Satellite Today articles from May 2003

Satellite Today archives from May 2003

China Telecom Turns To Gilat To Provide Rural Telephony Network in Tibet.
May 1, 2003... Gilat Satellite Networks [Nasdaq: GILTF] has been selected by China Telecommunications to provide a large-scale, satellite-based rural telephony network in Tibet. China Telecom will make an initial purchase of a DialAway hub, 14 gateways and...

Rural Alaska Community Selects SkyFrames Satellite Broadband Connectivity.
May 1, 2003... The community of Coffman Cove, Alaska, has selected SkyFrames [OTC Bulletin Board: SKYU] to install and coordinate the implementation of a satellite broadband network that will provide a 2-mile broadband radius around the Coffman Cove City...

Maqsat Joins Europe*Star Gateway Network.
May 1, 2003... Maqsat, a Dutch satellite communications provider, has joined the Europe*Star gateway program. The program, consisting of network providers, national telecom providers and independent teleport operations, provides access to Europe*Star's...

Communication Satellite Developer To Be Inducted Into Inventors Hall Of Fame.
May 1, 2003... Harold Rosen will be inducted May 3 into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work developing the world's first 24-hour communication satellite. Rosen is a consultant and former employee of St. Louis, Mo.-based Boeing [NYSE: BA]....

Dutta Named MSV's Vice President of Systems Engineering.
May 1, 2003... Santanu Dutta has joined Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), a Reston, Va.-based provider of mobile satellite communications services, as vice president of systems engineering. Dutta will be responsible for the system architecture of MSV's...

TechnoCom, Sapias Reach Agreement On Fleet Management Platform.
May 1, 2003... Sapias, a San Francisco, Calif.-based provider of asset management products, has selected TechnoCom's enterprise technology for its fleet intelligence platform, an end-to-end resource management platform for enterprise fleets. Los...

Telesat Canada Posts Positive Numbers.
May 2, 2003... BCE Inc. [NYSE: BCE] subsidiary Telesat Canada achieved a rare distinction for a satellite operator during the first quarter by posting growth in net income and revenue. In a period of weak demand, Telesat Canada bucked the trend by...

TPS Questions DTH Consolidation In France.
May 2, 2003... A merger between French rival direct-to-home (DTH) satellite platforms Canal Satellite and TPS is unlikely, according to TPS Deputy Managing Director Guillaume de Posch. Deals to merge platforms in Spain and Italy are set to be completed in the...

FAA Awards Air Traffic Control Contract To Honeywell.
May 2, 2003... The Federal Aviation Administration is moving forward with a Global Positioning System (GPS)-based landing-guidance system that will improve aircraft safety during airport approaches and landings. The agency has awarded the Local Area...

EchoStar To Offer Local Channels In 42 More Markets.
May 2, 2003... Satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] announced that it plans to offer local TV channels in 42 additional markets, provided that retransmission agreements with local TV stations can be formalized in each of the markets....

Star One Expands Capacity Agreement With New Skies.
May 2, 2003... Star One, which provides satellites services in Latin America, has expanded by nearly 50 percent the amount of capacity it leases on Dutch satellite firm New Skies Satellite's [NYSE: NSK] high-power NSS-7 satellite. Financial terms of the deal...

Verdisys, Reconstruction Data Group To Merge.
May 2, 2003... Verdisys, a Houston-based provider of patented lateral drilling oil services and satellite communications to the energy industry, and Reconstruction Data Group [OTCBB: RDGI] have signed a definitive agreement to merge the two companies in a...

New Skies, KMS/FalconStream Partner In Multi-transponder Deal.
May 5, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK], a Dutch-based satellite communications company, and KMS/FalconStream, a Kuwaiti information technology firm that provides Internet connectivity services via satellite, have signed a long-term multi-transponder,...

India To Launch Satellite With New Launch Vehicle.
May 5, 2003... The Indian Space Research Organization will fire its experimental GSLV-2 launch vehicle on May 8 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in India. The GSLV project has the objective of giving India launch capability for geosynchronous satellites....

