- Drivers would pay for NTN-enabled in-car connectivity – report - AT&T will light up its 600MHz spectrum with Ericsson radios - Hispasat lands major Iris2 deal In today’s industry news roundup: A survey conducted by Viasat and the 5GAA has found wides[read willingness among drivers to pay extra for satellite-delivered in-car connectivity; AT&T has turned to Ericsson for the radios that will help it deliver services over its newly-acquired 600MHz spectrum; Spain’s Hispasat has landed a major contract from Europe’s Iris2 satellite programme; and much more! A survey conducted by satellite communications company Viasat and the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) has found that 76% of drivers experience signal loss while on the road every week, while a similar number (75%) would be willing to pay for in-car connectivity. The survey results, published in a new report, NTN in Automotive, found that some drivers said they spend more than four hours a week on the road without signal. Geography has a significant impact however. For example, 66% of Indonesian drivers said they spend at least an hour per week without signal, which is double the figure recorded in France. Drivers in India and Brazil also experienced similar challenges and this correlates with willingness to pay for satellite-based connectivity, with those three countries leading the way, according to Viasat’s study. The study covered 10 markets – Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US – and included 1,606 respondents, who were all current car owners or held a lease to a vehicle. The ability to make emergency calls was the connectivity capability most important to the surveyed drivers, followed by local hazard and traffic information, with infotainment ranking third. For more on the report, see this press release. AT&T has turned to Ericsson to deploy uplink-boosting