Satellite News articles from June 2003

Satellite News archives from June 2003

GPS Looks To Productive WRC.(World Radiocommunication Conference )
June 2, 2003... The upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in Geneva will address key issues for the increasingly important Global Positioning System (GPS) and other satellite navigation systems. The U.S. government-operated GPS is used widely...

FCC Panel Tackles Preparedness.
June 2, 2003... Leaders from the satellite, cable and broadcast industries gathered last week to comment on "best practices" recommendations intended to ensure effective delivery of information via satellite and other technologies during crises. The...

ESA Regains Control Over Ariane 5 Program.(European Space Agency )
June 2, 2003... The European Space Agency has regained control over the Ariane 5 rocket program as a result of decisions taken last week by ministers of the ESA member countries. The French space agency CNES agreed to cede authority back to ESA as part of an...

Spotlight: Lufthansa First With Fleet-Wide Broadband.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Boeing [NYSE: BA] has inked a deal with German air carrier Lufthansa to be the first airline to rollout the Connexion by Boeing satellite-based inflight broadband service on a fleet-wide basis. Financial terms were not disclosed. The...

Satellite Radio Is Playing A Happy Tune.
June 2, 2003... By Stephen Blum Satellite radio is about to turn a critical corner in the United States. Estimates of the size of the early adopter, technophile market range between 300,000 to 600,000. Right now, Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] and...

Operators Target Homeland Security Opportunities.
June 2, 2003... Princeton, N.J.-based SES Americom is among the global satellite operators that are looking to get a share of the homeland security market. David Helfgott, president and CEO of Americom Government Services unit, said he sees strong...

PVRs Could Fuel Satellite TV Subscriber Gains.(personal video recorders )
June 2, 2003... NEW YORK--Technological advances such as personal video recorders (PVRs) and high-definition television (HDTV) programming will help to drive the growth of satellite television in the United States. That is the view of industry experts who...

EC Clears EADS' Astrium Buy.
June 2, 2003... The European Commission has authorized European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.'s (EADS) acquisition of BAE Systems' stake in Astrium, a European manufacturer of satellites. The deal gives EADS sole control of Astrium. EADS is a jointly-held...

New Launch Date for Rosetta.(comet exploration spacecraft )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Having been delayed due to problems with the Ariane 5 rocket, the launch of the Rosetta comet exploration spacecraft is back on track. The spacecraft will be launched in February 2004 from Kourou, French Guiana, using an Ariane 5 G+ launcher....

Mauritania Buys Hybrid Product.(from InterWAVE Communications International)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... InterWAVE Communications International [Nasdaq: IWAV], a Menlo Park, Calif.-based provider of compact wireless communications systems, has received a $1.8 million contract from Mauritel Mobiles to provide a terrestrial wireless/satellite...

Satellite-Linked Center for Ghana.(built by ACS of Dallas)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... ACS [NYSE: ACS], a Dallas-based provider of business process and information technology outsourcing solutions, has begun construction of satellite-linked technology center in Accra, Ghana. Located near the Accra airport, the new office...

China Turns To Trimble.(Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Province )(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Trimble [Nasdaq: TRMB] is supplying Global Positioning System reference stations and virtual reference station (VRS) software to the Seismological Bureau of Sichuan Province in China to establish a VRS network around the...

Helius Expands Management Team.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Helius, a Lindon, Utah-based provider of satellite broadband routing, has hired Jeff Curtis as senior vice president of sales and Mike Tippets as senior vice president of marketing. They will report to CEO Ron Heinz. Previously, Curtis was...

GlobeCast Contract Renewed.
June 2, 2003... Channel Sun France, a subsidiary of South Korean public broadcaster KBS Media, has renewed its contract with GlobeCast to provide channel distribution using GlobeCast's digital direct-to-home (DTH) distribution platform via Eutelsat's HOT BIRD...

Japan Sets Up New Space Agency.(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Japan is setting up a new space agency formed from the merger of three agencies - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL), and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). The new...

Harris Gets $9.7M Air Force Order.(for Mission Communications Operations and Maintenance program)(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... Harris Corp. [NYSE:HRS], of Colorado Springs, Colo., has been awarded a $9.7 million order to supply two databases to the Mission Communications Operations and Maintenance (MCOM) program for the U.S. Air Force's satellite communications system....

