Satellite News articles from January 2006

Satellite News archives from January 2006

Advantech To Buy EMS SatNet Division.(Advantech Advanced Microwave Technologies Inc., EMS Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... EMS Technologies Inc. signed a definitive agreement for the sale of its Satellite Networks division to Advantech Advanced Microwave Technologies Inc., EMS announced Dec. 22. Advantech, based in Montreal, manufactures satellite and...

Consolidations, IPOs Dominate Headlines In 2005.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. acquired Easynet Ltd.)(Eutelsat S.A. initial public offering)(Intelsat Ltd. purchased by PanAmSat Corp.)(New Skies Satellites N.V. acquired by SES Global)(Industry Overview)
January 2, 2006... Had it not been for two major industry consolidation announcements, 2005 likely would have been remembered as the year of the initial public offering (IPO). Five satellite operators - Panamsat, New Skies Satellites, Inmarsat, Worldspace and...

Stern Leads List Of What Will Be Big In 2006.(Intelsat Ltd. acquired by PanAmSat Corp.)(speculations about Loral Space and Communications Ltd.)(Howard Stern debut on Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.)
January 2, 2006... With 2005 in the books, it is time to see what is store for the satellite industry in 2006. Howard Stern making his on-air debut on Sirius Satellite Radio will generate the most mainstream buzz, but other events likely will have a greater...

Spotlight: Satellite-Enabled Video Surveillance Enhances Hotel Security.(from HS3 Technologies Inc.)
January 2, 2006... HS3 Technologies Inc. is taking the concept of video surveillance of hotel properties to space. As a value-added reseller of Wildblue Communications broadband via satellite service, HS3 is delivering a package that allows remote monitoring...

Latin America: Opportunities and Challenges in 2006.(Intelsat Ltd. acquisition by PanAmSat Corp.)(Loral Space and Communications Ltd. bankruptcy)(Sky Television PLC. acuisition by DIRECTV Inc.)(denad for voice over internet protocol)
January 2, 2006... Four events marked the industry in the Latin American region in 2005: The pending acquisition of Panamsat by Intelsat; the emergence from bankruptcy of Loral Space & Communications in late November; the Sky/DirecTV consolidation; and the...

Nigeria Focal Point Of African Expansion In 2005.(Nigeria and China signed a contract to construct Nigcomsat-1 satellite)(Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. contract)(satellite industry)(Industry Overview)
January 2, 2006... 2005 has been a year of expansion for the satellite industry in Africa, with many of the big stories of the year coming from Nigeria. Key among these was the groundbreaking contract between Nigeria and China for construction of the...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Satellite communications services industry initial public offerings)
January 2, 2006... (Editor's note: this article was written as of the close of business Dec. 23 and may not reflect the effects of news announced during the last week of 2005.) It certainly has been a busy year on Wall Street with five satellite operators...

Satellite Market Stabilizes In Asia Pacific Region.(digital multimedia broadcasting service)
January 2, 2006... The Asia-Pacific satellite market in 2005 can be characterized by four main points: stable fill rates for satellite fleets; video continues to drive demand; IPStar's launch finally could open up the broadband market; and digital multimedia...

Stern Profits From Sirius Subscriber Growth.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Howard Stern will receive 34.4 million shares of Sirius Satellite Radio stock Jan. 9, the day he begins broadcasting for the satellite radio provider. The stock payment to Stern and agent Don Buchwald, valued at nearly $220 million, was...

DTH Operators Face New Competition For Football Rights.
January 9, 2006... Premiere's stunning loss of the live broadcast rights for Germany's top football league could serve as a warning for satellite pay-TV operators across Europe that there is likely to be more competition for premium football rights going...

Cisco/Scientific-Atlanta Merger Passes Legal Milestone.
January 9, 2006... Cisco Systems and Scientific-Atlanta today said the waiting period for U.S. review of their proposed $6.9 billion merger under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act was terminated Dec. 30, 2005, ostensibly meaning there are no...

Satellite Imagery Used To Train Pilots.
January 9, 2006... Imagery from Digitalglobe's high-resolution Quickbird satellite is being used to provide a 3-dimensional visual perspective to Brazilian pilots. Virtual Reality Simulator, introduced by Digitalglobe's Brazil-based partner Intersat in...

