation of new communication technologies in a real space environment. It is the first satellite of its kind to be promoted across Europe. It will be an open and flexible testbed that will allow the remote deployment and execution of experiments, fostering innovation in an emerging ecosystem that works towards interconnection between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. Non-terrestrial networks utilise nodes, such as satellites or high-altitude platforms, to transmit information. They are crucial because they complement terrestrial networks, extending connectivity to remote or isolated regions where traditional infrastructure cannot reach. This integration creates hybrid networks that improve communications performance and provide a seamless user experience. They are fundamental to bridging the digital divide, providing access to essential services on a global scale and making a key contribution to advanced 5G and future 6G. To make this project a reality, i2CAT has awarded a public contract to Open Cosmos for a value of 1.65m. The award covers the design, manufacture, integration, launch and commissioning of the 6GStarLab satellite. The manufacture of the satellite is currently taking place in the Open Cosmos clean room, a controlled environment where rigorous testing is carried out to ensure optimal performance before launch and deployment into orbit. The satellite is scheduled for launch in the last quarter of this year and is expected to be operational for research purposes in early 2026. The manufacture of the 6GStarLab has represented a milestone for Open Cosmos, which, for the first time in Catalonia, has carried out the complete manufacturing and validation process of the satellite from design to testingentirely at its facilities in Barcelona. These facilities, which include a new clean room inaugurated just over a year ago, significantly expand the company's capabilities and strengthen the Catalan business fabric in the space sector. The Barcelona facility joins Open Cosmos' other sites in the UK, Portugal and Greece. The 6GStarLab will incorporate high-tech payloads designed by i2CAT and the Catalan company Microwave Sensors and Electronics (MWSE). It will also include a space-to-ground optical communication laser terminal and the corresponding ground station from the Singapore-based company Transcelestial. The NanoSat Lab group at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) will develop the antenna array for radio frequency communications. For its part, i2CAT's Space Communications research group has led the conceptualisation of the mission and the design of the 6GStarLab payloads. The work planned by the research team focuses on three main lines of research: an optical ground-to-space communications link, 6G communications protocols (Direct-to-Device and Broadband), and orchestration and autonomy. The i2CAT-driven mission also foresees a ground segment in Móra la Nova, from where the 6GStarLab satellite experiments will be controlled. The equipment will include an optical ground station that will enable two-way ground-to-space laser communications. This station, a pioneer in Catalonia, will facilitate research into optical space communications for the transmission of high-speed data for both download and upload. This optical technology is a precursor of the quantum communications of the future and will allow the development of more precise signalling systems for connections between satellites. The ground segment will also include a Ka-band tracking station, a key technology for future non-terrestrial 6G networks. The ultimate goal is to integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial 6G networks to provide global and ubiquitous connectivity, which is essential for delivering broadband services on a large scale. The 6GStarLab infrastructure, both in orbit and on the ground, will lay the foundations for new applications with a significant impact on society. Thanks to its technology, it will improve communications in rural and isolated areas, facilitating access to essential services such as telemedicine and distance learning. It will also contribute to the prevention and mitigation of fires and other natural disasters, promote autonomous mobility by connecting intelligent vehicles, and establish a new generation of secure communications, essential to protect government, financial, business, and personal systems from growing cybersecurity threats. In parallel, i2CAT plans to strengthen research in the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and the extension of connectivity through non-terrestrial networks, as well as the publication of research results for the scientific community. In this sense, the 6GStarLab infrastructure will be available to the scientific and technological community interested in exploring and experimenting with future communications, thereby fostering the development of innovative solutions in various sectors and aligning with the roadmap developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the field of 6G. This project is part of the programme for the Universalisation of Digital Infrastructures for Cohesion UNICO I+D 6G, promoted by the Spanish Government within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and financed with NextGenerationEU funds. In total, i2CAT has obtained 10 million euros from the subprogramme of infrastructures and scientific-technical equipment for the deployment of various research infrastructures.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kratos and Intelsat Successfully Demonstrate 5G NTN Over GEO
