Retail, Property, Manufacturing
Delivering services specifically tailored to your business needs
Our team support Retail, Property, and Manufacturing companies to create and execute strategies, and exceed their goals.
Cambridge Management Consulting offers a wide-ranging and comprehensive suite of services to support the Retail, Property, and Manufacturing industries. No matter the size or client-base, our team of global experts has decades of hands-on experience to offer guidance, coordination, and market knowledge at any stage—from designing your strategy to a full end-to-end delivery.
Our dedicated Retail, Property, and Manufacturing team has a wealth of expertise in turnaround, transformation, growth, and scale
Start-up or scale-up, turnaround or transformation, our team of experts will help you navigate the right path, support you through your business challenges, and maximise your company’s potential to achieve success.
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Case Study
Iceland Foods
Iceland Foods, one of the UK's best known supermarket chains with almost 1000 stores, required a carbon accounting platform to report and monitor all classes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Capturing data from all of Iceland's stores, food warehouses, distribution centres, and supply chain, our in-house carbon accounting platform, cero.earth, is helping Iceland to report their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, monitor their existing decarbonisation programmes, and build insight to create momentum across their whole portfolio and supply chain.
How we help our clients
Our team of experts has decades of experience delivering retail, property, and manufacturing support to both private and public companies
Turnaround, Transformation & Scale
Retail, Property, and Manufacturing companies often have a consistent driving force: growth. From catalysing a start-up to supporting a scale-up, we’ll help grow your business from any size. We’ll support you in navigating challenges and overcoming headwinds to ensure that your company’s transformation agenda is achieved.
Digital Transformation
Embracing digital transformation is crucial to your future business success and competitive advantage. Our experts will ensure that your systems are up-to-date, optimised, and future-proofed.
Procurement
Sourcing the necessary equipment, resources, and commodities for your business endeavours can be complex – whatever you require, our procurement specialists are the best in the business and experts in optimising suppliers and reducing costs.
Change Management
Any growth or scale-up programme inevitably involves preparing and adjusting for change; our change management experts can help to design the most comprehensive and seamless strategy, and support you with its implementation.
Market Strategies
There are two primary avenues for strategic growth - new regions and new markets. We have specialists to help strategise your business expansion in any direction, and support you in delivering profitable growth.
Cyber Security
An increasingly prevalent and powerful threat, organisations of any size and sector are vulnerable to cybercrime; our experts can make sure your systems are secure and resilient.
Retail, Property, Manufacturing
Case Studies
Implementing critical insights and innovative methodologies to add value at every stage The automotive industry is under intense cost pressure, a function of razor thin margins being generated by new energy vehicles (NEVs) and expensive legacy operations and processes. To address future profitability challenges being posed by an increasing portfolio of EV vehicles, automakers are reviewing opportunities to reduce costs across the operational landscape, and notably the sales process. The dealership model has been in place for over 100 years, however it is designed in a way that disadvantageous for both the car buyer and the OEM. This is because it is characterised by a lack of vehicle price transparency, a low trust relationship between buyers and dealers, and a process no longer representative of the digital service landscape that consumers have become accustomed to. Catalysed by new market entrants such as Tesla, the bricks and mortar sales model was ripe for disruption, something which was recognised by a German automotive manufacturer who sought out Daniel Fitzsimmons , expert in Change Management and the Automotive Industry at Cambridge Management Consulting, to optimise their sales agency model. The Ask A German automotive manufacturer, recognising the need to digitise the sales process and begin its journey to a more customer-centric sales model, and secure the subsequent financial benefits, engaged our Automotive partner to support its digital transformation and change management requirements. Spanning a complex stakeholder map involving 7 legal entities, 4 user journeys, 3 critical functions and 1000s of employees, Daniel Fitzsimmons was engaged to provide clarity and structure across the entire digital transformation process. Solutions Functioning as a coordinating mechanism across a fragmented vendor landscape, Daniel Fitzsimmons provided leadership, facilitating: E2E Customer Journey Mapping Dealer Journey Mapping Digital Touchpoint Mapping Customer-Centric Messaging Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement Data-driven Sales Mapping Change Management and Communication Daniel provided critical insights and enabling methodologies to support the OEM begin its journey to the direct-to-consumer sales model, and the definition and calculation of digital sales logic streams. Teams Daniel Fitzsimmons , as partner of our Change Management function, was able to engage stakeholders in identification and communication of a change imperative that created unity in the delivery of the programme. His experience in delivering best in industry digital journey solutions helped empower the OEM to achieve its stated objectives within budget and in advance of target deadlines. Outcomes & Results 1. Model Redesign Provided experience and leadership to the project delivery organisation, allowing senior OEM executives to give guidance, rather than being hands-on in the management of the initiative. 2. Optimised Communication Engaged the organisation in the project as well as clarifying their communication strategy. 3. Efficiency All of this was delivered on budget and on time, with an NPS of 96.