Nera Satcom CEO Hopes For Profitable 2006.(Stig-Are Mogstad)(Interview)
January 9, 2006... Nera Satcom is set for a pivotal 2006, as the satellite terminal manufacturer hopes to ride Inmarsat's launch of BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) services -- and resulting demand for terminals -- to a profitable year. Facing an increasing...

FCC Voids DBS Auction, Freezes Applications.
January 9, 2006... The Federal Communications Commission has nullified an auction of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) orbital location licenses conducted in July 2004 and will freeze all new DBS applications due to a June 2005 federal court ruling that the...

Orbcomm Completes Equity Financing Round.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Orbcomm completed equity financings totaling more than $110 million which will be used primarily to fund Orbcomm's next generation satellite program, the company announced Jan. 4. The investors were led by new investor Pacific Corporate...

Dish Network Passes 12 Million Customer Milestone.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Echostar Communications Corpor-ation announced Jan. 4 that its Dish Network passed the 12 million customer milestone in late December. Dish Network reached 1 million subscribers in December 1997 and passed 11 million customers in January...

FCC Approves Worldspace Satellite.(Afristar-2)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Worldspace Satellite Radio received authorization from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch its Afristar-2 satellite, Worldspace announced Jan. 4. Afristar-2, currently in storage in Toulouse, France, will be...

Delphi To Invest In European Satellite Radio Startup.
January 9, 2006... Delphi Corp. has become a strategic investor and technology provider for Spain's Ondas Media SA, which plans to launch a subscription satellite radio service in 2009, Delphi announced Jan. 4. Delphi also will provide hardware, designing...

Eutelsat Signs Serbia Capacity Deal.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Eutelsat signed a capacity contract with Telekom Srbija, one of Eastern Europe's leading telcos, for capacity on the Hot Bird 7A satellite. The contract calls for the lease of a single transponder for an initial period of three years,...

Tata Sky Plans To Launch Service By June.
January 9, 2006... The Tata Group plans to launch its direct-to-home satellite TV service, Tata Sky, by June, the company announced Jan. 5. The service will be available in Mumbai initially before moving to other cities In November, Tata signed a lease...

Arianespace Breaks Even In 2005.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Arianespace broke even in 2005 on revenue of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion), the company announced Jan. 4. Starsem posted sales of about 100 million euros ($118.8 million) and also broke even. Arianespace signed seven launch contracts...

Wildblue Cuts Installation Price.(Wildblue Communications Inc)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Wildblue Communications Inc. dropped the installation price for its satellite Internet service by $100, the company announced Jan. 3. Installation of Wildblue's equipment package is being offered for $79.95 through March 31, the company said....

Eumetsat Begins MSG-2 Commissioning.(European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites)(Meteosat Second Generation-2)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Eumetsat, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, has begun commissioning operations for the second of its new generation of weather satellites, Meteosat Second Generation (MSG-2). Eumetsat has taken...

Com Dev Signs Commercial Satellite Contract With Asian Customer.
January 9, 2006... Com Dev International Ltd. was awarded a contract to provide satellite components to an unnamed Asian customer, Com Dev announced. Under the terms of the contract, valued at between $5 million and $6 million, Com Dev will provide core...

EADS Astrium Selects Arianespace To Launch Skynet 5C.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... EADS Astrium awarded a contract to Arianespace to launch the Skynet 5C satellite aboard an Ariane 5 rocket, EADS announced Jan. 4. Arianespace was selected in 2004 to launch Skynet 5A and Skynet 5B. Skynet 5C is being built under an...

Bellsouth Uses Satellite Systems For IPTV Plans.(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Bellsouth signed an agreement with SES Americom to test a satellite-based video distribution service as Bellsouth ramps ups its Internet protocol (IP) TV plans. BellSouth will test IP Prime, which enables telcos to bundle and distribute...

Omega-Orion Offers New Satellite Internet Service.
January 9, 2006... Omega-Orion Enterprises Ltd. Co. has launched a new high-speed satellite Internet service, the company announced Jan. 2. The service will use the DOCSIS protocol used by cable companies for cable and DSL modems, and Omega-Orion claims...

