Satellite Today articles from June 2003

Satellite Today archives from June 2003

Cablevision Plans Satellite TV Spin-Off.
June 2, 2003... Cablevision Systems [NYSE: CVC] is taking steps to spin off its proposed satellite TV service, Rainbow DBS, and its Clearview Cinemas theater chain. The Cablevision board approved the spin-off plan as a tax-free, pro rata distribution to...

Abu Dhabi TV Signs With GlobeCast.
June 2, 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...

EchoStar to Deliver Satellite TV Services for CompUSA.
June 2, 2003... EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] has inked a deal to deliver business television, a satellite communications service, to CompUSA, a retailer and reseller of computer technology and related products and services and a DISH Network...

ViaSat Gets $30M DOCSIS-Based Satellite System Contract.
June 2, 2003... ViaSat [Nasdaq: VSAT], a Carlsbad, Calif.-based VSAT and Ka-band communications provider, has been awarded a contract by an undisclosed satellite operator to procure ViaSat's DOCSIS-based two-way broadband satellite system to offer high speed,...

Wavesat, BIP In Satcom Amplifier Pact.
June 2, 2003... Wavesat Wireless, a manufacturer of microwave network products, has signed an agreement with BIP Corp. of San Diego, to supply satellite amplifiers estimated at approximately $1.2 million. The equipment will be incorporated in a satellite...

Schlumberger Provides Remote Pump Control to Hocol.
June 2, 2003... Schlumberger's [NYSE: SLB] Houston-based Oilfield Services unit will provide remote monitoring and control of electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) via satellites for Columbian oil and gas firm Hocol. Schlumberger's service includes remote...

Recent STB Deals Boost Pace.
June 3, 2003... Pace Micro Technology [London: PIC.L], a U.K. set-top box (STB) manufacturer, has signed multiple key deals recently with satellite pay-TV operators. In May, it clinched deals with Sky Italia in Italy, Viasat in the Nordic region and Foxtel in...

XM Announces $125M Senior Secured Note Offering.
June 3, 2003... XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR], a Washington, D.C.-based satellite radio provider, plans to sell $125 million principal amount in senior secured notes due 2010 to qualified institutional buyers. The notes will be guaranteed by parent company...

Soyuz Rocket Blasts Mars Express Into Space.
June 3, 2003... The European Mars Express space probe has been placed in 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 Kazakhstan...

Motorola Demonstrates Multimedia Home Platform Technology.
June 3, 2003... Motorola's [NYSE: MOT] Broadband Communications Sector is launching its recently acquired Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) software on its interactive digital set-top boxes. With the integration of MHP technology into its set-tops underway,...

Nexterna Releases New Version of Clearview Service Management System.
June 3, 2003... Nexterna has released Clearview 2.0, the latest version of its service management system. Clearview provides integration of complete service management functionality with real-time wireless connectivity and GPS-based location tracking. ...

Envivio Launches Interactive MPEG-4 Webcasting System.
June 3, 2003... Envivio, a provider of MPEG-4 broadcast and streaming solutions, has launched 4Forum, a turnkey system for broadcasting, managing, distributing, and playing MPEG-4 multimedia presentations over enterprise networks. The system works on existing...

New Skies CEO Expects Growth This Year.
June 4, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK] CEO Dan Goldberg believes his company will grow its revenues this year, despite the continuing tough market conditions. The Dutch satellite operator is targeting high single-digit or even possibly double-digit...

Sirius Plans Sale of Additional Stock.
June 4, 2003... Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] announced Wednesday that it plans to sell an additional 75 million shares of common stock, depending on market conditions. Terms and pricing are to be determined by the company. Morgan Stanley will be...

EMS Signs Inmarsat Terminal Dealers And Distributors.
June 4, 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 Selects SkyFrames Satellite Broadband.
June 4, 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 Satellite Bandwidth Efficiencies.
June 4, 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...

Juniper Group To Get $1M Investment.
June 4, 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...

