Satellite News articles from December 2005

Satellite News archives from December 2005

Can Loral Emerge As A Significant Player In the North American Market?(Loral Space and Communications Ltd.)
December 5, 2005... Now that it has emerged from bankruptcy, Loral Space & Communications can focus on growing the company, with a return to the North American services market one of the possible avenues. Satellite industry observers have mixed thoughts...

Building A Strong Distance Learning Offering.(using satellite networks)(trends in employee training)(Column)
December 5, 2005... With its roots firmly planted in the broadcast industry, satellites are perfectly suited for offering enterprise distance learning applications that allow the training of employees at various sites simultaneously. And for the companies that...

At Press Time: Intelsat, APT To Jointly Serve Asia Pacific Region.(APT Satellite Holdings Ltd. and Intelsat Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Intelsat Ltd. and APT Satelite Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of APT Satellite Holdings Ltd., announced Dec. 2 a strategic cooperation agreement to work together using their combined satellite fleets. The two companies agreed to market each other's...

Spotlight: Helping Divers Find The Best Spots.(DiveSpots.com)
December 5, 2005... Sometimes, innovative applications are those that just take readily available information and package it in a way that serves a community of users. Such is the case of DiveSpots.com, a Web site that incorporates GPS data along with satellite...

European Satellite Pay-TV Operators Quarterly Update.
December 5, 2005... As we approach the end of 2005, satellite pay-TV operators are faced with numerous challenges in their bid to improve subscriber numbers and average revenue per user (ARPU) figures, and 2006 is shaping up to be a pivotal year. Many...

France Telecom Shopping Its Satellite Communications Operations.(France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications is being purchased by Apax Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... France Telecom submitted a proposal to sell its France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications unit to private equity firm Apax, according to the Web site of the Federal Cartel Office, which oversees anti-trust issues in Germany. The...

Strike, Range Closure Push NASA Launch Into 2006.(postponed the launch of Cloudsat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations spacecraft)(due to strike at Boeing Co.)(International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The launch of a pair of NASA spacecraft has been delayed until at least February due to an ongoing Boeing strike and launch range maintenance, NASA announced. NASA's Cloudsat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite...

Orbital To Build, Launch NASA'S Space Technology 8 Satellite.(Orbital Sciences Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Orbital Sciences Corp. received a contract from NASA to build and launch the next satellite in the space agency's New Millennium Program technology demonstration satellite, Orbital announced Nov. 28. The Space Technology 8 satellite will...

SpaceX Scrubs Maiden Voyage Of Falcon 1.(Space Exploration Technologies Corp. delayed the launch of Falcon 1 rocket )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) scrubbed the inaugural launch of its Falcon 1 rocket Nov. 25 and does not expect to perform the mission until December, the company announced. The delay was caused by an auxiliary liquid...

Panamsat, CNBC Pakistan Ink Transponder Deal.(Consumer News and Business Channel Partnership)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Panamsat signed a multiyear deal to distribute programming for CNBC Pakistan, Panamsat announced Nov. 29. Under the agreement, Panamsat will support the contribution, studio interchange and distribution of the business news network's content...

MTV Signs Lease Contract With SES Astra.
December 5, 2005... SES Astra said Nov. 25 it closed a new long-term agreement with MTV Networks Europe for further capacity on an Astra satellite located at 19.2 degrees East, which MTV will use to launch TV channels for different European markets, including...

Indian Government Approves Funding For Insat-4E.
December 5, 2005... India's Union Cabinet approved funding for the development and launch of the GSAT-6/Insat-4E satellite, the government announced Dec. 1. The spacecraft, which will be built by the Indian Space Research Organisation, is intended to provide...

Vision Technologies Completes iDirect Acquisition.
December 5, 2005... Vision Technologies Electronics Inc. (VTEE), completed its acquisition of iDirect Technologies Dec. 1, iDirect announced. VTEE, a subsidiary of Vision Technologies Systems Inc., paid $165 million in cash for iDirect. "This business...