CSI Supplies FleetBoss Hardware.(Brief Article)
June 2, 2003... CSI Wireless [TSX: CSY], a Calgary, Alberta-based manufacturer of advanced wireless and Global Positioning System products, has signed an agreement with FleetBoss Global Positioning System Solutions to supply a customized version of CSI...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
June 2, 2003... Week of May 23 - 29, 2003 Percentage 29-May One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.87 12 ASIASAT TELECOM SAT...

Cablevision Commits $864M To DBS.
June 9, 2003... Cablevision Systems [NYSE: CVC] last week nearly doubled its financial commitment to its high risk Rainbow DBS satellite TV venture. The Bethpage, N.Y.-based cable operator that serves 3 million subscribers in metropolitan New York also took...

FCC's Bond Obligation Spurs Debate.
June 9, 2003... The new bond requirement for a geostationary (GSO) satellite license is likely to discourage startups from obtaining licenses, warned Raul Rodriguez, a partner at the Washington, D.C., law firm of Leventhal, Senter and Lerman. As part of...

MSV Files ATC Application With the FCC.(Mobile Satellite Ventures' ancillary terrestrial component services)
June 9, 2003... Reston, Va.-based Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) is taking the lead in what eventually could become a trend among mobile satellite services (MSS) operating in the United States. The company filed an application June 5 with the Federal...

Spotlight: DirecTV Wants Definition In Its Lineup.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... New high definition television (HDTV) programming will be launched July 1 by El Segundo, Calif.-based satellite TV operator DirecTV, a unit of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH]. The programming, priced at $10.99 a month, will feature ESPN HD,...

Satellite Radio Officials Cite Positive Trends.(Interview)
June 9, 2003... By Jimmy Schaeffler Top investor relations officials from both Washington-based XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR] and New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] recently offered their views about why both companies are gaining...

Sirius Shuffles Stock Ownership Deck With Financing.
June 9, 2003... Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] is not letting the absence of a chief financial officer stop it from pursuing vital financing deals. On the heels of completing a $175 million offering of convertible notes, Sirius moved last week to...

Is Satellite TV Subscriber Satisfaction Rising?(Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association survey)
June 9, 2003... A new survey commissioned by the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) found that the satisfaction level of U.S. satellite TV subscribers grew during the past year in a variety of ways, from providing popular channels to...

Marlink Signs Up Customers.
June 9, 2003... Marlink, a unit of Norway's Telenor [Nasdaq: TELN] Satellite Services, last week announced a number of deals to provide maritime satellite communications services to customers. Gas and oil company Royal Dutch/Shell Group extended its...

Satellites Help With Earthquake.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... In response to the earthquake in Algiers last month, France Telecom [NYSE: FTE] Mobile Satellite Communications' subsidiary TDCom has deployed a "telecom center" in Zemouri, a town affected by the earthquake. The center is based on...

EMS Signs Up Inmarsat Dealers.
June 9, 2003... EMS Technologies [Nasdaq: ELMG] has signed distribution agreements with EMS SATCOM and an additional group of business partners for the sale of Inmarsat satellite terminals. The new business partners signed to distribute the EMS SATCOM...

Lawrence Livermore Tasks SkyFrames.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... SkyFrames [OTC BB: SKYU], a Costa Mesa, Calif.-based provider of satellite broadband Internet services, has signed a contract with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to provide satellite broadband service for ongoing research...

iDirect Software Boosts Efficiency.(iDS 3.2)(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... iDirect Technologies, a Reston, Va.-based company that develops broadband IP hardware and software, has unveiled its latest software - iDS v.3.2 - providing two-way Internet connections via satellite. The new software will enable...

Satellites Monitor Rain Forests.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The European Space Agency is providing data from its Earth observation satellites to monitor the tropical forests in French Guiana and help the French government meet its obligations under the international Kyoto Protocol agreement on global...

Juniper Group To Get $1M.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... Juniper Group [Nasdaq: JUNI], a Great Neck, N.Y.-based last mile installation service provider for satellite, cable and DSL technologies, said it expects to secure a $1 million investment from private investors. Final terms of the financing...

