Nigeria Grants Satellite Permits to Kuiper, BeetleSat and Satelio

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Nigeria has issued seven-year satellite permits to Kuiper Systems, Israel’s NSLComm (via BeetleSat) and Germany-based Satelio IoT Services, expanding the list of operators approved to provide space-based broadband in Africa’s largest telecoms market.

The Nigerian Communications Commission said the licences were granted under its commercial satellite communications framework, aimed at attracting investment and accelerating next-generation non-geostationary satellite (NGSO) services.

Under the approvals, Amazon’s Project Kuiper can provide Ka-band services in Nigeria from February 2026 to February 2033 using its planned 3,236-satellite constellation. NSLComm received clearance for its 264-satellite BeetleSat-1 network, while Satelio IoT was approved for a planned 491-satellite system, with one satellite currently in orbit.

The move places the companies alongside SpaceX, which already operates Starlink in Nigeria, and supports the regulator’s goal of rapidly expanding satellite broadband access.

Japan Probes Musk’s Grok AI Over Inappropriate Images

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Japan has launched a probe into X and its AI chatbot Grok, becoming the latest country to scrutinise the service over the generation of inappropriate images linked to Elon Musk.

Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said the Cabinet Office has asked X to implement immediate improvements but has yet to receive a response. She warned that Japan would consider “all possible options, including legal measures,” if the situation does not improve.

Developer xAI said this week it had updated Grok to restrict editing of images of real people in revealing clothing and to block such image generation in jurisdictions where it is illegal, without naming specific countries.

Japan’s move follows similar actions by the UK and Canada, as regulators worldwide seek to curb Grok’s ability to generate sexualised images of women and minors. Malaysia and Indonesia have already temporarily blocked access to the chatbot over explicit content concerns.

AI Hyperscalers Seen Driving Surge in U.S. Corporate Bond Supply in 2026

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U.S. corporate bond issuance is set to rise sharply in 2026, with artificial intelligence hyperscalers expected to be a major driver as they ramp up spending on data centres and computing power, analysts say.

According to a report from Barclays, total U.S. corporate bond issuance could reach $2.46 trillion in 2026, up nearly 12% from $2.2 trillion in 2025. Net issuance is forecast at $945 billion, a 30% increase from last year, with AI-related capital expenditure seen as the biggest upside risk.

Barclays said the rise in supply would be driven less by financial firms and more by non-financial companies, particularly large AI-focused technology groups that may need to fund “jumbo” bond deals to support rapid expansion.

The five major AI hyperscalers — Amazon, Google, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Oracle — issued about $121 billion in U.S. corporate bonds last year, far above their 2020–2024 average of $28 billion, according to BofA Securities.

BofA expects hyperscaler borrowing to accelerate further, estimating the group could raise around $140 billion a year over the next three years, potentially exceeding $300 billion annually. That would put them on par with the largest U.S. banks as bond issuers and make them some of the biggest names in the investment-grade market.

Hyperscalers already dominated issuance in 2025. According to MUFG, four of the five largest U.S. high-grade bond deals last year came from AI-driven tech firms, including Oracle’s $18 billion sale and Meta’s $30 billion deal — the largest ever non-M&A investment-grade bond offering.

The surge in supply has begun to widen credit spreads, pushing investors to hedge AI-related risks through credit default swaps. MUFG data shows the cost of insuring hyperscaler debt has risen since mid-2025, with Oracle’s five-year CDS more than tripling since its September bond sale.