Satellite Today articles from September 2003

Satellite Today archives from September 2003

Integral Systems Acquires Jackson & Tull Satellite Division.
September 2, 2003... Satellite ground systems provider Integral Systems Inc. [Nasdaq: ISYS] has signed an agreement to acquire the intellectual property rights, inventory and other assets of the former Jackson & Tull Satellite Ground Systems division. Financial...

Sirius Files $500 Million Shelf Offering.
September 2, 2003... Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] has filed a $500 million shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but said it has no immediate plans to issue securities. The company said the registration would give it flexibility...

Globecomm Inks $4.7 Million In New Contracts.
September 2, 2003... Globecomm Systems [Nasdaq: GCOM] has won two satellite infrastructure contracts from repeat customers valued at $4.7 million. Globecomm didn't reveal the names of the repeat customers. The company will provide one of the clients with a turnkey...

New Skies Launches IP Platform In West Africa.
September 2, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK], the Netherlands-based satellite communications company, has established an additional IP transmission platform dedicated to Internet services providers, telecommunications carriers, government agencies and...

German Broadcasters Renew Astra Distribution Contracts.
September 2, 2003... German broadcasters ARD and ZDF have signed new long-term contracts to continue their partnership with SES Astra, a unit of SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG]. The new contracts allow for a switch-over from analogue to digital satellite...

Boeing Selects Eutelsat for In-Flight Satellite Connectivity.
September 2, 2003... Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of Chicago-based Boeing [NYSE: BA], has signed a contract with Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat for satellite transponder capacity for Connexion by Boeing's mobile broadband information services for...

Noteworthy.
September 2, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who's likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join Satellite News, Satellite...

Survey Shows Satellite Radio Is Gaining Traction.
September 3, 2003... Satellite radio is showing signs of advancing beyond the "early adopter" stage and achieving robust growth for the remainder of 2003 and beyond, according to a survey by ChangeWave Research, a market research arm of Potomac, Md.-based Phillips...

Lockheed Adds Partners For New GPS System.
September 3, 2003... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced that Raytheon [NYSE: RTN], ITT [NYSE: ITT] and General Dynamics [NYSE: GD] have joined its team to develop the GPS III, the U.S. Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System. The company had...

Merrimac Industries Gets Estimated $4.4M Boeing GPS Contract.
September 3, 2003... Merrimac Industries [AMEX: MRM] has signed a deal with Boeing [NYSE: BA] that could reach a value of $4.4 million to supply its Beamforming Networks and RF/Microwave signal processing components for Boeing's GPS IIF satellites. Under a contract...

New Skies Completes $54M Share Buy Back Program.
September 3, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK], the Netherlands-based global satellite communications company, has completed its share repurchase program, acquiring a total of 13,057,024 ordinary shares at a cost of approximately $54.0 million, reflecting an...

Gilat Inks Network Deal With Valero Energy.
September 3, 2003... Spacenet, a U.S. subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks [Nasdaq: GILTF], has signed a deal with Valero Energy [NYSE: VLO] to provide a broadband satellite communications network for the company's 4,000 retail and wholesale outlets in the United...

C-COM Launches Two-way Internet For Residential Customers.
September 3, 2003... C-COM Satellite Systems [Toronto: CMI], an Ottawa, Canada-based satellite Internet provider, has introduced a new high-speed Internet service intended for residential customers in Canada. The new residential service will allow residential and...

Noteworthy.
September 3, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join Satellite News, Satellite...

Loral Skynet Inks Deal With Rede TV.
September 4, 2003... Loral Skynet do Brasil Ltd., a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications [OTC: LRLSO], has signed an agreement with Brazilian television network Rede TV to provide satellite capacity on Telstar 12 for coverage of Brazilian winter festival...

Orbital Selected For Military Launch Vehicle Contract.
September 4, 2003... Orbital Sciences [NYSE: ORB] landed a contract from the U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center Detachment 12 for a suborbital rocket that will test an advanced penetrator. The basic contract covers the design and procurement of...