Soyuz Rocket Lifts Mars Express.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... The European Mars Express space probe has been placed into a trajectory that will take it to Mars by late December. A Soyuz-Fregat rocket sent the probe, weighing 1,120 kilograms, on its journey to Mars from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in...

Abu Dhabi TV Signs With GlobeCast.(Brief Article)
June 9, 2003... GlobeCast, a satellite transmission unit of France Telecom [NYSE: FTE], has signed a long-term agreement with Abu Dhabi TV - the satellite channel of Emirates Media - to provide satellite delivery across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and...

DBS Pitches Sports Programmers.(direct broadcast satellilte service providers)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO--Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service providers are looking to add sports programming to their lineups in an effort to entice subscribers away from cable TV. Both Hughes Electronics' [NYSE: GMH] DirecTV and EchoStar...

Cable Gains In Race With Satellite.(Industry Overview)
June 16, 2003... CHICAGO--Bundled product offerings that feature video, broadband, data and new interactive services will help cable TV operators gain a significant competitive advantage over the satellite TV industry, cable industry leaders predicted. The...

The Illusory ATC Opportunity Leaves MSS Lagging.(ancillary terrestrial components )
June 16, 2003... By Roger Rusch Early this year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the use by mobile satellite service (MSS) operators of terrestrial repeaters, known as ancillary terrestrial components (ATC). The regulations...

Spotlight: BellExpressVu Offers Catholic Channel In Canada.(EWTN)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Subscriber feedback has spurred Canadian satellite TV services provider Bell ExpressVu to carry U.S.-based Catholic channel ETWN, said Tom Wenzel, EWTN's director of marketing. Viewers of cable and satellite systems who want to receive ETWN...

Technical Innovations Drive Competition.(Industry Overview)
June 16, 2003... By Jimmy Schaeffler DirecTV and EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] have enjoyed rising stock prices, despite intense competition from cable TV. Just prior to last week's National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) conference...

Boeing Bats 2 For 2.(launches two satellites)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Boeing [NYSE: BA] launched two spacecraft June 10 within hours of each other from different vantage points on the globe. In an early morning launch (6:56 a.m. PDT) from the equator, Boeing's Sea Launch venture lifted the Thuraya-2...

Space Imaging Wins NIMA Contract.(National Imagery and Mapping Agency)(to evaluate technology from Look Dynamics)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Denver-based Space Imaging has won a contract from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) to evaluate a new technology enabling the search of large satellite imagery databases for specific elements such as vehicles, buildings, weapon...

Hong Kong Cracks Down On Pirates.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... The High Court in Hong Kong ruled June 11 found five defendants guilty of importing and trading in unauthorized satellite TV signal decoding equipment. In the ruling, a judge granted an injunction sought by the plaintiffs prohibiting the...

Alcatel Space Wins Koreasat Order.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Paris-based Alcatel Space has signed a 148 million euro ($173 million) contract with KT Corp. [NYSE: KTC] and the Korean Agency for Defense Development to build Koreasat 5 - a civilian and military communications satellite. Alcatel Space, a...

MDA Wins Military Contract.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates [TSX: MDA] has been awarded the first phase of a multi-million dollar contract by an unidentified prime contractor in the United States to work on a military demonstrator satellite. The first phase...

New Loral Skynet Head In Brazil.(Marcelo Sant'Anna )(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Marcelo Sant'Anna has been named general manager of Loral Skynet do Brasil, the Brazilian subsidiary of New York-based satellite communications firm Loral Space & Communications [NYSE: LOR]. Sant'Anna will be responsible for managing Loral...

AMC-9 Settles Into Orbit.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... On June 7, a Proton K rocket successfully placed SES Americom's AMC-9 satellite into geostationary orbit at 85 degrees West Longitude. The launch occurred at 4:15 a.m. local time (6:15 p.m. June 6 EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan...

GT Launches Broadband.(General Technologies's satellite broadband)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... General Technologies has launched satellite broadband services in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe following a six-month pilot phase. General Technologies aims to provide services to all types of businesses, urban and rural...

CSA's Earth Observation Contracts.(Canadian Space Agency)(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded more than C$3 million (US$2.2 million) in contracts to nine Canadian companies to develop uses for satellitebased Earth Observation data and applications. The 12 contracts were awarded through the...