edenseven Supports Direct Wines’ Progress to Net Zero By providing a carbon assessment and supporting global supplier engagement. Direct Wines Ltd (Direct Wines) is an international and independent wine merchant which launched its first non-UK business in 2007 and currently has operations across the globe, with over 450 suppliers in their network and employing approximately 1,000 people. Direct Wines owns Laithwaite’s Wine and Averys in the UK, as well as owning and operating a number of their own vineyards and wine-making facilities in the UK, France, USA, and Australia. Direct Wines engaged edenseven, one of the Cambridge Management Consulting group of companies, to support the acceleration of their sustainability programme, with a clear focus on engaging their supply base. Project Overview To research the different techniques being adopted across the globe to sequester (store) carbon within the wine-growing community. The final report would need to show technical in-depth research and be summarised in a format to enable general circulation. Create a muti-language online questionnaire focussed on benchmarking Direct Wines’ supply chain engagement levels relating to decarbonisation. This analysis would be summarised and presented to the board. To create an engagement plan with key suppliers across multiple regions to provide a variety of consultative services to enable the acceleration of decarbonisation. Skills & Knowledge An environmental expert with an in-depth knowledge of carbon sequestration and best practice techniques. Digital capability to produce a multi-language questionnaire and host it on a separate domain to Direct Wines. A clear understanding of an appropriate questionnaire structure, which will product meaningful quantifiable data, while assuring a high response rate. Experience in delivering bespoke carbon reduction and benchmarking projects across different geographies. Outcome & Results Market Analysis : A structured research paper giving clear guidance on the methods used to sequester carbon across multiple regions. This gave Direct Wines a document which would be distributed to senior stakeholders and suppliers to help positively impact their overall Scope 3 emissions. Supply Chain Assessment : A clear benchmark of Direct Wines supply chains current understanding an progress to achieve net zero. This gave Direct Wines the ability to identify individual suppliers who needed support to move forward. Programme Development : The delivery of a programme of work across selected suppliers which consisted of carbon foot-printing assessment, renewable energy feasibility studies, best practice gap analysis, and data reviews.