NSI Global Licenses Satellite Technology To Aether Systems.
May 5, 2003... NSI Global [TSX: NGL], a Montreal-based supplier of satellite-based communication systems, announced Monday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Vistar Telecommunications, has licensed intellectual property to Aether Systems for net proceeds of...

MDA Signs New RADARSAT Customer.
May 5, 2003... MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates [TSX: MDA] announced Monday that an unidentified customer will purchase satellite imagery from MDA's RADARSAT International subsidiary for land use mapping and monitoring purposes. The agreement is worth...

Conexant Launches MPEG-2 Digital Broadcast Decoders for Set-Top Boxes.
May 5, 2003... Conexant Systems [Nasdaq:CNXT], a Newport Beach, Calif.-based provider of semiconductor system solutions for communications applications, has introduced a family of MPEG-2 audio/video decoders for cable, satellite and terrestrial settop boxes...

Aaron Named President of TV Guide Television Group.
May 5, 2003... Gemstar-TV Guide International [Nasdaq: GMST] has named Ian Aaron as president of its TV Guide Television Group. This newly formed group consists of the company's TV Guide branded businesses in cable and satellite TV, including TV Guide...

Inmarsat Expects Continued Growth In Data Market.
May 6, 2003... London-based mobile satellite service provider Inmarsat now derives more than half of its revenues from mobile data services, according to President and CEO Michael Storey. And this growth in data services shows no sign of slowing, he added....

EchoStar's Revenues Jump 23 Percent.
May 6, 2003... EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq:DISH] Tuesday reported 2003 first-quarter revenues of $1.36 billion, a 23 percent increase from $1.1 billion for the same period in 2002. The company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and...

AGS, JSAT Ink Regional Satellite Pact.
May 6, 2003... Americom Government Services (AGS) and Japan's JSAT Corp. (JSAT) have signed a business collaboration agreement to support each company's pursuit and execution of U.S. government-related satellite-based communications services in the...

Delphi Distributes XM Radios With Wal-Mart.
May 6, 2003... Delphi Product & Service Solutions, a unit of Delphi Corp. [NYSE: DPH], has signed up mass retailer Wal-Mart [NYSE: WMT] to sell Delphi XM SKYFi radios and other products in 2,100 store locations. The SKYFi receiver, a satellite radio that...

EMS Delivers Antenna Component for DoD EHF Satellite System.
May 6, 2003... EMS Technologies [Nasdaq: ELMG] said it has delivered ahead of schedule an engineering model of the beam-forming network (BFN) for the U.S. Department of Defense's advanced EHF satellite system. The DoD system is expected to provide secure,...

Study: Untapped Revenues for Satellites in Access, Distribution Markets.
May 6, 2003... Satellite service providers have made limited inroads in the enterprise IP data networking market, notes Northern Sky Research in its latest series of research report entitled "Satellite IP Data Services for the Enterprise." However,...

New Skies Notches First Quarter Earnings.
May 7, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK] reported first quarter net income of $3.6 million, rebounding from a net loss of $17 million during the same quarter last year. The big difference consisted of a one-time charge of $23.4 million for an...

Wall Street Likes EchoStar's Subscriber Numbers.
May 7, 2003... EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] first quarter subscriber levels impressed analysts on Wall Street. The company's strong subscriber growth momentum versus cable and rival DirecTV earned a positive review from Karim Zia, a satellite and...

Integral Systems To Develop Diagnostics for Missile Defense Satellites.
May 7, 2003... Integral Systems [Nasdaq: ISYS] has been awarded a contract from Northrop Grumman Space Systems in Azusa, Calif., to develop the SBIRS- High Payload Diagnostic System, a high-Earth orbiting component of the U.S. Air Force's Space Based Infrared...

Globalstar Restructures In Canada.
May 7, 2003... Globalstar Canada Satellite, the Mississauga, Ontario, Ca. - based provider of global mobile satellite telecommunication services in Canada, has acquired all shares of Globalstar Canada Holding from Shaw Communications [NYSE:SJR]. ...