Over-the-air testing validates satellite's role in delivering end-to-end 5G services SAN DIEGO, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a technology company in Defense, National Security and Global Markets, today announced the successful demonstration of an end-to-end 5G-NTN network that combines the Kratos OpenSpace® software-defined satellite ground system with Intelsat's space and ground network, including its cloud-native, virtualized 5G core. This event represents a key milestone towards the seamless extension of terrestrial 5G networks with satellite technology, providing critical validation of satellite's role in the delivery of ubiquitous 5G services. The Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) incorporated Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) into its 5G specifications with 3GPP Release 17, paving the way for the seamless extension of 5G services beyond terrestrial limits. Both Kratos and Intelsat are leading the market in 5G-NTN adoption; Kratos is working with key industry partners to develop cloud native 5G-NTN solutions for satellite operators, while Intelsat is focused on building a multi-layer, next-generation software-defined network. Kratos and its partner Radisys announced last year their plans to develop a satellite base station – a 5G NTN gNodeB -- delivered completely as cloud-native software, to be deployed as part of the OpenSpace® system. The over-the-air (OTA) demo conducted by Kratos and Intelsat validated that joint solution, leveraging it to orchestrate a 5G NR-NTN cell that was activated over Intelsat's Galaxy 19 Ku-band GEO satellite. Multiple User Equipment (UE) emulators from partner VIAVI Solutions successfully attached and established PDU) traffic flows from different locations within the 5G-NTN cell, demonstrating that any standards-compliant terminal can access the 5G network on a satellite connection. This brings the industry closer to truly ubiquitous broadband services for all customers, regardless of location. 'This demonstration represents a significant milestone in both companies' progress in advancing ubiquitous 5G connectivity that spans both terrestrial and space networks,' said Greg Quiggle, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Kratos. 'This remarkable technical accomplishment demonstrates the value of the OpenSpace virtual ground system in enabling that connectivity.' 5G-NTN opens the door to a broad range of new communications services in markets unserved or underserved by terrestrial connectivity alone. It paves the way for seamless service delivery across satellite orbits, satellite operators and for mainstreaming satellite-enabled services seamlessly across the global web of terrestrial communications networks. Kratos' OpenSpace platform will play a key role in that revolution by bringing the dynamic software-defined networking principles that are common in today's terrestrial networks to the legacy satellite environment and leveraging a common, standards-based architecture for the delivery of global 5G services with terrestrial network partners. About Kratos Defense & Security SolutionsKratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS) is a technology, products, system and software company addressing the defense, national security, and commercial markets. Kratos makes true internally funded research, development, capital and other investments, to rapidly develop, produce and field solutions that address our customers' mission critical needs and requirements. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we seek to utilize proven, leading-edge approaches and technology, not unproven bleeding edge approaches or technology, with Kratos' approach designed to reduce cost, schedule and risk, enabling us to be first to market with cost effective solutions. We believe that Kratos is known as an innovative disruptive change agent in the industry, a company that is an expert in designing products and systems up front for successful rapid, large quantity, low-cost future manufacturing which is a value-add competitive differentiator for our large traditional prime system integrator partners and also to our government and commercial customers. Kratos intends to pursue program and contract opportunities as the prime or lead contractor when we believe that our probability of win (PWin) is high and any investment required by Kratos is within our capital resource comfort level. We intend to partner and team with a large, traditional system integrator when our assessment of PWin is greater or required investment is beyond Kratos' comfort level. Kratos' primary business areas include virtualized ground systems for satellites and space vehicles including software for command & control (C2) and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), jet powered unmanned aerial drone systems, hypersonic vehicles and rocket systems, propulsion systems for drones, missiles, loitering munitions, supersonic systems, space craft and launch systems, C5ISR and microwave electronic products for missile, radar, missile defense, space, satellite, counter UAS, directed energy, communication and other systems, and virtual & augmented reality training systems for the warfighter. For more information, visit Notice Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Kratos undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended December 29, 2024, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos. Press Contact:Claire Investor Information:877-934-4687investor@ while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Business Recorder
16-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
KTBA requests FBR to extend e-filing deadline
KARACHI: Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA has requested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to extend the e-filing deadline for June 2025 sales tax returns to July 30, due to operational challenges with the IRIS portal's authentication system that are preventing timely compliance. In a letter sent to the chairman FBR, KTBA highlighted that the portal's exclusive reliance on QR codes sent to taxpayers' registered mobile numbers for authentication, arguing that this security measure, while well-intentioned, creates substantial barriers for legitimate taxpayers attempting to meet their compliance obligations. Moreover, it said that Pakistani taxpayers residing overseas who cannot receive SMS messages originating from Pakistan, effectively blocking their access to the tax portal, and added that the corporate taxpayers were also facing similar challenges when registered mobile numbers belonging to the directors or authorized employees who may be unavailable during compliance deadlines. SC implements e-filing system at its registries Authorised representatives, including e-intermediaries, accountants, and tax consultants, are unable to file returns or handle compliance matters on behalf of their clients despite having proper legal authorization, the letter said. Therefore, KTBA urged the FBR to implement a triple-channel QR code delivery system that would simultaneously send authentication codes via SMS, WhatsApp, and registered email addresses, allowing taxpayers to use any of these channels for portal access. 