Utilising our significant experience in procurement and contract management, Cambridge MC delivered £10m of savings on an addressable budget of £80m A large UK online retailer went through a downsizing exercise in the early part of 2023. This caused significant changes in demand, meaning that expenditure in many areas was far more than the business requirement. There were also instances where certain technologies were no longer required, but long-term contracts were in place that needed to be negotiated out. The goal of the project was to review all current vendor and supplier contracts, identify where savings could potentially be made, and then work with the procurement department to reduce the current level of expenditure to meet current business requirements. Our team was given a three-month deadline to make savings to the bottom line. Project Overview Cambridge MC was engaged on a three-month project to perform the following: Perform a deep dive on all vendor contracts against the current business. Establish priority saving areas and launch projects. Challenge demand and specification requirements. Build a cost reduction report. Engage in supplier negotiations in conjunction with the client's own procurement team. Produce weekly reports on cost savings achieved. Our experience in procurement, contract, and vendor management enabled us to completely meet the brief set out by the client which was to deliver significant bottom-line savings in a three-month turnaround. Specific Challenges Client had lost control of spend across the business. They had no awareness of what contracts had auto-renewed. They had signed long-term contracts. Some contracts had recently been extended for 24 months or longer. Due to downsizing, the volume of licenses for certain technologies were way above the actual requirement. Client had an inexperienced procurement team. Recent staff turnover meant that contract owners were no longer in the company. They had no contract management platform in place, resulting in contracts not being readily available. Most vendors were reluctant to renegotiate contracts at a lower cost to the business. Procurement had a process—not price—focus. Solutions Cambridge MC employed a data-driven analytical approach which prioritised target spend and volume data. All existing agreements and contracts were 'fair game'. We challenged what was the actual demand and specification, questioning whether what they have today is still relevant to what is needed now and in the future. After performing a deep analysis of all contracts, we entered into negotiations with vendors where the existing contracts did not meet the business requirement due to downsizing. Approach Vendors were allocated across the Cambridge MC team. Weekly all-day meetings at client's offices. Regular video conference calls to update progress. Engaged department heads as required. Outcomes & Results 1. Cost Savings In excess of £10m savings achieved off the bottom line. 2. Knowledge License requirements reduced to the correct level for the business. 3. Diligence Contracts managed far more closely. 4. Efficiency Procurement team coached to function more efficiently. 5. Commitment All contractual obligations were met.
Press Release: 25/01/2024 - Iceland Foods Limited (Iceland), one of the UK's best known supermarket chains with almost 1000 locations, has signed a long-term agreement with edenseven , one of the Cambridge Management Consulting group of companies, to report and monitor all classes of emissions through their online carbon reporting and management platform, cero.earth. Built by edenseven's in-house software engineers, cero.earth is a cloud-based carbon accounting and management platform that provides a complete view of a business' emissions and decarbonisation plan. Monitoring emissions across all three scopes, cero.earth gives a business a clear understanding of its current position against net zero targets, creates insights to identify areas where action is required, and uses the reporting functionality to help meet regulatory requirements. Capturing data from all of Iceland's stores, food warehouses, distribution centres, and supply chain, cero.earth will help Iceland to report their Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, monitor their existing decarbonisation programmes, and build insight to create momentum across their whole portfolio and supply chain. Pete Nisbet , Managing Partner of edenseven, said: "cero.earth has been built to give businesses like Iceland a resource which will help them make a material change to their overall emissions footprint and meet regulatory reporting requirements. With the seamless data input process, clear reporting functionality, and analytical support, cero.earth will free up Iceland's resources to focus on the deployment of programmes of work to deliver against their net zero ambitions." Graham Ireland, Head of Energy and Mechanical Services at Iceland, said: "As a proud signatory of The Climate Pledge and with a target for our own operations and supply chain to be net zero by 2040, Iceland has a clear focus on emission reduction. At Iceland, we believe that every business has a responsibility to take action against climate change and reduce its carbon footprint. Using a resource like cero.earth will allow us to easily report on all 3 Scopes of emissions, enabling Iceland to achieve our targets through clear insight and easy project tracking, as well as helping to meet regulatory reporting requirements." About edenseven edenseven is a sustainability consultancy and technology provider that uses data and market experience to enable companies and their supply chains to play their part in tackling climate change while achieving sustainable growth. edenseven uses the combined power of data, advanced analytics, and pragmatic project management to help companies baseline their current status, identify improvement opportunities in the short, medium, and long terms, and plan and implement those opportunities. For more information, visit our website: www.edenseven.co.uk About Iceland Foods Limited Iceland is one of Britain's fastest-growing and most innovative retailers, recognised as one of the best companies to work for in the UK. Iceland seeks to build a growing, profitable, and responsible business that does the right thing for their colleagues and customers, the communities they serve, the planet, and future generations. Iceland has almost 1000 locations across the UK.