Smith Micro Supplies QuickLink Mobile Kits to Thuraya for Satellite Phones.
May 7, 2003... Smith Micro Software [Nasdaq: SMSI], a Aliso Viejo, Calif. -based developer of software and service communications for the wireless market, has agreed to supply data connectivity accessory kits to Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications for its...

Flight Explorer, Blue Sky Network Partner To Build Global Aircraft Tracking.
May 7, 2003... Flight Explorer, Arlington, Va.- based provider of Internet-based flight tracking and information systems, and Blue Sky Network, a La Jolla, Calif.-based satellite communications company, are partnering to provide worldwide satellitebased...

XM Shows Improved Results, Enhanced Cash Position.
May 8, 2003... XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR] Thursday reported revenue of $13.1 million for the first quarter, up $11.3 million from $1.8 million a year ago. XM posted an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) loss of...

Lockheed Martin, Spectrum Astro Partner For Next-Generation GPS System.
May 8, 2003... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], based in Bethesda, Md., and Spectrum Astro, headquartered in Gibert, Ariz., have joined together to pursue the development of the next-generation of Global Positioning System satellites (GPS III). The companies will...

NDS Upbeat Over European Prospects.
May 8, 2003... NDS Group believes the European market is likely to show signs of improvement for conditional access (CA) vendors this year. NDS has recently signed deals with satellite pay-TV operators Foxtel in Australia and Viasat in the Nordic region to...

SBCA Names Breckon Vice President of Business Development.
May 8, 2003... The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) has promoted Alex Breckon to vice president of business development, reporting to SBCA President Andrew Wright. Breckon's responsibilities will include building association...

NSI Global Supplies Satellite Terminals To Coalition Forces.
May 8, 2003... NSI Global [TSX: NGL], a supplier of satellite-based communications systems headquartered in Montreal, announced that its Vistar subsidiary is supplying 700 GlobalWave MT2000 satellite data communication terminals for use by coalition forces to...

Harris Provides Weather System Capability To U.S. Forces.
May 8, 2003... Harris [NYSE:HRS], a Melbourne, Fla.-based supplier of weather data processing systems to the U.S military and other government agencies, has signed a contract to provide U.S. mobile forces with real-time weather data transmitted to their...

GlobeCast Sets Up Government Services Group In U.S.
May 9, 2003... GlobeCast, a satellite service subsidiary of France Telecom [NYSE: FTE], has created its Government Services Group to provide satellite, terrestrial network and integrated value-added services in the United States to the federal, state and...

Engineered Support Systems Unit Provides U.S. Army With Satellite Communications.
May 9, 2003... Engineered Support Systems [Nasdaq: EASI] subsidiary Technical and Management Services, based in Calverton, Md., has completed installing a satellite communications network for the U.S. Army logistics operations in the Middle East. The network...

Inforetech Signs Up GoNow Financial and Greg Norman.
May 9, 2003... Inforetech Wireless Technology [OTC BB: WYRE], a Surrey, British Columbia-based supplier of Global Positioning System technology for the golf industry, has retained GoNow Financial Network, based in San Francisco, to provide investor relations,...

Digital Angel Posts Strong Revenue Growth.
May 9, 2003... Digital Angel [AMEX: DOC], a St. Paul, Minn.-based provider of Global Positioning System tracking devices, reported revenue of $11.4 million for the first quarter, an increase of 47 percent over the year-ago period. Net income was $110,000 for...

V-ONE, Ground Control Team To Provide Satellite Security.
May 9, 2003... V-ONE [OTCBB:VONE], a Germantown, Md.-based Internet security technology company, has partnered with Ground Control, which supplies mobile and fixed satellite Internet access, to provide secure satellite communications and applications. ...

KVH, Tech Electronics Serve Canadian RV Market.
May 9, 2003... KVH Industries [Nasdaq: KVHI], a Middletown, R.I.-based manufacturer of mobile satellite antennas, has announced a partnership with Canadian firm Tech Electronic Services, an aftermarket distributor for recreational vehicles. Through this...