MSV Announces First European ATC Patent.(Mobile Satellite Ventures L.L.C. received patent from European Patent Office)(ancillary terrestrial component technology)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) received a patent from European Patent Office for ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) technology that will be used in the formation of a hybrid satellite/wireless communications network, MSV announced Dec....

Airspan, Encore Networks Join iDirect IP Alliance Program.(Airspan Networks Inc. and Encore Networks Inc.)(iDirect Technologies )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Airspan Networks Inc. has joined iDirect Technologies' IP Alliance program, which will enable WiFi wireless local area network connectivity to users in remote locations, iDirect announced Nov. 28. Airspan's As.max product line will be...

Orbital Data Signs OEM Agreement With Datapath.(original equipment manufacturer)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Orbital Data will provide satellite communications solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense under an original equipment manufacturer agreement with Datapath Inc., Orbital Data announced Nov. 28. The solutions are intended to enable...

JAXA Schedules ALOS Launch.(Japan Aerospace Explora-tion Agency is launching Advanced Land Observing Satellite)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... The Japan Aerospace Explora-tion Agency (JAXA) has scheduled the launch of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) for Jan. 19 aboard a H-2A launch vehicle. The rocket will be launched from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the...

Orbiting Wall Street.
December 5, 2005... Eutelsat Eutelsat Communications began trading on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris exchange Dec. 2. The company relaunched its initial public offering (IPO) Nov. 28 citing the "improvement and stabilization of market conditions since the...

ViaSat's ECC Acquisition Is Springboard Into Asian, DVB-RCS S2 Markets.
December 5, 2005... ViaSat Inc. hopes that its acquisition of Efficient Channel Coding Inc. (ECC) provides entry into markets in the Asia Pacific region served by the recently launched IPStar satellite. ECC, a producer of broadband communications integrated...

AMC-23 Launch Delayed.(by International Launch Services for SES Americom Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... International Launch Services (ILS) has delayed the launch of a Proton rocket that will carry the AMC-23 satellite into orbit for SES Americom. Liftoff had been scheduled for Dec. 5. The delay was announced after preflight testing found...

Galileo Project Clears Another Obstacle With Facilities Agreement.(Galileo Operating Co.)(Europe's satellite navigation system)
December 12, 2005... The members of the concessionaire for the Galileo program, the Galileo Operating Co., reached an agreement on the location of the various facilities that will be involved in the operation of Europe's satellite navigation system, a necessary...

NTL Ups Ante Against BSkyB With Virgin Mobile Acquisition Bid.
December 12, 2005... U.K. cable operator NTL's move last week to acquire Virgin Mobile seems to be response to BSkyB's move to acquire a terrestrial broadband service provider and certainly will put even more pressure on BSkyB, analysts said. BSkyB made a...

Spotlight GPS Solution Deployed Just In Time For Winter.(Global Positioning System)(Navtrak-developed telematics solution is used by Department of Public Services of Cincinnati)
December 12, 2005... With the winter season arriving, the city of Cincinnati, will be looking to GPS technology to help in the snow removal efforts. The city's Department of Public Services currently is in the process of deploying a Navtrak-developed telematics...

Connexion By Boeing Prepared To Serve Maritime Market.(says Sean Schwinn)(Interview)
December 12, 2005... When the Connexion by Boeing service is mentioned, it likely brings up images of airline passengers using the satellite broadband service to surf the Internet during flight. Now Boeing is preparing to bring the service closer to the ground,...

EMS Executive Killed In Diving Accident.(Penny Glover of EMS Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Penny Glover, managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa for EMS Technologies Inc.'s Satellite Networks Division, and her diving partner were reported missing following a Nov. 21 deep-sea dive off the southern coast of France, EMS...

Sea Launch Wins Spaceway 3 Contract.(from Hughes Network Systems LLC.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Sea Launch received a firm contract award from Hughes Network Systems LLC to launch the Spaceway 3 satellite in early 2007 aboard a Zenit 3SL rocket, the companies announced Dec. 8. The spacecraft, being built by Boeing, will be located...

