Satellite News articles from January 2002

Satellite News archives from January 2002

Broadband, Radio Raise Industry Stakes.
January 7, 2002... Top satellite consultants and executives generally agreed that the industry needs its new broadband and radio ventures to show promise during 2002 to mitigate the sector's damaged reputation among investors after high-profile mobile satellite...

EchoStar, Disney Clash Over Pricing.
January 7, 2002... EchoStar Communications Corp. [DISH] is locked in a battle with The Walt Disney Co. [DIS] over programming rate hikes and the media giant's opposition to the satellite TV provider's planned purchase of Hughes Electronics Corp. [GMH]. ...

Sirius Gets Financing, Wall Street Attention.
January 7, 2002... Sirius Satellite Radio [SIRI] drew renewed attention from Wall Street analysts last week because of new financing and a stock price that has risen more than 300 percent since early November. Sirius has yet to begin commercial service, but...

Satellite Spotlight: Axion Navigation Unveils New Gps Tracking Device.(Product Announcement)
January 7, 2002... Axiom Navigation, an Anaheim, Calif.-based GPS and wireless communications provider, has introduced a location and data-logging device based on its 12-channel GPS receiver paired with a short-range 900 MHz wireless data transmission system....

ViaSat CEO Sees Broadband Shifting To Low-cost Delivery.(Interview)
January 7, 2002... Mark D. Dankberg is a founder of ViaSat [VSAT], a Carlsbad, Calif.-based provider of broadband satellite and wireless communications equipment and services. He has served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of the company since...

Painful Job Cuts Hit Lockheed Martin.
January 7, 2002... The closing of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications (LMGT) has left hundreds of its employees jobless as the New Year begins. Out of 3,500 jobs at LMGT, 650 of them have been or soon will be eliminated, company officials said. The...

Boeing Assigns Launch To ILS.
January 7, 2002... Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS), the satellite-manufacturing unit of The Boeing Co. [BA], announced last Wednesday that it awarded a contract for the launch of the UFO F-11 satellite to International Launch Services. The satellite, still...

Eutelsat Delivers 1,000 TV Channels.
January 7, 2002... Eutelsat, one of the world's largest satellite operators, has crossed the threshold of transmitting more than 1,000 television channels on its fleet of 21 satellites. Since 1983 when Sky Channel was one of the first clients to sign up for...

EMS Wins $22M AEHF Contract.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... EMS Technologies Inc. [ELMG] announced last Wednesday that it has been chosen by TRW Inc. [TRW] for a contract valued at $22 million over three years to deliver the Beam Forming Network (BFN) for the first two satellites of the AEHF (Advanced...

Radyne's Device Goes To Olympics.
January 7, 2002... Phoenix-based Radyne ComStream [RADN] has won a significant contract to supply National Broadcasting Corp. (NBC) with a compressed signal receiver/decoder. Terms of the deal announced Wednesday were not disclosed. NBC selected the Radyne...

DirecTV Adds Local Channels.(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... DirecTV Inc. [GMH], the nation's largest digital satellite television service provider, has begun broadcasting more than 200 additional local channels in the 41 markets where it currently provides local signals to its subscribers. By...

Analyst Rebuts Critic's Dim View of XM.
January 7, 2002... A recent newspaper article about XM Satellite Radio's [XMSR] high pricing, "poorly designed" receivers and less than perfect reception belies many positive features of the startup's service that should spur future sales, SG Cowen reported...

Spectrum Astro Ready For Boeing, Lockheed Martin.
January 7, 2002... As the spirited, multi-billion dollar, three-way competition to design, build, operate and maintain the Global Positioning System Block III constellations of satellites heats up, Spectrum Astro CEO David Thompson believes his firm's "dark...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
January 7, 2002... Week of Dec. 31, 2001- Jan. 3,2002 Dec. 6 One Symbol Price Week Operators ... .......... APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS ...

Editor's Note.(Editorial)(Brief Article)
January 7, 2002... We would like to welcome subscribers to Global Positioning and Navigation News. We look forward to providing you with the excellent information and analysis you've come to expect from PBI Media. We plan to have a column on GPS- related news in...

Loral Clears Hurdle With Settlement.
January 14, 2002... Loral Space & Communications [LOR] last week resolved a big question about its financial situation by settling a case with the U.S. government over allegations that it transferred sensitive technology to China during a satellite launch...