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The Naze is a unique headland that extends northwards from the seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze. Derived from the old English word ‘naes’ meaning promontory or, quite literally, nose, the Naze is the most easterly peninsula in Essex. The Naze's extensive tidal creeks, islands, and salt marshes form part of the 2000 acre Hamford Water National Nature, a wetland of international importance for migratory birds. This evocative landscape was the inspiration for Arthur Ransome's 'Secret Water’, part of the Swallows and Amazons series. The Naze cliffs are a designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Just a short stroll along the beach offers glimpses into its rich natural history, with sharks’ teeth, shells, and fossils scattered along the shore. The cliffs offer a fascinating strata, including London Clay formed about 50 million years ago in a subtropical sea and sands called the Red Crag from about 3 million years ago. The Naze is also home to a diverse collection of wildlife. It is home to migratory and nesting birds such as the Dark Bellied Brent Goose, Sedge Warbler, and Whitethroat. There is also a large colony of seals. They can be seen sunbathing on mudflats in the backwaters or bobbing about in the waves. Beyond its environmental significance, the Naze is vital to the local community and visitors. It attracts 200,000 visitors each year. The Hamford Water area also provides local employment with a marine industry supporting 200 jobs for Walton, light industrial sites, and farmland contributing to the local economy. Coastal landscapes like the Naze are increasingly recognised for their intangible cultural value, providing communities with wellbeing and mental health benefits. The iconic Naze Tower, a Grade 2* listed navigation mark built in 1720, is a beloved landmark offering museum exhibits, an art gallery, a cafe, and educational visits about the history, geology, and erosion of the Naze. Coast Under Threat Unfortunately, this invaluable environment is under significant threat from coastal erosion. For many years, the rate of erosion was measured at 1.5 metres per year. Yet, in the last ten years, this has accelerated to between 3-5 metres in some areas. Extreme winter weather and tidal events, often compounded by surge events, drive much of this erosion. Heavy rain saturates the cliffs, causing increased slumping, while high tides with greater wave energy claw away soft cliff sediments. Beach sands are also constantly moving along the exposed shoreline. The soft sediment layers in the cliffs become waterlogged and wash out in the winter, leading to collapse that is then swept away by the sea. Even without sea effects, the cliffs are inherently unstable due to soil behaviour and stress changes. The policy on open coasts allows erosion, and government funding for sea defence typically focuses on protecting property, which the Naze, as an open coast area, does not normally qualify for. At this accelerated rate, the north end of the Naze could be lost to the sea within ten years. This would mean the sea breaching into Hamford Water, permanently changing tidal flow and impacting the fragile salt marshes, wildlife, and all who enjoy and visit this environment. The accelerated erosion is already impacting areas near existing structures. Naze Protection Society In response to these threats, the Naze Protection Society (NPS) was established in April 1997 as a registered charity. The NPS is community-focused, representing local residents and visitors. Their task is to promote the issues, work to define solutions, attract community commitment, and guide the delivery of securing the future of the Naze. They believe proactive intervention is required. The society works through partnerships, bringing together experience, resources, and determination. From 1997 to 2010, they promoted the Crag Walk project, which was built between 2010 and 2011. This rock revetment was designed to secure the Naze Tower cliff frontage. The NPS raised £250,000 from the local community and visitors as the catalyst for the £1.2 million project, which also involved Tendring District Council (TDC), Frinton and Walton Town Council, and Essex Wildlife Trust. The NPS is now setting a new fundraising target of £25,000 a year to deliver soft-engineered structures and build resilience into the whole of the north beach area. They aim to reduce the erosion rate back to 1m/year average and provide resilience against climate change impacts between 2025-2050. Saving The Naze: The Cliffline Project To update the community on their efforts and plans, the NPS is holding the Saving The Naze: The Cliffline Project event. This community event, aligned with World Environment Day, will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025 , from 10am to 3pm at The Columbine Centre in Walton-on-the-Naze. The event aims to set out the NPS approach to the Cliffline Project, focusing on an affordable plan to slow erosion. It involves valuing everything the Naze and Hamford Water contribute to the community, wildlife, economy, and peace, and developing a plan using science, local expertise, and passion to adapt to the challenges of climate change. To find out more, see the full agenda and reserve a space, visit the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saving-the-naze-the-cliffline-project-tickets-1267463420209?aff=oddtdtcreator How You Can Help the Naze The Naze Protection Society relies on community support to carry out its work. You can help protect this unique environment for local people and visitors for future generations to enjoy. Join: Become a member today for only £10 per year: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/become-a-member/ Volunteer: Contribute your time and skills to help preserve the Naze: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/get-involved/ Donate: Make a one-off donation to support the work of the Naze Protection Society. Your donation helps raise funds to promote and develop solutions to save this environment of unique historical and environmental importance: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/donate/ Follow: Join them on social media to keep up to date with their work. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To find out more about joining, volunteering, or donating, please visit the Naze Protection Society website: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/ If you have any other questions, please use the form below.