PAR Technology Unit Gets $3.4M Satellite Terminal Contract.
May 12, 2003... Rome Research, a Rome, N.Y.-based subsidiary of PAR Technology [NYSE: PTC], landed a $3.4 million contract to operate and maintain a Department of Defense teleport commercial satellite terminal system at the global information grid (GIG)...

KVH, Inmarsat Team To Speed Mobile Broadband Access.
May 12, 2003... KVH Industries [Nasdaq: KVHI] and Inmarsat have partnered to provide marine access to the Internet, e-mail and company networks at broadband speeds with the release of KVH's Velocity Acceleration data-rate upgrade, which provides 300 percent...

Integral Systems Posts Strong Revenues, Income.
May 12, 2003... Integral Systems [Nasdaq: ISYS] reported record levels of revenue and income in its 2003 second quarter. The Lanham, Md.-based company, which provides satellite ground systems, on Monday reported an 89 percent increase in revenues. Revenues for...

Frequency Electronics Acquires Zyfer for $2.3 Million.
May 12, 2003... Frequency Electronics [AMEX: FEI] has acquired the business and net assets of Zyfer, a Anaheim, Calif.-based subsidiary of Odetics [Nasdaq: ODETA], in a $2.3 million cash transaction. Mitchel Field, N.Y.-based Frequency Electronics also will...

KSAT Satellite Networks Asks Shareholders To Dissolve.
May 12, 2003... KSAT Satellite Networks [Toronto Venture: KSA] will ask its shareholders to approve a resolution authorizing and approving the voluntary dissolution of the corporation at the annual meeting June 20. The resolution would also delist the company...

Companies Join To Service Broadcasters At Olympics.
May 12, 2003... An alliance has been formed between Gearhouse Broadcast, equipment rental, sales company, global satellite transmissions provider GlobeCast, and Greek production company Stefi Productions to address broadcasters' needs at the 2004 Summer...

New U.S. Remote Sensing Policy May Kick Start Industry.
May 13, 2003... The U.S. commercial remote sensing industry should receive a big boost from a new national policy that calls for the U.S. government to buy satellite imagery from the private sector whenever practical. The new policy is encouraging for U.S....

XM's 2003 EBITDA Outlook May Be Too Conservative, Merrill Lynch Says.
May 13, 2003... XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR] reported "good" first quarter 2003 results, but the company's projected EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) by year-end may significantly underestimate the company's...

C-COM Ships Mobile Antennas To Europe.
May 13, 2003... C-COM Satellite Systems [TSXV: CMI] has delivered a number of iNetVu mobile satellite antenna systems to resellers in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. The first C-COM resellers in Europe are Ulidian Networks, located in the United...

Space Imaging Teams With Raytheon, Lockheed Martin.
May 13, 2003... Space Imaging is joining with Raytheon [NYSE: RTN] and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] to develop a next-generation commercial remote-sensing satellite. The partnership also would compete for the National Imaging and Mapping Agency's NextView...

Monaco Coach Selects KVH Satellite TV System for New Vehicles.
May 13, 2003... Monaco Coach Corp. [NYSE: MNC], a Coburg, Ore.-based manufacturer of luxury motorhomes, has agreed to offer KVH Industries' [Nasdaq: KVHI] TracVision SF automatic satellite TV antenna as standard equipment on its new vehicles. Monaco is the...

Recom Managed Systems Goes For The Heart.
May 13, 2003... Recom Managed Systems [OTCBB:RECM] announced Tuesday that it has successfully incorporated full Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities into its heart monitoring technologies. The company had previously demonstrated proprietary...

HNS Partnership Brings Thuraya's Mobile Voice Service To Russia.
May 14, 2003... Four satellite companies from three different parts of the world are introducing a mobile voice service in Russia. Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Network Systems (HNS) is tapping into its experience in the Russian market to spearhead the rollout...

Digital TV To Reach Over 80% Of U.S. Homes By 2007, Study Says.
May 14, 2003... By end-2007, the number of U.S. homes with access to digital TV services will more than double to at least 90 million (80 percent of households), from 39 million (36 percent of homes) at the end of 2002, Understanding and Solutions, a market...

