If you own stocks of telcos which are piping data via GSM, remember what those telcos did to CDMA companies (they destroyed them). I have written that the biggest risk to GSM and broad terrestrial operators is when satellite-based operators could deliver direct-to-cell services. Yes, your normal-like smartphone will have satellite capabilities like the Huawei Mate 60 Pro at scale:
“Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service Starlink has announced plans to roll out a direct-to-cell service in 2024. On its webpage, Starlink wrote that the soon-to-be-launched feature will use its satellites to enable users with access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever they may be, either on land, lakes, or coastal waters.”
This is a new basis of competition and many terrestrial phone operators will struggle to compete by 2026. Those fat profits in Africa will fade because the satellite operators will challenge them at scale across all domains and territories.
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