DirecTV Plans To Launch New High-Definition Package.
June 5, 2003... New high-definition television (HDTV) programming will be launched July 1 by satellite TV operator DirecTV, a unit of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH]. The programming, priced at $10.99 a month, will feature ESPN HD, Discovery HD Theater,...

Marlink Signs Up A Number of Maritime Communication Customers.
June 5, 2003... Marlink, a unit of Norway's Telenor [Nasdaq: TELN] Satellite Services, this week announced a number of deals to provide maritime satellite communications services to customers. Gas and oil company Royal Dutch/Shell Group has extended its...

FTMSC Provides Emergency Communications to Algerian Towns Rocked By Earthquakes.
June 5, 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, one of four towns affected by the earthquake. The center is based...

Telenor Satellite Services Launches New Maritime Communication Services.
June 5, 2003... Telenor [Nasdaq: TELN] Satellite Services said it expects commercial launch of Inmarsat Fleet F55 and Fleet F33 services during the third quarter this year. The new services provide small to medium-sized vessels with communications...

Boeing Delta II Set to Launch NASA's Mars Rovers.
June 5, 2003... A Boeing [NYSE: Boeing] Delta II rocket is scheduled to launch the first of two Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday. The launch of MER-A is scheduled to occur at 2:05 p.m. EDT...

ESA Providing French Guiana With Satellite Data On Rain Forests.
June 5, 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...

MSV Files ATC Application With the FCC.
June 6, 2003... Reston, Va.-based Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) filed an application Thursday with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to add an ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) to its L -band mobile satellite service (MSS) systems. The FCC...

Bush Spectrum Policy Plan Spurs Pentagon Fears.
June 6, 2003... A Bush White House spectrum policy initiative, unveiled Thursday, is creating serious angst among some officials within the Department of Defense (DoD). President Bush has ordered the Department of Commerce to lead a two-year review of current...

Sea Launch Readies Thuraya-2 Launch.
June 6, 2003... Thuraya-2, the second satellite built by Boeing [NYSE:BA] for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is set to launch June 10. The satellite will be lifted into geosynchronous orbit at 44 degrees East Longitude...

Satellite Consolidation Likely, Says Goldberg.
June 6, 2003... New Skies Satellites' [NYSE: NSK] CEO Dan Goldberg believes there will be consolidation in the satellite industry in the next year or so. Goldberg told SATELLITE TODAY: "I do think there will probably be some more consolidation in the industry...

OpenTV's PlayJam Launches Interactive Tetris Game on TPS.
June 6, 2003... OpenTV [Nasdaq: OPTV], a San Francisco, Calif-based interactive television firm, announced Friday that its game and entertainment channel, PlayJam, has launched an interactive TV version of its Tetris game on French satellite operator TPS....

EMS Supplies Software For Personal Locator Beacon.
June 6, 2003... EMS Technologies [Nasdaq: ELMG] said its SARMaster search-and-rescue (SAR) information system is being used for the first personal locator beacon (PLB) deployment in Vermont on July 1. EMS also will deploy SARMaster to two other states, Oregon...

AMC-9 Satellite Settles Into Geostationary Orbit.
June 9, 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 (22:15 June 6 GMT, 6:15 p.m. June 6 EDT) from the Baikonur...

Improved Technology Key To Fight Piracy, Says Kudelski.
June 9, 2003... A recent European Commission report on smart card piracy indicated that there is a need to have strong, harmonized anti-piracy laws across Europe to tackle the $1 billion lost to European companies. The Kudelski Group, a provider of conditional...

HNS Launches Satellite Broadband Offering for Shopping Malls.
June 9, 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 Rockwell Collins' Avionics Package.
June 9, 2003... Mexican carrier Aero Mexico has ordered avionics and in-flight entertainment systems from Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Rockwell Collins [NYSE: COL] to be installed in 11 new Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The avionics package includes a suite of data...