'This multi-channel approach would particularly benefit overseas taxpayers who could access the system through WhatsApp or email when SMS delivery fails, the letter said, and added that for corporate entities, multiple compliance officers to access the IRIS portal with individual credentials linked to the company's business NTN profile, ensuring prompt compliance on behalf of the organization. It said that existing security measures, including password reset policies and annual biometric verification requirements under rule 5(4) of the Sales Tax Rules, would continue to ensure the integrity of tax declarations and added that overseas taxpayers could complete biometric verification through Pakistani identification systems with NADRA assistance. To facilitate the smooth implementation of any system changes, the KTBA recommended a 60-day grace period for taxpayers to update their registered mobile numbers and email addresses in their tax profiles. Once updated within this grace period, further modifications would require QR code verification sent to the registered mobile phone, maintaining security protocols. KTBA also requested for full operationalization of e-intermediary functionality under Section 52A of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, and rule 2(10)(ac) of the Income Tax Rules, 2002 to enable authorized e-intermediaries to access management information systems, input purchase data, manage invoices for their clients, and file returns, statements, and appeals directly through the IRIS portal. Keeping the said in view, KTBA has requested the board to extend the June 2025 sales tax returns deadline till July 30 to facilitate the taxpayers. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PM advises FBR to go slow on curbing cash economy
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed officials to gradually implement the decision of treating half of cash expenses above Rs200,000 as part of income as the business community defers its strike, except for the Lahore Chamber that will press ahead with plans to close shops on Saturday. The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) postponed the strike for one month after meeting the government's economic team at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday. However, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), which was once considered close to the PML-N, announced that it would go on strike on July 19. LCCI President Mian Abuzar Shad said that his chamber would observe the strike due to rejection of its demand to defer the enforcement of the law for one month. The business community wants immediate withdrawal of the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) authority to arrest people on allegations of fraud, powers to add back 50% of cash expenditure above Rs200,000 to the income and depute taxmen in factories. It also demanded that the FBR's discretion to determine input adjustments and the enforcement of electronic invoicing should be suspended. In a meeting held at the PM Office on Monday, Shehbaz Sharif asked tax authorities to adopt a go-slow policy instead of swiftly enforcing the recently approved tax law, according to the government sources. They said that the PM was of the view that the FBR may gradually implement the condition of adding back the cash expenditure of over Rs200,000 to the income. The step has been taken in the budget to discourage the use of cash by traders and firms. According to new Section 21S and Q of the Income Tax Ordinance, 50% of the expenditure claimed in respect of sale where the taxpayer received payment exceeding Rs200,000 otherwise than through a banking channel or digital means against a single invoice containing one or more than one transactions of supply of goods or provision of services will be treated as income. Section 21(q) states whereby 10% of the claimed expenditure attributable to purchases made from persons who are not National Tax Number (NTN) holders shall be disallowed. However, the tax authorities were trying to find a mechanism to adopt a gradual approach as it would require amendment to the ordinance. One of the options was to issue an explanatory note but it would lack the binding legal force. Pakistan's leading business chambers on Tuesday again asked Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to immediately suspend the laws that authorise the arrest of taxpayers and penalise the use of cash. The government claimed that it could not suspend the law until the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was taken into confidence. Interestingly, last week the government bypassed the IMF to exempt taxes on sugar import. In a press note, the finance ministry said that an important meeting was held with representatives from the business community, chambers of commerce and traders' organisations. The meeting thoroughly discussed concerns over Section 37A and other related matters introduced under the Finance Act 2025. Aurangzeb assured the business community of the government's full cooperation, emphasising that the objective was to prevent large-scale tax fraud and not to harass legitimate and honest businesses. It was decided in the meeting that a committee would be formed under the chairmanship of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan. Besides government officials, the committee will also comprise nominated representatives from the business community. The committee will hold detailed consultations over 30 days and present a mutually agreed solution to the PM. After the meeting, FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh announced the postponement of the strike for one month. However, he was immediately interrupted by the LCCI president, who said that Lahore would observe the strike because of the rejection of its demand. The finance ministry first announced that the business community had postponed the strike but later it issued an amended version and deleted the sentence related to the strike. Suhail Altaf, representing the Rawalpindi Division, said that the government had assured that it would not create hurdles in the way of business activities until the matter was resolved by the committee. The FBR on Tuesday also issued new instructions to empower the district administration to seize cigarettes being sold without valid tax stamps.