New Sirius CEO Sets Sights On XM.(Joe Clayton named Sirius Satellite Radio's new president and CEO)
January 14, 2002... Sirius Satellite Radio's [SIRI] new president and CEO is launching a broad media campaign to get the word out that Sirius' satellite radio service will begin rollout next month, with national rollout set for the third quarter of this year....

Results for 2001: Calibrating Our Predictions.(XM Satellite Radio)
January 14, 2002... By Roger Rusch Throughout our lives we learn that no human can predict the future with a high degree of accuracy or precision. Early in 2001, I predicted future events based on existing trends. Now is the time to compare the...

Spotlight: Spectrum Astro Kicks Off Construction Of Innovative Factory.
January 14, 2002... Spectrum Astro has begun construction of a new satel-lite manufacturing facility that officials describe as the "fac-toryof the future." The plant will manufacture, integrate and assemble high-performancespace systems, featuring 124,200...

Logue Expects Shakeout In Many Satellite Sectors.(Timothy J. Logue, a satellite consultant with the law firm of Coudert Brothers)
January 14, 2002... Timothy J. Logue, a satellite consultant with the law firm of Coudert Brothers, believes that consolidation of the satellite industry is far from over. He sees a number of sectors--Ka-band broadband satellite services, 2 GHz mobile satellite...

NAB Takes on EchoStar Over Must Carry.(National Association of Broadcasters files petition with the Federal Communications Commission)
January 14, 2002... The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is putting pressure on EchoStar Communications Corp. [DISH] by filing a petition with the Federal Communications Commission seeking clarification of how local channel "must carry" rules apply to...

Telecom Downturn Hurts Launchers, Arianespace CEO Says.
January 14, 2002... The telecommunications industry is in the "midst of a crisis" that is causing a drop in orders for the production of commercial geostationary satellites, said Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Marie Luton. Luton, who heads the French...

Ex-STA Head Enters Private Sector.(Eric W. Stallmer to handle marketing for Analytical Graphics Inc)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Eric W. Stallmer, former president of the Space Transportation Association (STA), said Friday in a phone interview that he expects to open a Washington office for Analytical Graphics Inc. at the beginning of February to help spur sales of the...

Delphi Displays New XM Receivers.(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... At the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit Thursday, Delphi Automotive Systems [DPH] showcased XM Satellite Radio [XM] receivers Delphi is installing in two Cadillac models. Troy, Mich.-based Delphi is the first original...

Comsat Offers Packet Data Service.(mobile packet data service)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Comsat Mobile Communications, a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation [LMT], launched a mobile packet data service (MPDS) Thursday to enhance mobile satellite data communications. The new data service would provide remote users with...

ARINC Unveils In-flight Broadband.(broadband communications system)
January 14, 2002... ARINC Inc. last Wednesday launched a new in-flight broadband communications system that offers higher data rates both receiving and transmitting. The system will bring aircraft passengers and flight crews a range of broadband data...

COM DEV Gains 3-Year Switch Pact.(with Boeing Satellite Systems)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... COM DEV International Ltd. [CDV] announced Wednesday that its operating division, COM DEV Space, signed a long-term supply agreement (LTA) with Boeing Satellite Systems [BA] to supply waveguide switches. The three-year agreement is expected...

DirecWay Tops 100,000 Subscribers.(Hughes Network Systems' DirecWay broadband satellite service)(Brief Article)
January 14, 2002... Hughes Network Systems (HNS), of Germantown, Md., has surpassed the 100,000-subscriber mark for its DirecWay broadband satellite service. "This is yet another significant milestone that clearly demonstrates HNS' leadership in the satellite...

XM Beats Analysts' Subscriber Estimates.
January 14, 2002... XM Satellite Radio [XMSR], the first satellite radio service launched in the United States, exceeded the estimates of top Wall Street analysts by amassing more than 30,000 paid subscribers in the two months since its national rollout last...

Satellite News Financial Ticker.
January 14, 2002... Week of Jan. 7 11 Percentage Change Jan. 10 One Symbol Price Week Operators APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 3.35 2.8 ARCOMS ...

Galileo Feuding Involves Financial, Political And Foreign Relations Issues.
January 21, 2002... January has not brought good news to the troubled Galileo program, Europe's answer to the U.S. global positioning system (GPS). During the first week of 2002, the European Parliament delivered a blow to Galileo's future. The European...