Alcatel Alenia Space Captures China Deal.(Compagnie Financiere Alcatel signs a deal with China Satellite Communication Corp. to develop Chinasat 6B satellite)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Alcatel Alenia Space signed a deal with China Satellite Communication Corp. to design and manufacture the Chinasat 6B satellite, Alcatel announced Dec. 5. Chinasat 6B will be based on the Spacebus 4000 C2 platform and fitted with 38...

BGAN Service Officially Launches.(Broadband Global Area Network)(Telecom Mobile Satellite Telecommunications, Stratos Global Corp., Telenor Satellite Services and Xantic offers Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network services)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... The major Inmarsat service providers - France Telecom Mobile Satellite Telecommunications, Stratos Global Corp., Telenor Satellite Services and Xantic - announced separately Dec. 7 the commercial availability of Inmarsat's Broadband Global...

Globalstar Receives Approval To Launch Spare Satellites.(also signed contract with Starsem, Eurockot)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Globalstar said Dec. 7 it received approval from the U.S. State Department to proceed with plans to launch up to eight spare satellites, with the first launch expected to occur in early 2007. Globalstar has signed a contract with Starsem,...

JAXA Sets February Launch Date For MTSat-2.(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Rocket System Corp. planning to introduce Multi-functional Transport Satellite 2 developed by Mitsubishi Electric Corp.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Rocket System Corp. plan to launch the Multi-functional Transport Satellite 2 (MTSat-2) Feb. 15. The satellite will be lofted into orbit aboard an H-2A rocket from Yoshinobu Launch Complex at...

ESA Approves Budget, European Launch Policy.(European Space Agency)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Members of the European Space Agency (ESA) approved a budget for 2006 through 2008 that includes a new earth observation program, ESA announced Dec. 6. The Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program will be a key European...

Bellsouth, PDI-SAT To Deploy DirecTV In Package Deal.(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Bellsouth Corp. and PDI-SAT will jointly market and deploy voice, data and DirecTV services to residential multi-dwelling units across BellSouth's service territory, the companies announced Dec. 8. Under a non-exclusive agreement,...

Iridium Bullish About Future Of Mobile Voice And Data Services.(Iridium Satellite L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Mobile communications not only is critical to military operations, but also to enterprise verticals such as asset tracking, aviation and maritime services. Iridium Satellite LLC will be focusing on these verticals for its data services in...

Eutelsat Signs Morocco Broadcaster Deal.(with Societe Nationale de Radio et de Television Marocaine)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Eutelsat signed a deal with Morocco's national public broadcaster, Societe Nationale de Radio et de Television Marocaine (SNRT), to broadcast six television channels and four radio stations using Eutelsat's Hot Bird 4 satellite. The new...

Premiere Broadcasts Its First HD Program.(Premiere Broadcasting Company Inc. airs soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munchen in high definition )(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... German satellite pay TV operator Premiere broadcast its first live high- definition (HD) program Dec. 3 as part of a field test for subscribers. The soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munchen was available in HD to Premiere...

Scientific Games Taps Spacenet For VSAT Solution.(Scientific Games International)(very small aperture terminal)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Spacenet Inc. said Dec. 5 that Scientific Games International Inc. (SGI) has selected Spacenet to provide 3,000 Skystar Advantage VSAT terminals for state lottery networks in Colorado, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and South Dakota. Spacenet...

Globalstar Service Provider Wins Italian Government Contract.
December 12, 2005... Globalstar LLC said Dec. 6 that Elsacom, an independent gateway operator and Globalstar service distributor in Central and Eastern Europe, won a 20 million euro ($23.6 million) contract to provide mobile satellite telephone service to the...