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Businessmen slam punitive laws
Listen to article Pakistan's leading business chambers on Friday asked the government to immediately suspend the laws that authorise the arrest of taxpayers on allegations of fraud and penalise the use of cash for over Rs200,000 worth of business transactions or else they will begin an agitation campaign. The demands were made from the platform of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in the presence of Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani and members of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb did not attend the FPCCI meeting, where representatives of almost all the chambers and associations were present. The business community wants the immediate withdrawal of the FBR's authority to arrest people on allegations of fraud, powers to add back 50% of cash expenditure above Rs200,000 in income and depute taxmen in factories, said FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh. Sheikh demanded that the FBR's discretion to determine input adjustment and the enforcement of electronic invoicing should also be suspended. The government has taken these measures to minimise the use of cash in the economy and to crack down on tax fraud. "A thief will be called a thief but we will ensure that the law is not wrongly applied," said Minister of State Bilal Kayani while responding to demands from the business community. He stressed that those powers could not be suspended until the law was amended by parliament. "We may not agree with everything that the business community has demanded but discussions will continue in the coming days," said Kayani while indicating the government's resolve to withstand the pressure from the traders and business leaders. The easiest thing was that the government should have left the arrest powers in the hands of assistant commissioners but it introduced safeguards in it, said the minister of state. He added that the explanatory memorandum on budget would be issued on coming Tuesday, which should address some of their concerns. The FPCCI president said that the business community wanted to resolve the issue through negotiations but other participants of the meeting threatened to go on strike from July 19 if those powers were not withdrawn. Kayani said that there were many businesses that did formal transactions but there were others that dealt in cash and those should not be rewarded. According to new Section 21S and Q of the Income Tax Ordinance, 50% of the expenditure claimed in respect of sales, where the taxpayer received payment exceeding Rs200,000 otherwise than through a banking channel or digital means against a single invoice containing one or more than one transactions of supply of goods or provisions of services will be treated as income. Section 21(q) states that 10% of the claimed expenditure attributable to purchases made from persons who are not National Tax Number (NTN) holders shall be disallowed. These steps are taken to discourage the use of cash in business transactions. "People are extremely angry and it is getting difficult for us to control them," warned FPCCI Patron-in-Chief SM Tanveer. He said that the economy was passing through a difficult phase for the past two years and the government had chosen to harass taxpayers in the middle of this. "We do not want a strike on July 19 but the message from the government is that the FBR is the new NAB," said Sohail Altaf, a leading business leader from Rawalpindi. He warned that if the agitation began, it would be difficult for the government to reverse the negative perception. Saqib Fayyaz Chohan, another business leader, said that if the FBR did not withdraw the arrest powers and continued the implementation of e-invoicing, it would be difficult for them to move along. FBR Member Operations Hamid Ateeq Sarwar explained that those powers were only meant to be used against the people involved in tax fraud through fake sales tax invoices. He said that the adding-back income clause would also not impact return filing for tax year 2025 and any such question would be asked next year. Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association Chairman Sheikh Omar Rehan said that the FBR had deputed its staff in ghee factories that paid taxes at the import stage, urging them to withdraw the officers immediately. Sardar Tahir Iqbal, a representative of the real estate sector, said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman violated the prime minister's instructions and increased transfer fee charges from Rs250 per yard to 3% of the property value. He said that this single increase denied the benefit of reduction in withholding tax rates for the buyers of properties. Ajmal Baloch, who claimed that he had support of 12.5 million traders, threatened to go on strike if the powers to arrest and add-back income were not withdrawn immediately.