Pioneering Technologies for the Future of Urban Transformation Smart cities might sound like a utopian vision from the 1950s; something that sounds already out-of-date and perhaps even naive in our current geopolitical climate. But as urban spaces gradually implement a a series of technological leaps, the smart city emerges as a potential reality, offering a new way to unite communications with infrastructure via real-time feedback. Smart cities could dramatically enhance our quality of life, efficiency, and environmental stewardship. Given that cities are significant contributors to global emissions — responsible for approximately 70% of greenhouse gases — they will play a critical role in reaching net zero. Reflecting insights from the last Smart City Expo in Barcelona (November 2024) and a range of ambitious projects across the UK, this article delves into the strategic alignment of technology, infrastructure, and sustainability shaping today's urban landscapes. What Defines a Smart City? A smart city is fundamentally ‘a municipality that uses information and communication technology to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public, and improve the quality of government services and citizen welfare.’ While definitions vary, the overarching mission is to optimise city functions, drive economic growth, and enhance the quality of life through technology and data analysis. Smart city initiatives typically require three critical components: Networks of sensors and citizen participation to collect data Connectivity linking these networks to government systems Open data sharing to make results, changes, and improvements accessible to the public Developing this underlying infrastructure is complex and expensive. Crucially, it depends on strong relationships between government, the private sector, and citizens, as most of the work to create and maintain these data-driven environments happens through collaboration and public-private partnerships.
Edge computing, 5G, IoT and AI are contributing to a paradigm shift in retail that will imagine new possibilities made commercially viable by real-time data processing. In this article, we look at the convergence of these technologies and how they will offer a radical new vision of our high street by offering customers exciting new experiences that can rejuvenate in-store shopping and retail spaces. First, in Part 1, we look briefly at each technology and discuss the technical advantages they offer and how this supports new types of customer experience. Then in Part 2 we look at industry predictions about how the retail space might evolve over the next decade. Part I Edge Computing Edge computing involves processing data near its source rather than in a centralised location. In retail, this means deploying IT infrastructure in or near store venues where consumers interact with products. This ecosystem enables real-time decision-making and personalised customer experiences by analysing data from sensors and IoT devices within the store. Edge computing is a concept that applies to an integrated network of processing units, data centres and sensors that handle data close to the user. Micro Data Centres The compute part of edge computing needs to be housed in proper data centre facilities, to ensure that the expensive server equipment, especially those used by AI systems, are kept in the optimum conditions — this helps keep maintenance and operational costs down. Even though edge compute systems can be relatively compact, retailers will mostly be unwilling to give up valuable floor space for the IT equipment and its associated infrastructure (like cooling and electrical systems), so the more likely scenario is that smaller data centres will be used that can be located close by but in back-of-house areas, such as loading bays, car parks, warehouse areas and so on. These will often be operated as cloud services so that multiple retailers can benefit from edge compute without having to bear the upfront capital cost, and, most importantly, the ongoing maintenance required to keep them operational. 5G 5G networks offer high-speed connectivity and low latency, which are crucial for supporting advanced retail technologies like augmented reality (AR) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The increased bandwidth allows for seamless integration of online and offline shopping experiences, enabling features like virtual try-ons and real-time product comparisons. This connectivity supports personalised marketing strategies that take place in real time and deliver targeted promotions in store. Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected devices, machines, and sensors that collect, store, and transfer data over the internet. These devices are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to communicate with each other and with other internet-enabled systems. IoT plays a crucial role in enhancing the retail experience by providing real-time data on customer behaviours, security risks, buying preferences, inventory supply levels and daily operations. IoT devices will principally include cameras but also a range of other sensors such as RFID tags and smart shelves.