MTG Makes Betting Acquisition.(Modern Times Group MTG AB. acquired stake in Nordic Betting Ltd.)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... The Modern Times Group (MTG), which owns the Viasat direct-to-home satellite television platform in the Nordic region, increased its stake in Nordic Betting Ltd. to 90 percent, MTG announced. MTG will pay 8 million euros ($9.4 million) in...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Eutelsat S.A., Loral Space and Communications Ltd. and WorldSpace Corp. stocks )
December 12, 2005... Eutelsat After its first five trading days, Eutelsat finds its stock trading above the 12-euro ($14.16) initial public offering (IPO). The stock fell below its IPO price on its opening day Dec. 2 and continued to drop throughout the...

SES Sirius Seeks Growth Beyond Its Nordic Roots.(which changed its name from Nordic Satellite AB. )
December 12, 2005... SES Sirius made its mark serving the Nordic region under the name Nordic Satellite AB, but the satellite operator has outgrown its original market and its name. Now the company hopes to expand its business in other regions, the company's...

Wildblue Expects 25,000 Subscribers By Year End.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Satellite broadband service provider Wildblue expects to have more than 25,000 subscribers by the end of the year, according to a letter from company CEO Dave Leonard that appeared on the Wildblue Web site Dec. 15. The company launched its...

SES Solidifies Position In FSS IndustryWith New Skies Acquisition.
December 19, 2005... SES Global S.A.'s announced acquisition of New Skies Satellites Holdings Ltd. will keep SES solidly at the top of the Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) industry along with the merged Intelsat-Panamsat, according to industry analysts. SES...

Terrestar, ICO Assigned Spectrum In 2 GHz Band; Inmarsat Left Out.(ICO Satellite Services)(Terrestar Networks Inc)
December 19, 2005... The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Dec. 9 issued an order assigning unused spectrum in the 2-GHz Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) bands to TMI/Terrestar Networks Inc. and ICO Satellite Services (ICO), allowing the two companies...

Spotlight: Targeting Supply Chain Thieves With GPS.
December 19, 2005... In an effort to thwart robbery of merchandise and break up the crime rings behind the thefts, police forces are turning to satellite technology. The New Jersey State Police recently used Bulldog Technology's Miniboss tracking system,...

French DTH Providers Could Join Forces.(direct-to-home satellite television platforms)
December 19, 2005... The owners of the two French direct-to-home satellite television platforms, Canalsat and TPS, are on the verge of combining their efforts in the increasingly competitive pay-TV market in France. Vivendi Universal, which owns Canalsat, and...

Satellite Poised For Important Role In U.K. Digital Transition.
December 19, 2005... Satellite will play an important role as the United Kingdom moves from analog to all-digital transmissions by 2012, according to Digital U.K., the organization responsible for overseeing the switch. "I think the consumer benefits if they...

Government 2, DirecTV 0.(settlements with Federal Trade Commission )
December 19, 2005... Direct-to-home satellite television service provider DirecTV stands to pay out more than $10 million dollars in separate settlements reached with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a group of 22 states. The FTC announced Dec. 13...

SES Astra Signs Belgian DTH Deal.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... TV Vlaanderen will launch Belgium's first dedicated satellite TV platform in January using capacity from SES Astra, TV Vlaanderen announced Dec. 15. The operator will broadcast a bouquet of Flemish and international channels via Astra...

ESA's Herschel And Planck To Be Launched By Arianespace.(European Space Agency)(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Arianespace signed a contract to launch the Herschel and Planck scientific spacecraft in late 2007 or early 2008, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced Dec. 15. The spacecraft, with a total launch weight of 5.3 tons, will be lofted...

Spacedev Announces Microsatellite Bus, Launch Package.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Spacedev introduced Dec. 12 its new Mission Xcelerator Solution Program, a service offering that includes the building and launch of microsatellites and nanosatellites for less than $20 million. The package includes the Modular...

Point.360 Deploys Global HD Transmission Service.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Point.360 announced Dec. 12 the availability of its standard-definition and high-definition (HD) global satellite transmissions service for spot distribution, syndicated program distribution and events. The service, based on Globecast's...