Motorola Provides Digital Satellite Transmission For The Inspiration Networks.
June 9, 2003... Motorola's [NYSE: MOT] Broadband Communications Sector was selected by The Inspiration Networks to deploy edgeband digital satellite services. The Inspiration Networks will add two digital television services to the edge of an existing analog...

PanAmSat, Starz Encore Add High Resolution Services to Galaxy IX.
June 9, 2003... Starz Encore Group has signed a deal with PanAmSat [Nasdaq: SPOT] to add high definition and high resolution feeds of its programming using the Galaxy IX satellite. The new services are scheduled to be launched by the end of 2003. Starz...

Satellites Are Key To Future Air Navigation System.
June 10, 2003... The Federal Aviation Administration - along with other aviation agencies around the world - is moving ahead with implementation of the "future air navigation system" (FAN), which uses satellite communication and navigation and other advanced...

Asian Satellite and Cable Industry Sees Turnaround This Year.
June 10, 2003... Satellite platform operators, cable TV providers, equipment suppliers and content providers are seeing subscribership and revenues increase after years of investment and sluggish growth, according to the Hong Kong-based Cable & Satellite...

Alcatel Space Wins $173M Contract To Build Koreasat 5.
June 10, 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 $1.45M Military Satellite Contract.
June 10, 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...

Sant'Anna Named General Manager of Loral Skynet Do Brasil.
June 10, 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...

Starz Encore Chairman Recommends Spectrum Conservation.
June 10, 2003... Starz Encore Chairman and CEO John J. Sie is calling on the cable and satellite industries to use a new technology solution to manage spectrum more efficiently. At the National Cable and Telecommunications Association Show being held in Chicago...

SkyHawke Teams With Sarantel On GPS Golf Range Finder.
June 10, 2003... SkyHawke Technologies is teaming with Sarantel to combine Sarantel's miniature GeoHelix GPS antenna into the latest version of its SG2 personal digital golf caddie. The SG2 provides instant range information for multiple golf targets per hole...

HDTV Rollout Will Create Limited Near-Term Opportunities.
June 11, 2003... CHICAGO - Satellite operators looking to capitalize on the rollout of high-definition TV (HDTV) must wait to receive a big payoff from carrying the bandwidth-intensive signals. HDTV content providers are estimating that it could five years...

EchoStar Adds Soccer Channel To Top 150 Lineup.
June 11, 2003... CHICAGO - Favorable subscriber reaction has spurred EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] to add a Spanish-language soccer channel to its top 150 English-language programming lineup, the satellite TV provider announced here at the National...

Boeing Bats 2 For 2.
June 11, 2003... Boeing [NYSE: BA] launched two spacecraft Tuesday 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.
June 11, 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 Court Rules Against Satellite TV Pirates.
June 11, 2003... The High Court in Hong Kong ruled Wednesday against five defendants for importing and trading in unauthorized satellite TV signal decoding equipment. In the ruling, a judge granted an injunction sought by the plaintiffs prohibiting the...

Ground Control Releases First DirecWay Software-Based Satellite Phone.
June 11, 2003... Ground Control, a San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based service provider for Hughes Network Systems' DirecWay two-way satellite systems, has released IG-VoIP, the first software voice-over-Internet product for DirecWay subscribers, according to the...

UK Sets The Pace For Broadband, Says Aramiska Head.
June 12, 2003... The UK market is still one of the more progressive in terms of satellite broadband in Europe, opined Aramiska CEO Philippe Bodart. He told SATELLITE TODAY: "The push to get broadband accepted by businesses and residential users is [stronger] in...

MBC Network Unable To Secure Satellite Carriage.
June 12, 2003... CHICAGO--The Major Broadcasting Cable (MBC) Network so far has been unable to convince U.S. satellite TV companies to carry its predominantly African-American content despite launching service nearly four years ago. While unable to attract...

Bell ExpressVu To Carry Catholic Channel In Canada.
June 12, 2003... Subscriber feedback has spurred Canadian satellite TV services provider Bell ExpressVu to carry Catholic channel ETWN, said Tom Wenzel, EWTN's director of marketing. Viewers of cable and satellite systems who want to receive ETWN have been...