HNS Goes Shopping.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Hughes Network Systems (HNS), a Germantown, Md.-based satellite broadband unit of Hughes Electronics Corp. [NYSE: GMH], has launched a new satellite broadband program that will enable tenants of shopping centers and enclosed malls access to its...

Aero Mexico Orders Avionics.(Brief Article)
June 16, 2003... Mexican carrier Aero Mexico has ordered avionics and in-flight entertainment systems from Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Rockwell Collins [NYSE: COL] for 11 new Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The avionics package includes a suite of data link...

Future of Air Traffic System Depends on Satellites.
June 16, 2003... The Federal Aviation Administration - along with other aviation agencies around the world - is moving ahead with implementation of the Future Air Navigation System (FANS), which uses satellite communication and navigation and other advanced...

WorldSpace Bets On Government Market Growth.
June 16, 2003... Washington, D.C.-based WorldSpace Corp. is looking to the U.S. government in an effort to kick start its sagging satellite radio service to developing nations. WorldSpace launched its government sales unit late last month to meet growing...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.(Industry Overview)
June 16, 2003... Week of June 6 - 12, 2003 Percentage Change 12-Jun One One Symbol Price Week Month APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.8 ...

Boeing Revamps Aviation Strategy.
June 23, 2003... Boeing [NYSE: BA] is revamping its aviation communications strategy, combining its Connexion by Boeing satellite broadband service with advanced avionics, the company announced during the Paris International Air Show last week. Boeing said...

U.S. Faces WRC Challenges.(World Radiocommunication Conference )
June 23, 2003... The International Telecommunication Union's World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) wrapped up its second week in Geneva tackling an ambitious agenda of spectrum-related initiatives. Among the list of 48 agenda items is an effort to earmark...

News Corp-Hughes Deal Draws Fire.
June 23, 2003... Consumer groups and broadcasters took aim at News Corp's [NYSE: NWS] proposed acquisition of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH] last week by demanding that restrictions be placed on the combined organization to prevent market power abuses. The...

Spotlight: Inspiration Networks Turns To PanAmSat.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... The Inspiration Networks (INSP), a Christian content programmer, has agreed to use PanAmSat [Nasdaq: SPOT] to deliver its message nationwide. The Charlotte, N.C.-based programmer has signed a long-term transponder lease for its analog and...

Cable Advances In War With Satellite.(Industry Overview)
June 23, 2003... By Jimmy Schaeffler The cable versus satellite battlefield was featured during a panel discussion at the recently held National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) conference in Chicago (see SN, June 16). At the panel, entitled...

SES Americom Plunges Ahead With Expansion Plans.
June 23, 2003... Princeton, N.J.-based SES Americom officials contend that their aggressive schedule for deploying new and replacement satellites makes good business sense, despite the general industry view that there is excess satellite capacity. "In an...

Alcatel Gains $340M In Contracts.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Alcatel Space received two contracts worth a combined $340 million to build communications satellites based on its Spacebus 3000B3 platform. One order, worth $190 million, was received from Brazilian satellite operator Star One to build the...

LM To Build SES Astra Birds.(Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems)(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, a unit of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], has been awarded a contract to build two communications satellites for SES Astra, a unit of SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG]. Financial terms were not disclosed. ...

Arianespace, ELV Sign Vega Accord.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... France's Arianespace and Italy's ELV have signed a collaboration agreement that would enable Vega rocket launches at Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. ELV, as industrial prime contractor, will be in charge of production of the...

DirecWay Expands In Russia.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Hughes Network Systems (HNS) has signed an agreement to supply TM SAT, a privately owned Russian satellite service provider, with a DirecWay broadband satellite network. That network would include a central network operations center (NOC),...

Satellite Phone Use Jumps In Iraq.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Satellite telephone usage in post-war Iraq is on the rise as U.S. and coalition forces take control of the country, with thousands of users making more than 1 million calls a month, according to satellite phone service provider Globalstar [OTC...

Canadian Agency Buys Imagery.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... Canada's Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) purchased 8,800 square kilometers of one-meter IKONOS satellite imagery for disaster risk assessment and emergency preparedness along the Canada-United...