China Spacecom Named Iridium Service Provider.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Iridium Satellite LLC signed an agreement for China Space Mobile Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (China Spacecom) to be an Iridium service provider. China Spacecom will be responsible for the establishment, development,...

MT Aerospace Signs Contract For Soyuz Ground Facilities.
December 19, 2005... Germany's MT Aerospace, a subsidiary of OHB Technology AG, received a contract from the French space agency, CNES, to help build the Soyuz ground facilities in Kourou, French Guiana, OHB announced. The 9.5 million euro ($11.4 million)...

RSCC, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia To Study Future Satellite Cooperation.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... The Russian Satellite Communica-tions Co. (RSCC) and Indonesian national telecommunications operator PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk agreed to study the possibility of jointly developing a telecommunications satellite as well as a ground...

Globalstar Extends Satellite Data Service To Australia.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Globalstar LLC announced Dec. 15 that independent gateway operator Globalstar Australia Pty Ltd. plans to offer simplex, or one-way, data services to customers throughout Australia and New Zealand following an upgrade of its satellite...

ISRO To Use Viewcast Video Cards For Educational Satellite.(Indian Space Research Organization )(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Viewcast said Dec. 13 that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) would use its Osprey-230 video cards as part of an interactive distance learning and streaming video program through ISRO's educational satellite Edusat. An...

Swe-Dish Gets Modified FCC License.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... The Swe-Dish Suitcase has been awarded a new license by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to operate at increased power, Swe-Dish Satellite Systems announced Dec. 13. The modified license grants the Suitcase the ability to operate...

Celtron To Acquire Satellite Security Systems.
December 19, 2005... Celtron International Inc. announced Dec. 13 it signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Satellite Security Systems (S3). Under the terms of the agreement, S3 shareholders will receive 67 million...

Comtech Awarded $1.5 Million Equipment Contract.
December 19, 2005... Comtech Telecommunications Corp. said Dec. 13 that its Comtech EF Data Corp. subsidiary secured a $1.5 million order to provide satellite communications equipment to an unnamed telecommunications provider in Latin America. The equipment will...

Integral's Air Force Satellite Control System Declared Operational.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Integral Systems Inc. announced Dec. 15 that the U.S. Air Force has begun Milstar satellite operations using the new CCS-C (Command and Control System- Consolidated) satellite control system. The system, based on Integral's Epoch...

Network Live, DirecTV Announce Agreement.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Network Live will provide direct-to-home satellite television service provider DirecTV with entertainment programming created and distributed by Network Live, the companies announced Dec. 15. As part of the agreement, Network Live, a...

XM Adds 'Good Morning America,' Dylan.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... XM Satellite Radio will broadcast "The Good Morning America Radio Show" in conjunction with ABC News starting Jan. 23, XM announced Dec. 15. The four-hour show will combine news and interviews from ABC's "Good Morning America" with...

Echostar Adds Dominican Network To Lineup.(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... Echostar Communications Corp. has added Television Dominicana, a 24-hour Dominican network, to its Dish Network direct-to-home satellite television service, Echostar announced Dec. 13. The station, which broadcasts news shows, sitcoms,...

Orbiting Wall Street.
December 19, 2005... NSE The biggest news in the satellite industry last week was the Dec. 14 announcement that SES Global S.A. will acquire New Skies Satellite Holdings Ltd. for $760 million in cash plus the assumption of debt. What is a bit out of the...

TU Media Confident Despite New Competition.
December 19, 2005... Already disappointed in the subscriber numbers for its satellite-digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) service, TU Media now faces the end of its monopoly in the market with the launch earlier this month of a terrestrial competitor backed by...

Editor's Note.
December 19, 2005... In observance of the upcoming holiday season, Satellite News will not publish on Dec. 26. Your next issue will be dated Jan. 2, 2006. Have a safe and happy holiday season. [Copyright 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]