SES Astra To Provide Services for Recently Launched Hellas Sat Bird.
May 14, 2003... SES Astra, a unit of SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG], has signed two contracts with Greek telecom service provider Hellas Sat to provide services for its recently launched communications satellite. Financial terms were not disclosed. Astra...

Stratos To Provide Satellite Communications For Australian Defence Force.
May 14, 2003... Stratos [TSX:SGB], a Bethesda, Md. -based provider of satellite communications, has signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Australian Defence Force to provide Inmarsat-B voice and data leased services. Under the contract, Stratos will...

ViaSat Wins U.S. Army Contract To Provide Satellite Modem.
May 14, 2003... ViaSat [Nasdaq: VSAT] has received a contract from the U.S. Army to design and produce an enhanced bandwidth efficient modem for high-speed satellite communications. The contract, which includes the purchase of strategic (fixed) and tactical...

ND SatCom Sets Up U.S. Subsidiary.
May 14, 2003... Germany's ND SatCom, a supplier of satellite based broadband VSAT, broadcast and military communication network solutions, has set up a U.S. subsidiary called ND SatCom Inc. In response to the increasing global demand for satellite...

SkyFrames Teams With NetWorth To Provide Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery Products.
May 14, 2003... Costa Mesa, Calif.-based SkyFrames [OTC Bulletin Board: SKYU] has signed an agreement with NetWorth, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to resell and install SkyFrames' satellite broadband offerings. NetWorth has a customer base of over 1,200 customers...

Orbimage To Benefit From New Remote Sensing Policy.
May 15, 2003... Orbital Imaging (Orbimage), a remote sensing company operating under Chapter 11 protection, could be a beneficiary of a new U.S. government policy to buy imagery data from the private sector whenever practical. The Bush administration's...

Alcatel Space CEO Upbeat, Despite Difficult Conditions.
May 15, 2003... Alcatel Space CEO Pascale Sourisse says the company is performing up to expectations. The company went through another round of restructuring last month, resulting in layoffs and the closing of subsidiaries in Denmark and Norway. Sourisse told...

Globalstar Sees Revenues Jump, Gets Court OK For ICO Investment.
May 15, 2003... Mobile satellite telephone service provider Globalstar [OTC: GSTRF] reported first-quarter revenues of $11.6 million, a 290 percent increase over the January-March period in 2002. This jump in revenue was due in part to the acquisition of U.S....

BSAT-2c Set For Mid-June Launch From French Guiana.
May 15, 2003... Japan's Broadcasting Satellite System's (BSAT) BSAT-2c geostationary communications satellite has been shipped to Arianespace's launch complex in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite will be launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in mid-June....

Radio Satellite Integrators Supplies Vehicle Location System To Michigan County.
May 15, 2003... Radio Satellite Integrators, a Torrance, Calif. - based provider of Global Positioning System-based vehicle tracking and mobile data products, has completed an automatic vehicle location system for the Isabella County Transportation Commission...

NovAtel Acquires CMC Electronics' Non-Aviation GPS OEM Product Line.
May 15, 2003... NovAtel [Nasdaq: NGPS], a Calgary, Alberta-based precise positioning technology company, has acquired CMC Electronics' non-aviation Global Positioning System OEM product line for C$150,000 (US $109,000). That amount could increase over time to...

Noteworthy.
May 15, 2003... You're Invited to TelecomWeb's Open House As a reader of SATELLITE TODAY, you are eligible to receive a free oneweek pass to the members-only Premium services of TelecomWeb.com. This special open house includes access to all the articles...

Sirius Sees Surge in Subscribers.
May 16, 2003... New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] expects the rest of 2003 to be a banner year in terms of subscriber growth. The satellite radio provider's management might have good reason for its optimism after nearly doubling its...

European Group Welcomes Latest EC Report on Piracy.
May 16, 2003... A recent European Commission (EC) report makes a series of recommendations to fight smart card piracy and is getting rave reviews from a key industry group. The European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services (AEPOC)...