Executives Appointed at MCI IDB Satellite Systems.
June 12, 2003... Two executives have been appointed to positions with MCI IDB Satellite Systems Group. Jack Walters, senior vice president in operations and technology at MCI, now is responsible for MCI IDB. John Ahrens has been appointed director of sales...

General Technologies Launches Satellite Broadband In Europe.
June 12, 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 Awards C$3M To Spur Earth Observation Applications.
June 12, 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...

WRC Wraps Up First Week With Ambitious Agenda.
June 13, 2003... The International Telecommunication Union's World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) wrapped up its first week in Geneva with an ambitious agenda of spectrum-related initiatives. Among the list of 48 agenda items is an effort to earmark...

Intelsat Sees Benefits Of Link-Up With Hong Kong's TVB.
June 13, 2003... Intelsat believes its relationship with Hong Kong-based Television Broadcasts Ltd (TVB) is a key one for the company on a number of levels. In February this year, Intelsat announced a joint venture with TVB to provide a new pay-TV service...

ARINC Launches New Satellite Broadband Operation.
June 13, 2003... ARINC has set up a business unit to pursue opportunities in providing aeronautical satellite voice, narrowband and broadband data services for the commercial airline, government/military and business aviation markets. The new group --...

Integrated Solutions, Market Consolidation Offer Growth Avenues.
June 13, 2003... Struggling with flat demand, intense competition and uncertainty due to industry consolidation, fixed satellite service (FSS) operators can expect growth and expansion beyond 2004 as the market restructures itself through alliances and mergers,...

Ariane 5 Boosts Loral-Built Optus and Defence C1 Bird.
June 13, 2003... The Ariane 5 rocket lifted the Optus and Defence C1 communications satellite into orbit at 6:38 p.m. EDT June 11 from Arianespace's spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana. The combination civilian and military communications satellite was built by...

Mounties Get Their Satellite Pirates.
June 13, 2003... Following two eight-month investigations, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Greater Toronto Area Federal Enforcement Section this week charged 23 persons and eight business locations of Huworks TV with conspiracy charges relating to...

XM Satellite Radio Prices $175M Debt Offering.
June 13, 2003... XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR] has priced a $175 million high-yield offering of 12 percent senior secured notes due 2010 guaranteed by the parent company, XM Satellite Radio Holdings. The closing is expected to occur on Tuesday, subject to...

Stratos, Satcom Direct Partner To Serve Government, Aviation Markets.
June 13, 2003... Stratos, a Bethesda, Md.-based provider of satellite communications, has formed a partnership with Satcom Direct to provide Inmarsat Swift64 to the U.S. and Canadian governments and the business aviation market. Swift64 is a highspeed data ISDN...

WorldSpace Confident About Satellite Radio In Europe.
June 16, 2003... The success of XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR] and Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] in the United States shows the potential for this sector in Europe, despite the bankruptcy filing of European satellite radio hopeful Global Radio....

Alcatel Space To Build RASCOM Satellite For $150M.
June 16, 2003... Paris-based Alcatel Space has been awarded a $150 million contract by RascomStar-QAF to build the first RASCOM (Regional African Satellite Communication Organization) satellite dedicated to serve the African content. Alcatel will supply the...

Spanish Consortium Secures Galileo Stake.
June 16, 2003... The Spanish industrial consortium Galileo Sistemas y Servicios (GSS) on Monday secured a 14 percent equity stake in Galileo Industries, the company created to oversee the construction and deployment of the European Galileo satellite navigation...

ND SatCom Opens Middle East Office.
June 16, 2003... ND SatCom, a German supplier of satellite-based broadband VSAT, broadcast and military communication network services, has opened a Middle East office in Abu Dhabi. Ulrich Kiebler will head the new ND SatCom office, which will include sales and...