India Tests Strap-On Motor For PSLV.(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle )(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) test fired an upgraded version of the strap-on solid rocket motor for its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for 58 seconds Dec. 29, ISRO announced. The PSOM-XL can carry up to 12.4 tons of...

Dish Networks Drops Lifetime Channels In Contract Dispute.
January 9, 2006... Echostar Communications Corporation dropped Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network from its Dish Network satellite TV service in a contract dispute with Lifetime Television, the companies announced Jan. 1. Lifetime demanded "an unreasonable"...

Globalstar Acquires Central American Service Companies, Gateway.
January 9, 2006... Globalstar signed a definitive agreement to acquire three privately held companies authorized to provide Globalstar service in Central America, as well as a gateway in Nicaragua, Globalstar announced Jan. 5. Under the agreement, Global...

XM, Sirius Combined Subscribers Top 9 Million.(XM Satellite Radio Inc.)(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.)
January 9, 2006... As 2006 began, consumer satellite radio services were the darlings of the financial industry. With Howard Stern's official start at Sirius Satellite radio, subscription numbers rising after the holiday season and new markets expanding, many...

XM, DirecTV Raise Stakes In Portable Arena.
January 9, 2006... DirecTV Inc. and XM Satellite Radio unveiled plans to increase their respective offerings in the portable media arena in 2006 with an array of new units and services intended to provide customers easier access to content at their...

Telenor Appoints New CEO, Sells 4.8 Percent Of Inmarsat.
January 16, 2006... The board of Telenor Satellite Services AS (Telenor) appointed Morten Tengs the company's CEO effective Feb. 2, Telenor announced Jan. 12. Tengs replaces Tore Hilde who will leave the company at the end of January due to "stated...

Is The Honeymoon Over? Sirius' Tomorrow After Stern's Debut.(Howard Stern contract with Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. created good market for the company)
January 16, 2006... Howard Stern finally began broadcasting on Sirius Satellite Radio Jan. 9, more than 14 months after signing his five-year contract. For Sirius, the hype created by Stern's move from free radio to satellite was good for business. Actually,...

MSV Takes Step Toward Next-Gen ATC Communication System.(Mobile Satellite Ventures L.L.C. given contract to Boeing Co.)(Ancillary Terrestrial Component)
January 16, 2006... Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) awarded a contract to Boeing for three satellites and related ground systems to support MSV's planned commercial mobile satellite service, the companies announced Jan. 11. The planned space-terrestrial...

Satellite Navigation System Designed To Help Parents Keep Track Of Their Teenage Drivers.(16ndriving.com Inc. introduced GPS satellite tracking device called Littlebrother)(Global Positioning System)
January 16, 2006... Parents who want to know where their children are now have more help. Using satellite-enabled technology, 16ndriving.com Inc. commenced operations with its introduction of a specialized GPS tracking system to the market. The device called...

Arianespace CEO Confident About 2006 Prospects.(Interview)
January 16, 2006... After a successful 2005, the challenge for Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall will be to keep the strong momentum going in 2006. Arianespace performed eight launches in 2005, five with its Ariane 5 and three with Starsem's Soyuz vehicle,...

Intelsat Names Post-Panamsat Acqusition Executive Team.(Intelsat Ltd.)(PanAmSat Holding Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Intelsat Ltd., announced a series of executive appointments that will become effective following the closing of Intelsat's planned acquisition of Panamsat Holding Corp.. James Frownfelter, currently COO of Panamsat, will become COO of...

Wildblue Secures More Than $200 Million In Additional Financing.(Wildblue Communications Inc. closed secured credit facility )(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Wildblue Communications Inc. announced Jan. 10 that it closed a secured credit facility of more than $200 million to fund the continued growth of its high speed Internet access business. The financing will fund Wildblue's broadband...

Starsem To Launch Radarsat-2.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Starsem signed a contract with Canada's MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd, to launch the Radarsat-2 satellite aboard a Soyuz rocket, Starsem announced Jan. 9. The spacecraft, a replacement for Canada's Radarsat-1 radar imagery...

BSkyB Launches Pair Of New Content Distribution Services.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. introduces Sky By broadband and Sky by mobile services)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... U.K. satellite pay-TV operator BSkyB stepped up its plans for providing content on alternative platforms, launching a pair of new services, the company announced Jan. 10. Sky By broadband and Sky by mobile will provide more flexible...