General Dynamics To Buy Veridian.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... General Dynamics [NYSE: GD] has agreed to buy Veridian Corp. [NYSE: VNX], an Arlington, Va.-based remote sensing and information processing firm, for $35 per share in cash. With the assumption of Veridian's $270 million in debt, the cost of the...

LM Team Completes Milstar Check.(Lockheed Martin )(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... A Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-led team has completed an accelerated onorbit checkout of the last Milstar II secure communications satellite and transferred full operational control of the spacecraft to the Air Force Space Command. The satellite...

NASA To Launch Scientific Satellite.(Brief Article)
June 23, 2003... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has scheduled an August launch for SciSat, a Canadian scientific satellite. The mission marks the first new Canadian scientific satellite to be launched since 1971. [Copyright 2003 PBI...

The Satellite News Finanical Ticker.
June 23, 2003... Week of June 13 - 19, 2003 Perentage Change 19-Jun One One Symbol Price Week Month APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 2.68 ...

Competition Rises For Connexion.(Boeing's commercial in-flight satellite communications service)
June 30, 2003... Connexion by Boeing has yet to collect a dollar from its fledgling commercial in-flight satellite communications service, but the new venture already is facing stiff competition. Verizon Airfone is rolling out a new narrowband messaging...

OrbView-3 Gives Orbimage Life.(Orbital Imaging Corp. )
June 30, 2003... The successful June 26 launch of the OrbView-3 high-resolution imaging satellite could help the Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Imaging Corp. (Orbimage) turn around its financial fortunes. The satellite imagery provider is expected to emerge from...

WRC Deals Come Fast and Furiously.(International Telecommunication Union's World Radiocommunication Conference )
June 30, 2003... As the International Telecommunication Union's World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) enters its final week in Geneva, expect a flurry of activity on the spectrum front at the plenary level. Big issues that involve lots of money need to be...

Spotlight: U.S. Army Deploys TDMA Satellite Network.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Reston, Va.-based iDirect Technologies has teamed with Technical and Management Services Corp. (TAMSCO) to provide U.S. Army personnel in Iraq with a TDMA satellite network. TAMSCO, an information technology company, helped to design a...

Can iPSTAR Revive Broadband?
June 30, 2003... By Jose del Rosario In 2004, Shin Satellite (ShinSat) of Thailand will launch a new iPSTAR satellite aimed at providing telecommunications and multimedia services to households, businesses and public organizations. Individual households...

Orbital Sciences Looks Ahead To Improvement.
June 30, 2003... Orbital Sciences' [NYSE: ORB] success last week launching the longdelayed OrbView-3 satellite for Orbimage should boost its recovery efforts. Orbital also is helping itself by issuing lower-cost debt to replace higher-cost debt obtained last...

Europeans To Double Spending.(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... The European Space Agency and European Union member states have agreed to double spending on space-related activities, from a current level of 6 billion euros (US$6.9 billion) to 12 billion euros (US$13.8 billion, according to ESA official...

Gilat Signs Bulgarian Accord.
June 30, 2003... Gilat Satellite Networks [Nasdaq: GILTF] has signed an agreement with the Bulgarian petroleum company TRANSAT to deploy a Skystar 360E hub and VSAT network with sites throughout Bulgaria. TRANSAT, and its parent company Petrol Bulgaria,...

Telenor Completes Testing.(of Swift Mobile Packet Data Service )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... Telenor Satellite Services has completed testing of its aeronautical data communications service called Swift Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS). Based on Inmarsat's Swift64 technology, Telenor's aeronautical MPDS will deliver...

Spanish Antenna Delivered.(EADS CASA Espacio's in-orbit reconfigurable multi-beam antenna )(Brief Article)
June 30, 2003... EADS CASA Espacio has delivered an in-orbit reconfigurable multi-beam antenna (IRMA) to INTA for use in a satellite under construction by Space Systems/Loral for the Spanish Ministry of Defence. The IRMA antenna is the result of several...

Wall Street Analysis.
June 30, 2003... By Tom Watts, SG Cowen Securities Ohio Governor Bob Taft signed into law a bill that will apply a 6 percent sales tax to direct broadcast satellite (DBS) services, but not to cable TV. Ohio joins North Carolina in becoming the only two...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
June 30, 2003... Week of June 20 - 26, 2003 Percentage Change 26-Jun One One Symbol Price Week Month APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 2.3 ...