Satellites have evolved, thanks to SpaceX's Starlink and incomer AST SpaceMobile pumping out high-speed broadband and [1]cellular services for everyday phones delivered from low Earth orbit (LEO) hardware.

Satellite phone tech coming to your mobe this year – but who pays for it? [2]READ MORE

And troubled French tech titan Atos is hitching a ride, rolling out a next-gen satellite monitoring platform it's pitching to operators to allow them to manage digital comms systems, while providing regulators with greater visibility and control over spectrum use.

[3]SkyMon NG was developed by Eviden, the professional services subsidiary of Atos, which comprises its digital, cloud, big data and security divisions. The tool was created with a virtualized ground station feature that lets satellite operator allocate frequency resources where needed.

The evolution of satellite tech for cellphones has shifted from static payloads to more complex software-defined systems which need monitoring tools able to support dynamic, reconfigurable behavior, according to Eviden.

The SkyMon NG set offers a phased approach for the upgrade from legacy systems, says the tech giant, meaning a reduced need for lift and shift infrastructure upgrades. Operators should be able to re-use existing servers and infrastructure, it promises, theoretically helping to keep costs down while gaining new capabilities.

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"With the ability to monitor high-throughput and beam hopping satellites, and its cloud-ready architecture, SkyMon NG ensures efficient use of satellite resources, providing a strategic edge for operators looking to optimize satellite performance in variable-demand environments," Eviden's Head of Aerospace & Defense Electronics, Mission-Critical Systems, Bruno Milard, said in a statement.

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Eviden's parent Atos recently [7]hired Philippe Salle , the seventh CEO at the troubled IT giant in three years. The integrator itself is still undergoing a difficult restructuring process after [8]securing funding for a rescue plan with a group of its banks and bondholders last year.

Starlink in the UK?

Meanwhile, Britain's telco watchdog Ofcom is consulting on a [9]proposal to grant temporary fixed-term licenses to Musk-run Starlink. This means the satellite slinger will be able to use E band frequencies at three Earth gateway stations in the UK.

Starlink currently offers the only direct-to-consumer non-geostationary satellite service in the country, and the move will allow Starlink to up the capacity of its services to support more consumers and biz customers, Ofcom said.

The E band (which covers 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz) is currently not available in the UK for use by gateways, but Starlink requested this because of capacity constraints on its UK operations.

[10]Good luck to Atos' 7th CEO and its latest biz transformation

[11]EuroHPC lines up AI upgrade for Leonardo supercomputer

[12]Atos denies Space Bears' ransomware claims – with a 'but'

[13]Eviden wins €60M Finnish supercomputing award amid Atos turmoil

If granted, the temporary authorizations would be subject to technical conditions for the protection of existing services in and adjacent to the E band, including the Fixed Service for point-to-point wireless links and the Earth Exploration Satellite Service (passive).

Anyone wishing to respond to the consultation can find the [14]proposal [PDF] here, and submit responses using the consultation [15]response form [ODT], no later than 5pm on June 27. ®

Get our [16]Tech Resources



[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/10/satellite_phone_service/

[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/10/satellite_phone_service/

[3] https://eviden.com/solutions/mission-critical-systems/satellite-payload-monitoring/

[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aDbetls9Y8CBTdjUR5j0JAAAAVg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aDbetls9Y8CBTdjUR5j0JAAAAVg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aDbetls9Y8CBTdjUR5j0JAAAAVg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/atos_transformation_7/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/15/atos_secures_funding_for_rescue/

[9] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/space-and-satellites/consultation-proposal-to-grant-temporary-licences-to-starlink-services-llc-to-use-71-76-ghz-and-81-86-ghz-for-ngso-gateway-earth-stations

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/16/atos_transformation_7/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/14/eurohpc_inks_deal_for_ai/

[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/04/atos_denies_space_bears_ransomware/

[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/eviden_finland_supercomputer/

[14] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-3-4-weeks/consultation-temporary-ngso-gateway-access-to-e-band/consultation-proposal-to-grant-temporary-licences-to-starlink-services-llc-to-use-71-76-ghz-and-81-86-ghz.pdf?v=397763

[15] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-3-4-weeks/consultation-temporary-ngso-gateway-access-to-e-band/response-form.odt?v=397727

[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/