Artemis Optical Links, 3GPP Release 21 Timeline, Bundled Fiber+Wireless Plans, and the Satellite D2D Spectrum Scramble Anshel Sag and Mike Dano discuss Artemis mission connectivity and imagery, including NASA’s Orion optical laser link (O2O) enabling 4K streams, iPhone selfies, and radiation damage to sensors, alongside brand visibility like Omega watches. They then review outcomes from a recent 3GPP meeting in Japan: 6G will begin with Release 21, with a Stage 1 freeze targeted for March 2027, and 5G standalone selected as the architectural baseline, with continued work on non-terrestrial networks. The hosts cover new U.S. convergence bundles, including AT&T’s One Connect (fiber plus wireless with BYOD and deprioritization caveats) and T-Mobile’s Mint-branded 5G Home Internet bundle. They debate AI RAN and base-station GPUs, citing skepticism from AT&T leadership and Nvidia’s push into inference, then note Tesla/SpaceX’s announced chip-fab partnership with Intel. Finally, they examine Grain Management’s plan to potentially lease 800 MHz spectrum for direct-to-device satellite services and question the true scale of the D2D consumer market.

00:00 Podcast Welcome and Weekend Catchup 00:53 Artemis Mission Highlights 01:20 Laser Link 4K Streaming 03:06 Space Selfies and Radiation 05:06 Brands Watches and Hype 06:13 6G Standards Update from Japan 11:39 SA Only Path to 6G 14:02 AT&T One Connect Bundle 16:45 Cable vs Telco Bundle Wars 19:24 AI RAN GPUs at the Edge 23:23 Inference Takes Over 23:49 GPUs in Base Stations 26:00 Carrier Reality Check 27:19 Where Compute Belongs 29:56 Timing the Edge Bet 30:40 Terra Fab Reality 31:46 Fab Timeline and Costs 33:47 Austin Supply Chain Logic 36:01 Space Data Center Skepticism 38:29 D2D Spectrum Leasing 42:19 Airlines and Spectrum Swaps 43:32 D2D Market Limits 45:32 Consolidation and 2030 Outlook 46:06 Wrap Up and Thanks

HP Go Expands, Comcast Edge AI Demos, MLB ABS Challenges, FCC Router Crackdown, Turkey 5G Launch, and Artemis II Moon Mission Anshel Sag and Mike Dano discuss six developments: HP’s Imagine 2026 updates expand HP Go cellular service beyond one Qualcomm EliteBook to multiple notebook tiers and add EU activation across 23 countries, alongside a more efficient Wolf Connect modem for out-of-band security/traceability. Mike recaps the shrinking Cable Next Gen event, highlighting Comcast’s Nvidia-enabled edge computing demos (real-time clothing overlays and lip-synced translation) and growing broadband competition from fixed wireless, fiber overbuilders like IQ Fiber, and Starlink. Anshel covers MLB’s commercial rollout of automated balls-and-strikes challenges using Sony Hawk-Eye with T-Mobile 5G. They react to an FCC move requiring waivers for foreign-made consumer Wi-Fi routers, framed as a security response, and debate consequences. Anshel notes Ubiquiti’s new tri-carrier 5G router and Turkey’s planned April 1 nationwide 5G launch with Turkcell. They close on satellite news and NASA’s accelerated lunar base timeline, with Artemis II’s crewed moon flyby mission next week. 00:00 Podcast Kickoff 00:21 HP Go Expands 02:25 Wolf Connect Update 03:41 Do 5G Laptops Matter 06:24 Cable Next Gen Takeaways 08:36 Cable Threats and Fiber 12:49 MLB Robo Ump Challenges 16:31 Fairness Versus Tradition 19:33 FCC Router Ban Shock 21:03 FCC Ruling Backlash 22:42 Router Vendors Impacted 23:32 Payola and Politics 24:26 Security Over Manufacturing 27:51 Ubiquiti 5G Router 28:18 Turkey Finally Gets 5G 30:25 Early Turkey Speed Data 31:59 Satellite Show and Moon Base 34:00 Artemis II Hype 36:24 Starlink Competition Outlook 39:20 Wrap Up and Subscribe

Anshel Sag and Mike Dano discuss highlights from Nvidia GTC 2026, focusing on Nvidia’s “AI Grid” concept for distributed GPU compute across telecom and cloud-edge partners including AT&T, T-Mobile, Comcast, Spectrum, Cisco, and Akamai, positioned as a broader revival of edge computing beyond AI RAN. They cover Bell’s plan to invest $1.7B in a Saskatchewan AI factory/data center emphasizing Canadian data sovereignty, with hardware funding from partners and expectations of improved EBITDA after buildout. Sag reviews OPPO’s Find N6 foldable with a crease-free display, flagship specs, and fast charging, while noting Samsung discontinued its $3,000 Galaxy Z trifold due to economics. Dano analyzes the Google Fiber–Astound Broadband merger as part of a U.S. fiber land grab, and they close on U.S. government interest in 6G for the 2028 LA Olympics, WRC 2027 spectrum politics in Shanghai, and 3GPP work around 7 GHz reuse of C-band cell grids.