How to Connect Rural Britain and the Hardest-to-Reach Customers The lack of rural connectivity in the UK has become a pressing issue , creating a digital divide that impacts individuals, businesses and farmers. Modern society relies on digital services, and the lack of access to reliable, high-speed internet is a pervasive social issue that results in digital exclusion for communities, depriving them of fundamental services like online banking, health care, and education. This lack of access has a further impact on social mobility, particularly when around 37% of workers in the UK spend at least one day a week working remotely. In 2021 the Public Accounts Committee published a report on improving broadband which states ‘1.6 million UK premises, mainly in rural areas, cannot yet access superfast [internet] speeds’. Since then, we are happy to report that there has been some progress. As of early 2025, approximately 98% of all UK households have access to high-speed broadband (defined as speeds of 30 Mbps or higher) . In rural areas, that figure is 89% — a decent improvement in the last few years. However, the gap is larger when we consider gigabit speeds: only 52% of rural households can connect to gigabit-capable broadband, compared to 87% in urban areas There is still a significant gap to plug, but things are moving in the right direction. This allows the focus to shift, in part, to the next phase: establishing a modern digital infrastructure which can support a digital-first strategy in public services, as well as encouraging local innovation, such as smart city programmes. The hope is that this infrastructure will drive inward investment which then create a virtuous circle, where as more infrastructure is built, more innovative businesses are attracted to the region, which in turn drives demand for more advanced infrastructure. In this article we look at the improvements in rural connectivity and the programmes and innovations which are most likely to have a social impact.
What are Nature-based Solutions? Nature-Based Solutions can deliver multiple benefits in single locations, delivering greater impact for people, planet, and profit, and moving ESG from being just another cost to a competitive advantage. Today in the ESG space companies are expected to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption, impacts on biodiversity, air, and water quality, and how their activities affect not only their staff but the communities they operate within. As a result, many companies now measure their impacts, and some employ companies to mitigate or offset their residual effects; however, this outsourcing approach is often costly and inefficient; with each residual effect mitigated or offset separately, uncertainty about the delivery or impact of the work, and delivery in other regions of the world meaning wider benefits are missed. The Business Case for Nature-based Solutions These costs and inefficiencies can be overcome however by mitigating and offsetting multiple residual effects at once by delivering Nature-Based Solutions on company land and buildings, or within the communities they serve. For example, creation or restoration of local grasslands, woodlands or wetlands would deliver carbon and biodiversity credits, water nutrient and air quality improvements, and reduced flood, drought, and wildfire risks in the areas where your company operates and your staff and customers live. Delivering these multiple impacts removes the costs of awarding and managing multiple contracts with different companies, whilst the schemes localness provides certainty of delivery and impact, and wider benefits including new local partnerships, provision of accessible natural greenspace improving staff and community health and wellbeing, and an enhanced corporate image and reputation. With ESG moving rapidly to the top of the social and political agenda the breadth and depth of ESG related disclosures that are required will only grow, so now is the best time to consider how you can deliver these more efficiently and impactfully through Nature-Based Solutions, positioning yourselves as a market leader and making this a key strand of your competitive advantage. Key Steps your Businesses should Take: Step 1: Evaluation of the measurement and management of environmental and social impacts Review of strategies, targets, costs, and impacts of existing approaches to measuring, addressing, and reporting on environmental and social impacts, including gathering stakeholder insights, and reviewing available resources, capabilities, assets, to identify where Nature-Based Solutions could be delivered. Step 2: Exploration of Nature-Based Solution delivery options Identification and assessment of Nature-Based Solution locations that deliver against company needs, including delivery and maintenance costs, partnership opportunities and appetite, and the potential for additional company benefits. Step 3: Delivery of Nature-Based Solutions Engage ESG team, local community, partners and contractors in detailed design and delivery of Nature-Based Solutions, develop and implement maintenance, monitoring, and governance protocols, collate and communicate lessons learnt, celebrate successes. How We can Help edenseven is the sustainability-focused sister-consultancy of Cambridge MC with an award-winning track record of helping businesses design and deliver data-driven sustainability strategies. With experts covering a wide range of sustainability subjects, from biodiversity & nature-based solutions, to electric vehicle fleet solutions, power purchase agreements (PPA), low carbon technologies, building optimisation, supply chain management, and end-to-end business transformation, we have experienced experts ready to help with any of your sustainability needs. With over 15 years' delivering nature-based solutions, Adam’s experience cuts across the public, private and third sectors having delivered time and again place-based solutions that increase profit whilst benefiting people and planet; the triple bottom line. Please get in touch below to find out more.