Sirius, Antex Electronics Unveil New Receiver.
September 4, 2003... Sirius [Nasdaq: SIRI] and equipment manufacturer Antex Electronics have introduced what they say is the world's first satellite radio specifically designed for use in multi-room, multi-zone audio systems. The companies unveiled the three-zone...

EchoStar Completes Redemption of Senior Notes.
September 4, 2003... EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] confirmed that effective Sept. 3, 2003, its subsidiary, EchoStar DBS Corp., completed the redemption of $245 million principal amount of its 9 1/8 percent senior notes due 2009. The outstanding principal...

Frost Named Senior VP of Sales at GlobeCast America.
September 4, 2003... Satellite broadcast provider GlobeCast America has appointed Mary Frost as senior vice president of sales. In her new position, Frost will be responsible for overseeing both domestic and international sales in America. She will be based in the...

Alaska's Largest TV Station Purchases Norsat Satellite Terminals.
September 4, 2003... Alaska's largest TV station and Anchorage's NBC affiliate KTUU has purchased Norsat International's NewsLink portable satellite terminal. With this purchase, KTUU ends a three-year search to find satellite technology that could be used to...

Noteworthy.
September 4, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join Satellite News, Satellite...

SBCA President Wright Resigns.
September 5, 2003... In a surprise announcement late Friday, Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) President Andy Wright said that he plans to step down from his post, effective Sept. 20. Wright, in an exclusive interview with SATELLITE...

Canadian Government Targets Satellite Pirates.
September 5, 2003... The Canadian government is working on legislation that would clamp down on individuals and companies who steal satellite TV signals, as well as those who make devices designed to illegally decode signals. According to industry figures, illegal...

Senate Panel OKs Measure Giving Northpoint Free Access To DBS Spectrum.
September 5, 2003... The Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment this week that would give proposed terrestrial wireless multichannel TV competitor Northpoint access to direct broadcast satellite (DBS) spectrum at no charge without having to participate...

ILS to Launch Malaysian Satellite.
September 5, 2003... International Launch Services (ILS), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and two Russian companies, has signed a contract with Malaysia's Binariang Satellite Systems to launch the MEASAT-3 communications satellite in 2005. The launch...

Globecomm, SkyStream Link Up.
September 5, 2003... Globecomm Systems [Nasdaq: GCOM] has inked a deal with SkyStream Networks to use the video networking systems provider's Mediaplex Video Services Platform to offer new video and data satellite services more quickly and costeffectively. With the...

Virginia Tech Evaluates SiriCOMM Network Technology.
September 5, 2003... Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) is evaluating SiriCOMM's [OTC BB: SIRC] network technology for use within state Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure. A SiriCOMM network has been installed since early summer at...

GlobeTrac Closes $750,000 Financing Deal.
September 5, 2003... GlobeTrac [OTCBB:GBTR], a London-based supplier of telematics and tracking services, has completed a non-brokered private placement that raised $750,000 at $1.00 per unit. Each unit consists of one share of unregistered common stock and one...

Noteworthy.
September 5, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

XM To Raise $150M In Share Offering.
September 8, 2003... XM Satellite Radio Holdings [Nasdaq: XMSR] plans to issue 11.3 million shares of its Class A common stock for sale to Baltimore-based institutional investors Legg Mason Funds Management, Legg Mason Capital Management and T. Rowe Price...

ViaSat, VSE Ink $1.5 Million Terminal Deal.
September 8, 2003... Carlsbad, Calif.-based ViaSat's LINKWAY satellite terminals will be used by U.S. military camera crews to securely transmit video and still imagery from combat positions to headquarters, to command locations in the field, and to the U.S.-based...

ILS, SES Americom Sets 2004 Launch Date.
September 8, 2003... International Launch Services (ILS) and SES Americom have set the launch of the AMC-15 satellite for the second half of 2004 on a Proton launch vehicle. The companies made the announcement on Monday during the Euroconsult World Satellite...