Garmin Unveils GPS Product Support for Mac OS X, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Deal.(GARMIN International developing GPS and mobile electronics devices)(also signed a contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car Co.)(Global Positioning Systems)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., announced Jan. 10 that it would immediately begin to make its line of GPS and mobile electronics devices compatible with Mac OS X version 10.4 Tiger. This makes Garmin the first major GPS...

Radyne Receives $1 Million Digital TV Encoder, Amplifier Order From Brazil.(Radyne Corp. divisions Tiernan and Xicom Technology won a contract from satellite integrator )(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Radyne Corp. announced that its Tiernan and Xicom Technology subsidiaries received an order valued at more than $1 million for high-definition and standard-definition TV encoders and high-power amplifiers from a major satellite integrator in...

Sky Italia Selects Pace For PVR Launch.(Pace Micro Technology PLC.)(personal video recorder services)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Sky Italia, which is preparing to launch personal video recorder (PVR) services in Italy, selected Pace Micro Technology to provide the set-top box provider for the new MySky service. Pace has developed a system capable of storing 160...

Comtech Receives Satellite Communications, Services Contract.
January 16, 2006... Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced Jan. 10 that its Maryland- based subsidiary, Comtech Mobile Datacom Corp., received a preliminary contract valued at up to $22.6 million to provide satellite communications and network management...

Two Vehicle Lines Add XM.(Lotus Cars USA uses XM Satellite Radio in its sports car)(Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. partnered with XM Satellite Radio Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... Lotus Cars USA and Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. have added XM Satellite Radio as factory-installed equipment, the companies announced. Lotus will provide XM in its 2006 Lotus Elise sports car as part of its Premium Pack option. The...

NGA Awards $60 Million In Clearview Orders.(National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency given contracts to DigitalGlobe Inc., Space Imaging Co. and OrbImage)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) ordered $60 million of commercial satellite imagery from three U.S. companies, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Jan. 6. The awards were made under the $500 million Clearview...

BSkyB Signs Tescom Deal.(Tescom Software Systems Testing )(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... BSkyB signed a contract with Tescom Software Systems Testing to augment and enhance BSkyB's testing services, the U.K. satellite pay-TV operator announced. Tescom, a quality assurance and software testing provider, will provide a...

Gilat Provides VSAT Network In Brazil.
January 16, 2006... Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd., in conjunction with Embratel and subsidiary StarOne, will deploy a 2,400-site VSAT network for Brazil's largest cosmetics chain, O Boticario Comercial Farmaceutica Ltda., Gilat announced Jan. 9. The...

Report: ISRO Plans Small Satellite Atmospheric Observation Mission.(Indian Space Research Organisation)(Small Satellites for Atmospheric and Space Sciences mission)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2006... The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch a series of dedicated small satellite scientific missions, according to Indian press reports. The Small Satellites for Atmospheric and Space Sciences (SSASS) mission would...

Spacehab Wins Payload Development Contract From ILS.
January 16, 2006... Spacehab Inc. subsidiary Astrotech received a contract from International Launch Services (ILS) to provide payload processing for the Astra 1KR satellite, Spacehab announced. The spacecraft, owned by SES Astra, initially was set for...

Orbiting Wall Street.(DIRECTV Inc. signs contracts with Fox Broadcasting Co., Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp.)(SES Global acquires New Skies Satellites N.V.)(EchoStar Communications Corp. securities)
January 16, 2006... DIRECTV Bullish As 2006 Begins If all goes to plan, DirecTV is going to have a strong 2006 thanks to deals announced with Intel, Microsoft and FX/Fox. The Intel deal will bring DirecTV content to PC screens, laptops, portable media...

Orbimage Completes Acquisition Of Space Imaging; New Geoeye Holds Top Spot In Commercial Market.
January 16, 2006... Orbimage finalized its acquisition of rival Space Imaging, creating an imagery satellite operator with a pair of spacecraft capable of producing high- resolution images and a third satellite with even better resolution planned for launch in...

ESA, Galileo Industries Sign Contract For Four Satellites.
January 23, 2006... The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a 950 million euro ($1.2 billion) contract with Galileo Industries GmbH for the Galileo satellite navigation constellation's first four satellites, Alcatel announced Jan. 19. The contract was signed...