"Is it Snowing in Space?!" “Is it snowing in space?!” Asks a disgruntled Bill Murray in the film Groundhog Day when he is told that he cannot call out from the snowbound town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If there is a remake, Bill might not have to worry: signal dead zones may soon be a thing of the past due to recent advancements in satellite technology. Whereas the old picture of satellite communications was a scientist in the wilderness with a big clunky antenna, these days the technological payload is all in space. Recent advancements such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, advanced beamforming, and the use of mobile spectrum bands means that any phone supporting 4G LTE can potentially receive satellite data directly. This integration of satellite and terrestrial networks is set to reshape the mobile industry, creating both opportunities and challenges for traditional mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). In this article we give an overview of the technological advancements, the major players in the market, and then consider the effects this will have on traditional wholesale mobile market structures; concluding with the emerging opportunities for new revenue and growth. The Evolution of Satellite Connectivity Historically, satellite communications operated independently from terrestrial networks, serving specialised markets with limited scalability and high entry barriers. However, recent advancements, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology, have dramatically altered this scenario. The most well-known example is obviously SpaceX, which has played a pivotal role in democratising space: reducing barriers to entry and making satellite connectivity more scalable, performant, and accessible. SpaceX and other companies have found innovative ways to dramatically reduce costs. Since Sputnik 1 in 1957, launching payloads into space has been prohibitively expensive, with costs exceeding $100,000 per kilogram in the 1960s and averaging $16,000/kg for heavy payloads from 1970 to 2010. SpaceX’s innovations have brought these costs down through reusable rockets, vertical integration, economies of scale, and advancements in materials and manufacturing processes: leading to price points as low as $100 per kilogram in recent years. However, cost is just one of the barriers. The real gambit has been provided by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which typically orbit at altitudes ranging from approximately 160 to 2,000 km and offer low-latency, high-speed connectivity — making them ideal for real-time applications and direct-to-device communications. The latest generation of technologies now enable LTE mobile phones to connect directly to satellites without specialised hardware, marking a significant milestone in mobile communications. The Major Satellite-to-Cell Players While SpaceX's Starlink has garnered the most attention, several other major companies are actively developing satellite-to-cell technologies and forming strategic partnerships with terrestrial mobile operators. As of April 2024, Starlink had established 15 partnerships with mobile carriers globally — including T-Mobile in the US. T-Mobile has structured its beta program to begin with text messaging capabilities, gradually expanding to include picture messages, data connectivity, and eventually voice calls. As of February 2025, it is reported that 7,086 Starlink satellites are in orbit, with 7,052 being operational. AST SpaceMobile has emerged as a significant innovator, achieving a historic milestone in April 2023 with the first-ever two-way voice call directly with an unmodified smartphone, via their BlueWalker 3 satellite. AST SpaceMobile launched its first five commercial satellites, the BlueBird 1-5 mission, on September 12, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Lynk Global represents another significant player. In a recent expense report, it revealed that each satellite costs around $400,000 to build and up to $815,000 to launch into space. They hope to have up to 1000 satellites (for full continuous broadband coverage) in orbit by 2025 and 32 mobile network operator (MNO) partnerships by the end of 2025. The company has successfully demonstrated text messaging capabilities from satellites to standard cellular devices and continues to expand its constellation and service offerings. Huawei has partnered with China Telecom to demonstrate satellite-to-phone messaging capabilities, while Apple has worked with Globalstar to implement emergency satellite messaging features in recent iPhone models. Implications for Traditional Wholesale Mobile Market Structures Traditionally, the wholesale mobile market has been structured around