Sirius Radio Coming On Genmar Boats.
June 16, 2003... Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI], a New York-based satellite radio provider, and Genmar Holdings, a Minneapolis-based maker of recreational boats, have signed a deal under which Sirius radios will be offered as a standard feature in all...

Pegasus, Starz Encore In Marketing Agreement.
June 16, 2003... Pegasus Communications [Nasdaq: PGTV], a rural satellite TV provider, and Liberty Media [NYSE: L] subsidiary Starz Encore Group have signed a joint marketing agreement. Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based Pegasus and Englewood, Colo.-based Starz will launch...

Correction.
June 16, 2003... In the Friday, June 13, issue of SATELLITE TODAY, Jon Romm's title was incorrectly identified. He is president of Intelsat's media and entertainment business unit. We regret the error. [Copyright 2003 PBI Media, LLC. All rights reserved.]

NAB Wants News Corp/Hughes Merger Safeguards.
June 17, 2003... The National Association of Broadcasters is asking the Federal Communications Commission not to approve the proposed News Corp [NYSE: NWS] purchase of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH] unless the companies agree to programming and distribution...

Boeing Unveils 'E-Enabled' Aviation Strategy.
June 17, 2003... Boeing [BA] unveiled key elements of an integrated, e-enabled aviation strategy at the Paris International Air Show this week. Boeing featured its Boeing e-Enabled Advantage product that the company says will cut airline costs, improve...

Satellite Phone Usage Jumps In Iraq.
June 17, 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. ...

Alcatel Space Secures $190M Star One Contract.
June 17, 2003... Alcatel Space has received a $190 million order from Brazilian satellite operator Star One to build and launch the Star One C1 communications satellite serving the Latin American market. Based on the Spacebus 3000B3 platform, Star One C1...

DVD-Based Navigation Radio Debuts On Chrysler Vehicles.
June 17, 2003... Chrysler's new RB1 Navigation Radio is making its debut as both a dealerinstalled option and as a factory-installed option on select Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles. Factory-installation cost varies from $1,200 to $1,595 based on equipment...

Canada's Triple E RV Selects KVH TracVision for 2004.
June 17, 2003... KVH Industries [Nasdaq:KVHI] announced that Canadian recreational vehicle manufacturer Triple E RV has chosen the KVH TracVision line of satellite TV antennas as a standard option on its three premier 2004 model year motor homes. Triple E's...

Meteorlogix Weather Forecasting System For Mn/DOT.
June 17, 2003... Minneapolis-based Meteorlogix has received a contract to provide the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) access to weather data delivered via satellite and Internet. Three upgrades to the Mn/DOT Minnesota weather access system...

U.S. Looks To Make Concrete Gains At WRC, Ambassador Says.
June 18, 2003... At the International Telecommunication Union's World Radiocommunication Conference now underway in Geneva, the U.S. government is looking for concrete action on a number of spectrum-related issues, U.S. Ambassador Janice Obuchowski told...

Canadian Agency Buys IKONOS Satellite Imagery.
June 18, 2003... Canada's Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP) has purchased 8,800 square kilometers of one-meter IKONOS satellite imagery to be used for disaster risk assessment and emergency preparedness along the...

Lockheed Martin Team Completes On-Orbit Checkout Of Milstar.
June 18, 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...

General Dynamics To Buy Veridian for $1.5 Billion.
June 18, 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...

NASA To Launch Canadian Scientific Satellite.
June 18, 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. The major scientific goal of...

Alaska Uses QuickBird Satellite Imagery for Fire Response.
June 18, 2003... DigitalGlobe, a Longmont, Colo.-based satellite imagery firm, said that its QuickBird satellite images were used recently by Alaska's Forestry Division to help firefighters navigate wildfires. Fires began blazing through forested areas about 80...

MDA Signs Monitoring Contract.
June 18, 2003... MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates [TSX: MDA], of Richmond, British Columbia, signed a multi-year, C$4.5 million contract with an unnamed customer to provide information products using RADARSAT-1 data. RADARSAT-1 uses synthetic aperture radar...