Wildblue Slashes Installation Price, Adds $200 Million To Coffers.
January 23, 2006... In a bid to boost satellite broadband sales and subscriptions, Wildblue Communications has slashed its professional installation costs and significantly increased its distribution of equipment through satellite equipment dealers. The...

TV Vlaanderen Diving Into Belgian Market.
January 23, 2006... TV Vlaanderen is preparing to launch personal video recorder (PVR) services in the second quarter, part of the new Belgian direct-to-home (DTH) operator's plan to make an impact in one of the few European markets where DTH has made little...

Hurricane Crisis Web Portal Helps Provide Imagery To Assist In Relief Efforts.
January 23, 2006... A Web portal developed in conjunction with the U.S. National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency (NGA) has helped national and local government agencies coordinate disaster relief, clean-up and re-construction, and could prove even more valuable...

Ondas Media CEO Targets Profitability In Less Than Three Years.
January 23, 2006... While the service will not begin until the end of the decade, Ondas Media CEO Celso Azevedo thinks his satellite radio company will have as big an impact in Europe as XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have had in the United States, due in...

U.K. Companies Create New Satellite Insurance Offering.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Liberty Syndicates, a subsidiary of Liberty Mutual Group, and Sciemus unveiled a new satellite insurance offering intended to save money for "good" satellite operators, the companies announced. The companies plan to differentiate between...

EADS To Build Nimiq 4.(EADS Astrium)(Telesat Canada)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Telesat Canada awarded a contract to EADS Astrium to build the Nimiq 4 direct broadcast satellite, the companies announced. The spacecraft, based on the E3000 platform, will carry 32 Ku-band and eight Ka-band transponders to provide TV...

Spot Image Awarded USGS Contract.(U.S. Geological Survey)(Spot Image Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Spot Image Corp., the U.S. marketing arm of France's Spot Image, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the purchase of satellite imagery products and services. Spot operates a constellation of satellites that...

SES Astra To Provide Capacity For Czech Shopping Channel.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... SES Astra signed an agreement with Top TV, a free-to-air leisure and shopping channel in the Czech Republic, to provide for digital capacity on Astra 2C, SES announced Jan. 19. Top TV becomes the fourth Czech free-to-air channel...

ND Satcom's Increases Its VSAT Service Sales Due To Mesh Network Demand.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... German-based ND Satcom, a global supplier of satellite-based broadband VSAT, broadcast and defense communication network solutions, has seen the market's demand for meshed and hybrid network topologies. According to the company, In 2005,...

New Horizons Heads To Pluto.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... NASA's New Horizons mission began its nine-year flight to Pluto after two days of delays. The satellite was launched aboard an International Launch Services Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Jan. 19. New...

Set-Top Box Shortages Hurt Pace Revenues, Earnings.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Pace Micro Technology had a difficult second half of 2005, recording a loss of 8.9 million British pounds ($15.7 million) for the 26 weeks which ended Dec 3. At the same stage last year, the operator recorded a profit of 4.7 million pounds...

Echostar Files $1 Billion Debt Offering.(EchoStar Communications Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Echostar Communications Corp. filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission Jan. 19 to offer $1 billion in debt securities. The proceeds of the offering, being conducted by the company's EchoStar DBS Corp....

Spacedev Closes $5.2 Million Financing Round.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Spacedev Inc. raised gross proceeds of about $5.2 million through the sale of convertible preferred stock and warrants to a small syndicate of new and existing institutional investors, the company announced. The proceeds will be used to...

iDirect Technologies, Globecomm Deploy VSAT Hub.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... iDirect Technologies, a division of Vision Technologies Systems Inc., and Globecomm Systems Inc. have deployed their first hub intended specifically to support GSM networks over satellite, the companies said. The VSAT hub will support...

NTL Moves Closer To Virgin Mobile.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... According to press reports in the United Kingdom, NTL is moving closer to agreeing a deal to takeover Virgin Mobile in a 961 million British pounds ($1.7 billion) deal. The combination would make NTL able to offer a quadruple play of...