MNOs, MVNOs, and wholesale aggregators. Revenue streams have typically included MVNO wholesale pricing, and IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions. However, the rise of satellite-to-cell technology poses potential threats to this established model. Disintermediation of MNOs and MVNOs Satellite-to-cell connectivity introduces the potential for disintermediation, where control traditionally held by MNOs could become fragmented across multiple parties in the value chain. As satellite providers increasingly offer direct-to-device services, traditional operators risk losing their central role in network management and customer relationships. Pricing Pressure on Wholesale Markets The increased availability and competition from satellite connectivity providers could exert downward pressure on wholesale pricing. As satellite services become more affordable and accessible, traditional wholesale providers may face challenges in maintaining their pricing structures and profitability. Competitive Pressure in IoT and Enterprise Applications Satellite connectivity is particularly well-suited for IoT and enterprise applications, especially in remote or challenging environments. As satellite-to-cell technology matures, traditional wholesale providers may face intensified competition in these segments, necessitating strategic adjustments to remain competitive. Emerging Opportunities in Satellite-to-Cell Connectivity Despite these challenges, the integration of satellite connectivity into mobile networks also presents substantial opportunities for innovation and growth. Forward-thinking operators can leverage satellite-to-cell technology to develop new business models and revenue streams. Hybrid Terrestrial-Satellite Subscription Models Providing Ubiquitous Connectivity Operators can offer hybrid subscription plans that seamlessly integrate terrestrial and satellite connectivity. Such models provide customers with uninterrupted coverage, enhancing user experience and creating differentiated service offerings. Wholesale Satellite Resale for MVNOs Satellite-to-cell technology opens new avenues for MVNOs to expand their service portfolios. By reselling satellite connectivity, MVNOs can offer enhanced coverage and reliability, particularly in underserved or remote regions, thereby attracting new customer segments. IoT and Enterprise-Focused Applications Satellite connectivity is a natural fit for IoT and enterprise applications, such as remote monitoring, asset tracking, and industrial automation. Mobile operators can forge strategic partnerships with satellite providers to deliver specialised solutions for these markets, tapping into new revenue opportunities. Emergency-Only and Disaster Recovery Plans Satellite-to-cell technology can play a crucial role in emergency and disaster recovery scenarios, providing a reliable backup to terrestrial networks when they are unavailable or overwhelmed. Operators can develop emergency-only plans that leverage satellite connectivity to ensure critical communications during crises. Conclusion Satellite-to-cell technology represents a convergence of space and terrestrial communications systems that promises to fundamentally alter global connectivity markets and players. The dramatic reduction in launch costs by a factor of 20 has enabled the deployment of massive satellite constellations that were previously economically unfeasible. The competitive landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile, and Lynk, and traditional telecommunications companies all pursuing various technological approaches and business models. Commercial text messaging services are already becoming available through beta programs, with video calling capabilities demonstrated and voice calls progressing toward wider availability. The integration of 5G standards with satellite networks continues to advance through collaborative industry initiatives, with projections of a $50 billion market by 2032. As this technology continues to mature throughout 2025 and beyond, it promises to eliminate mobile dead zones and create new application possibilities that were previously unimaginable. The future of mobile communications is undoubtably hybrid: blending terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks into seamless connectivity solutions that follow users wherever they go. This has wide reaching implications for connectivity in remote and isolated regions, and offers perhaps the fastest and most cost-efficient route to bridging the digital divide. It will also transform how we respond in disaster zones and hazardous areas — increasing the ability to protect and save lives with faster and safer humanitarian and emergency services.
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