New Telematics, "Infotainment" Vendors and Products Highlight CES.
January 21, 2002... A bewildering array of advanced automotive telematics and allied "infotainment" solutions were displayed at the Jan. 7-12 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including numerous new products and vendors new to the segment. This underscores...

Qualcomm Boosts GPS Applications With Innovation.(Product Announcement)
January 21, 2002... San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc. [QCOM], a pioneer of code division multiple access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, has released a new product designed to improve the accuracy of global positioning system (GPS) services using mobile phones...

Spotlight: "Suitcase" Terminal Offers GPS-Based Live Broadcast Transmissions.(Product Announcement)
January 21, 2002... Richardson Electronics [RELL], a LaFox, Ill.-based provider of engineered solutions for RF, wireless and broadcast communications, has begun selling a compact satellite terminal equipped with GPS (global positioning system) location services to...

There's Plenty Of Opportunity Ahead for XM, Sirius.
January 21, 2002... LAS VEGAS - The 2002 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held here Jan. 6-9 offered a unique forum for an encore presentation by the two key U.S. satellite radio providers - Washington, D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] and New York City-based...

Automobiles Targeted For Telematics Services.
January 21, 2002... The automobile industry is pursuing the rollout of telematics services with unrelenting fervor. A cornerstone of the product offerings is vehicle location that is provided by the satellite-based global positioning system (GPS). An...

Privatized Satellite Operators Refocus Business Plans.
January 21, 2002... HONOLULU--Satellite organizations that privatized after decades as intergovernmental satellite organizations are revamping their business plans, according to a panel session at the 24th Annual Pacific Telecommunications Council conference and...

Brazil Buys U.S. Vehicle Location Units.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Radio Satellite Integrators Inc. (RSI), a Torrance, Calif.-based global provider of customized global positioning system (GPS)-based vehicle tracking and mobile data products, delivered a turn-key automatic vehicle location (AVL) and mobile...

PanAmSat Issues 2002 Guidance.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... PanAmSat Corp.'s [SPOT] expected total revenues for the first quarter of 2002 likely will range from $200 to $205 million, company officials said. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) margins are expected to...

Study Questions Broadband Growth.(by Pioneer Consulting)(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Broadband satellite access service offers the largest worldwide market opportunity for service providers and manufacturers, but the sector's future is not as bright as many forecasters once thought, according to a new study by Boston-based...

Auto Magazine Praises XM.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... AMI Auto World, a consumer automobile magazine, named XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] service one of the best new car options in the publication's "Best of 2002" issue. The editors hailed the first nationwide digital satellite radio service, offering...

Titan IV Lifts Milstar II Satellite.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... A Titan IV B rocket began the 2002 launch year at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., by carrying a Milstar II military communications satellite into orbit. The satellite deployed properly approximately 6.5 hours after the rocket's...

FCC Approves EchoStar's Launch.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... The Federal Communications Commission last Wednesday granted EchoStar Satellite [DISH] authority to launch and operate a new direct broadcast satellite, EchoStar 7, and co-locate the spacecraft with EchoStar's existing network of satellites at...

Intelsat Upgrades Tahiti Service.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... HONOLULU--Intelsat Global Sales & Marketing Ltd. upgraded the Tahiti Nui Satellite bouquet it provides in partnership with the Office des Postes et Telecommunications of French Polynesia (OPT) and France Telecom's [FTE] broadcast services...

Hughes Reports Reduced Profit.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... El Segundo, Calif.-based Hughes Electronics Corp., a provider of digital television entertainment, broadband services and satellite-based private business networks, on Jan. 15 reported that its 2001 fourth-quarter revenues rose 10.8 percent to...

Pegasus Requests FCC Help.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Pegasus Communications Corp. [PGTV] asked the Federal Communication Commission's Cable Services Bureau to suspend temporarily the pleading cycle in a proceeding involving EchoStar Communications Corp. [DISH]. Pegasus has concerns about...

Inevitable Launch Sector Shakeout Approaches.
January 21, 2002... HONOLULU--As the Asia-Pacific region grapples with its region-wide economic recession, satellite operators, launch vehicle providers and telecom firms from the area assembled here last week to determine when and how these troubled sectors...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
January 21, 2002... Week of Jan. 14 - 17 Percentage Change Jan. 17 One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 3.31 -1.2 ARCOMS ...