Mediaset Sells Italian Soccer Satellite TV Rights To Sky Italia.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... Mediaset SpA has agreed to sell satellite TV broadcasting rights for one of Italy's top soccer teams to Sky Italia, according to media reports. Sky Italia, a unit of News Corp., will pay 157.3 million euros ($190.8 million) for the...

China To Help Finance Nigerian Communication Satellite.(Brief Article)
January 23, 2006... The Export and Import Bank of China announced Jan. 13 that it would provide $200 million in credit to Nigeria to support construction of the country's first communications satellite project, according to press reports. The agreement with...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Canadian Satellite Radio)
January 23, 2006... Canadian Satellite Radio Post First Quarter Loss Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (CSR), which offers satellite radio service under the XM Canada brand, lost Cdn. $14.6 million ($12.4 million) in its first quarter due to expenses...

Xtar Captures Third Contract; Still Awaits Pentagon Business.
January 23, 2006... Xtar LLC received a five-year contract to provide the Royal Danish Navy (RDN) with X-band communications services via the Xtar-Eur satellite, the company's third contract award since launching commercial service in April. "The agreement...

Galaxy 3R Taken Out Of Service.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2006... Panamsat Corp. removed the Galaxy 3R satellite from service after the spacecraft's secondary spacecraft control processor failed, the company announced Jan. 24. The Boeing 601 spacecraft, which was launched in 1995, suffered the failure Jan....

Satellite TV Providers Put Best Face On Family-Friendly Packages.
January 30, 2006... If you hear rumors that Echostar Communications Corp. is unhappy about offering a package of channels that are considered family friendly, ignore them. In truth, making Congress happy by providing a family-friendly package is making Echostar...

FCC Approves Globalstar's ATC Plan; Rollout Based On Commitments.(ancillary terrestrial component services)
January 30, 2006... Globalstar LLC will use its planned system of terrestrial repeaters to boost the availability of its Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) in urban areas and within buildings, but the company also envisions multiple business possibilities growing...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 30, 2006... The story "Wildblue Slashes Installation Price, Adds $200 Million To Coffers" (Jan. 23) should have said that Hughes Network Systems LLC had more than 275,000 Direcway subscribers at the end of 2005. [Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence,...

Iridium To Supply Satellite Communications For Ham Radio Expedition To Antarctica.(Iridium Satellite L.L.C., DXpedition)
January 30, 2006... Iridium Satellite is supplying mobile satellite phone systems for a group of amateur ham radio operators preparing for an Antarctic expedition in February. The two-week DXpedition is intended to establish up to nine temporary radio...

Eutelsat In No Hurry To Join FSS Consolidation Wave.(fixed satellite services, Giuliano Berretta)(Interview)
January 30, 2006... Eutelsat ended 2005 in hectic fashion, closing the saga of its efforts to go public with a successful initial public offering (IPO) Dec. 2 after an earlier false start. With Eutelsat now a publicly traded entity, it becomes the next...

Qinetiq Sets IPO Price Range.
January 30, 2006... Qinetiq Group plc hopes to raise gross proceeds of about 582 million British pounds ($1 billion) through its initial public offering, the company announced Jan. 25. Qinetiq set a price range of 1.65 pounds ($2.95) to 2.05 pounds ($3.66)...

Globecast To Operate New IPTV Bouquet for France Telecom.(internet protocol television, Maligne TV)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2006... Globecast announced Jan. 25 that it was chosen by France Telecom's IPTV arm Maligne TV to manage the French operator's newest IPTV bouquet, Le Bouquet TV, Beginning with the Feb. 1 launch, Globecast will be responsible for aggregating...

France Signs Contract For Radarsat-2 Imagery.(MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., Collecte Localisation Satellites)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2006... MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced Jan. 24 that Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) of Toulouse, France, signed a contract for imagery provided by the Radarsat-2 satellite. The data will be used by French maritime...

Datapath Acquires Assets of Third Rail Americas.
January 30, 2006... Datapath Inc. announced Jan. 24 that it has acquired the assets of Third Rail Americas Inc., a wireless broadband network provider. The acquisition provides Datapath with new capabilities that extend the effective reach of its satellite...

Japan Launches Science Satellite.(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2006... The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) placed the Advanced Land Observing satellite into orbit Jan. 24, JAXA announced. The satellite, dubbed Daichi, is designed to gather detailed topographical data that could be used for tasks such...