In a series of recent changes, global technology and regulatory landscapes are undergoing important shifts due to corporate decisions, new medical breakthroughs, and a change in government policy. These events range from satellite broadband agreements to regulatory reforms, indicating a fresh wave of innovation and oversight.
A noteworthy action has come from Australia’s state-owned broadband provider, NBN Co, which has chosen Amazon’s emerging Project Kuiper to deliver internet access to 300,000 remote homes and businesses. This decision holds significance as it replaces Elon Musk‘s popular Starlink service. NBN’s Chief Development Officer, Gavin Williams, acknowledged the risks involved, saying that Amazon’s service had not yet launched, either in Australia or worldwide. However, he pointed out Amazon’s substantial $15 billion investment in the project. Financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, but it will replace two government-owned satellites that are set to be decommissioned in 2032 with low-Earth orbit satellites.
At the same time, another of Elon Musk’s ventures, Neuralink, is broadening its reach into the UK. The company is preparing to launch its first clinical trial there, in partnership with University College London Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals. This trial will test brain chip implants in patients with spinal cord injuries and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These implants are meant to enable paralyzed individuals to control digital and physical devices using only their thoughts. This move follows a recent capital raise of $650 million, which brought Neuralink’s total funding to around $1.3 billion and its valuation to $9 billion. The company, which received FDA approval in 2024, currently has five patients involved in ongoing US trials. The start of these human trials came after Neuralink addressed initial safety concerns that had led to the rejection of its 2022 application.
On the financial side, Microsoft has achieved an important milestone with its market capitalization surpassing $4 trillion for the first time after a rise in its share price. This makes Microsoft only the second company to reach this valuation, following Nvidia, which achieved the same earlier in the month. The software giant’s revenue grew by 18%, its fastest growth in over three years, largely due to its Azure cloud services. The company revealed for the first time that its Azure and other cloud services exceeded $75 billion in fiscal 2025, marking a 34% increase from the previous year. This performance stands in contrast to Apple, whose market capitalization is at $3.2 trillion, as its shares have dropped 17% this year due to investor worries about its perceived lag in AI development.
Lastly, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has indicated a major regulatory shift. The commission has announced the creation of an AI task force to review disclosure requirements and risks of market manipulation. At the same time, it has laid out detailed plans for the cryptocurrency market. SEC Chair Paul Atkins introduced “Project Crypto,” which will involve developing guidelines to determine when tokens should be treated as securities and establishing frameworks for their trading. The recommendations from a cryptocurrency working group seem to motivate these efforts, marking a significant shift from previous policies. This move, which comes after the dropping of lawsuits against major crypto firms, satisfies campaign promises made by the current administration.