Editor's Note.(Brief Article)
January 21, 2002... Dear Reader: You are invited to attend an exclusive Webinar on Feb. 25 from 1:30-3 p.m. EST presented by SATELLITE NEWS' publisher PBI Media on "The Tauzin-Dingell Bill: What It Means to You and Your Company." This highly interactive...

Ariane 5 Faces Heightened Scrutiny.
January 28, 2002... Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket needs a string of successes to reassure satellite firms that the rocket can deliver payloads reliably to orbit. The Ariane 5's record, so far, has been spotty. Satellite industry concerns have been heightened...

WorldSpace Weighs Delaying AmeriStar Launch.
January 28, 2002... While the two satellite radio firms providing service to the U.S. market are moving full steam ahead, WorldSpace Corp., which offers satellite radio to much of the rest of the globe, is struggling. Financial constraints and regulatory...

GM Eyes Robust XM Growth From OEM Sales.
January 28, 2002... DETROIT -- The rapid ramp-up of subscribers for XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] service is lifting the prospects for the fledgling satellite radio provider and its giant partner General Motors [GM]. The automaker's plan this fall to offer the...

Spotlight: Quick Link, TELUS Team Up To Offer Voice Services In Rural Canada.
January 28, 2002... Canada's Quick Link Communications Ltd., a Calgary-based satellite access service provider, will use its satellite links to deliver voice services to regions in Northern Canada that are inaccessible to standard terrestrial and wireless...

The Year 2002: What's Next For DBS?
January 28, 2002... Two recent stories juxtaposed against early January subscribership and financial data by Hughes Electronics Corp.'s [GMH] DirecTV highlight the unsettled nature of the U.S. DBS industry. In a recent LA Times article featuring DirecTV...

Asian Countries Offer Fertile Growth Area.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 28, 2002... HONOLULU--Turbulent economic conditions in the Asia-Pacific region are being weathered and growth is picking up in countries in Asia, the South Pacific and Australia, industry executives said at the recent 24th Annual Pacific...

Broadcasters Step Up Pressure Over EchoStar Antennas.
January 28, 2002... EchoStar Communications Corp. [DISH] is facing new attacks from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and individual broadcasters who want the Federal Communications Commission to stop the satellite TV provider from forcing customers...

MacDonald, Dettwiler Inks Pact.
January 28, 2002... Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. [MDA], of Richmond, B.C., announced last Friday that its information products group has signed an agreement with Colorado-based Jeppesen to supply global digital elevation data for use in...

Sky Global CEO Resigns.(Chase Carey)
January 28, 2002... News Corp. [NWS] announced Thursday that Chase Carey resigned his positions as co-chief operating officer of the company and president and chief executive officer of its satellite TV Sky Global Networks unit. Carey, who will remain on News...

C-COM Signs Strategic Relationship.(with Weather Forecast LLC)(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... Ottawa-based C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. [CMI] entered into a strategic partnership Thursday with Weather Forecast LLC, of Buffalo, N.Y., to provide two-way, high-speed satellite-based Internet services. Through C-COM's high- speed service,...

Xantic Service Chosen By Dutch Bank.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... One of the Netherlands' largest financial institutions, the Rabobank, selected MCM as the preferred supplier of a content delivery network powered by Xantic, of the Hague, the Netherlands. The bank will use Xantic's new file delivery service...

Integral Systems Wins GOES Contract.
January 28, 2002... Integral Systems Inc. [ISYS] announced Tuesday that it has been awarded a "significant" contract modification to the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) N-Q program to upgrade a number of ground command and control...

TANDBERG Names Cooney New COO.(Brief Article)
January 28, 2002... TANDBERG Television [TAT], a supplier of open solutions for digital broadcasting, has promoted Eric Cooney, its current vice president and general manager of the Americas, to the chief operating officer position. He will retain ultimate...

DOT Radionavigation Report -- Who Will Win?
January 28, 2002... Many billions of dollars in ground infrastructure, avionics, and potential satellite sales are riding on the outcome of how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) transitions U.S. air traffic management toward greater use of satellites....

Satellite News Financial Ticker.
January 28, 2002... Week of Jan. 21 - 25 Percentage Change Jan. 24 One Symbol Price Week Operators Operators APT...