European Space Ministers to Discuss Ariane 5 Future.
May 16, 2003... Ministers responsible for space activities in European Space Agency member states and in Canada will meet May 27 in Paris at ESA's headquarters to consider a resolution to restructure the Ariane launcher sector and put the troubled Ariane 5...

Satmex Sees Revenues Slip.
May 16, 2003... Satelites Mexicanos (Satmex), a Mexico City-based satellite operator, reported revenues of $20.8 million for the first quarter, compared to $22.6 million for the same quarter in 2002. The company attributed the revenue decline to lower capacity...

NSI Global Sees Revenues, Net Loss Drop.
May 16, 2003... NSI Global [Toronto: NGL], a Montreal-based supplier of satellite-based communication systems, reported that revenues from continuing operations were C$4.2 million (US$3.1 million) for the first quarter, down from C$13.8 million (US$10.1...

Landstar Selects SkyBitz for Trailer Tracking.
May 16, 2003... SkyBitz, a Dulles, Va.-based provider of satellite-based communications and tracking services for transportation equipment, has received a contract from Landstar System to provide SkyBitz's GLS (global locating system) services for trailer...

Noteworthy.
May 16, 2003... You're Invited to TelecomWeb's Open House As a reader of SATELLITE TODAY, you are eligible to receive a free oneweek pass to the members-only Premium services of TelecomWeb.com. This special open house includes access to all the articles...

Tiscali Places Faith In Satellite Broadband.
May 19, 2003... European ISP Tiscali [Milan: TIS.MI] is forming a partnership with fixedsatellite service operator Eutelsat in order to accelerate their broadband subscriber numbers. Tiscali signed a deal with Eutelsat on May 15 to provide a pan-European...

Governments Expected to Boost Asia-Pacific Broadband Satellite Market, Says Report.
May 19, 2003... Government support for satellite broadband services, which has contributed significantly to the use of broadband technologies in South Korea, is expected to be replicated in many countries of the Asia-Pacific region, according to a recent...

DigitalGlobe Opens Washington Operations.
May 19, 2003... DigitalGlobe, a Longmont, Colo.-based satellite imagery firm, has opened an office in Washington D.C., to serve the company's U.S. government customers. The office will be led by Dawn Sienicki, former executive director of the U.S. Chamber of...

Peugeot Offers Satellite Navigation On UK Models.
May 19, 2003... Peugeot Motor Co. has begun offering Smartnav satellite navigation products as an approved accessory across its entire U.K. model range. Peugeot sold in excess of 200,000 cars in the United Kingdom last year with the third largest share of the...

Stratos To Launch Inmarsat Fleet 55 and 33 Services.
May 19, 2003... Stratos, a Bethesda, Md.-based provider of remote communication solutions and services, plans to offer Inmarsat Fleet 55 and 33 voice and data services worldwide in June. The Fleet product range is the next generation of maritime satcoms,...

FleetBoss, Curtis Dyna-Fog Team On GPS Tracking System.
May 19, 2003... FleetBoss Global Positioning Solutions, based in Fern Park, Fla., and Curtis Dyna-Fog are teaming up to develop a spray recording and vehicle monitoring system using Global Positioning System technology. The new system, Dyna-Trax, is an...

Satellite TV Subscriber Satisfaction Climbs.
May 20, 2003... NEW YORK CITY - Satellite TV subscriber satisfaction and retention are rising on the strength of expanding product offerings, customer service and reasonable pricing, according to a new study. In a survey of 1,500 satellite TV subscribers...

Boeing Ships Thuraya Bird, Gets Orbital Contract.
May 20, 2003... Boeing [NYSE: BA] has shipped the Thuraya-2 mobile communications satellite from its Boeing Satellite Systems manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif., to the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach, Calif., where it is being prepared for an...

SkyFrames Teams With ISP To Offer Internet Access In Rural Arizona.
May 20, 2003... SkyFrames [OTC Bulletin Board: SKYU] a Costa Mesa, Calif.-based provider of satellite broadband Internet services, has completed the installation of satellite broadband/WiFi services in the rural community of Golden Valley, Arizona. SkyFrames...