New Skies To Distribute Entertainment To British Forces Via Satellite.
September 8, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK], a Netherlands-based satellite communications company, has signed a long-term agreement with the Services Sound and Vision Corp. (SSVC), a registered charity set up to entertain Britain's armed forces, for the...

SkyFrames, Broadband Wireless Exchange Partner For Communications To U.S. Troops in Iraq.
September 8, 2003... SkyFrames [OTC BB: SKYU.OB], a Costa Mesa, Calif.-based provider of satellite broadband Internet services, has signed an agreement with The Broadband Wireless Exchange to provide secure communications between U.S. troops and their friends and...

Citroen To Offer Satellite Navigation Using Trafficmaster.
September 8, 2003... French car maker Citroen has announced that it is offering Trafficmaster's latest satellite navigation system, Smartnav, as an approved accessory on all vehicle models in the United Kingdom. Smartnav will be available through the Citroen...

Noteworthy.
September 8, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

ARINC, Telenor Form Aeronautical Services Alliance.
September 9, 2003... ARINC and Telenor Satellite Services [Nasdaq: TELN] have signed an agreement that creates what the companies characterize as the world's largest alliance of aeronautical service providers. Under the agreement, Telenor designates ARINC as the...

Arianespace To Launch Astra 1KR Satellite.
September 9, 2003... French launch services firm Arianespace has signed a contract with SES Astra to launch the Astra 1KR telecommunications satellite. Financial terms of the deal weren't released. The launch of Astra 1KR is planned for the second half of 2005 on...

ILS To Launch Amazonas Satellite.
September 9, 2003... International Launch Services (ILS) has signed an agreement to launch the Amazonas satellite covering Latin America for Spanish satellite operator Hispasat of Spain on a Proton/Breeze M rocket next year. It will mark the third launch pairing...

ANA Signs Deal For Boeing In-flight Service.
September 9, 2003... Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Boeing [NYSE:BA] have signed a letter of intent signaling the air carrier's plan to install the Connexion by Boeing satellite Internet service on its long-haul commercial aircraft. Financial terms were not...

Intelsat, TVNZ Launch New Video Service.
September 9, 2003... Intelsat Global Sales & Marketing and TVNZ Satellite Services have agreed to join forces in the occasional use broadcast services business. This alliance is designed to leverage the strengths of each company by offering a global network of...

Lockheed Martin-Built Titan IV Rocket Launches NRO Satellite.
September 9, 2003... A Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-built Titan IV B rocket lifted off Tuesday morning at 12:29 a.m. EDT carrying a classified payload for the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The NRO is the U.S. government agency...

Hughes, Telesat Ink Deal.
September 10, 2003... Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH], has signed a three-year agreement with Canadian satellite operator Telesat to provide technical support for Telesat's telecommunications and broadcasting services in the...

Lockheed Wins EchoStar Contract.
September 10, 2003... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) has won a contract from EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] to build an A2100 geosynchronous satellite for the satellite TV company. The satellite, designated EchoStar X, will...

Eutelsat Pursues Hotel Video Market.
September 10, 2003... Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat agreed to work with Locatel, a French integrator of audiovisual technology services, to offer digital delivery of video rental films to hotels. The deal calls for Locatel to use Eutelsat's satellite...

Hughes Joins Wi-Fi Alliance.
September 10, 2003... Hughes Network Systems, a broadband satellite subsidiary of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH], has joined the Wi-Fi Alliance, a non-profit organization formed to certify interoperability of IEEE 802.11 products and to promote Wi-Fi as the global,...

SES Astra To Partner With News Equipe.
September 10, 2003... SES Astra, a Luxembourg-based satellite operator, has signed a partnership agreement with News Equipe, a Dutch-German provider of satellite news gathering services. As part of the agreement, SES Astra will offer satellite capacity on Astra 1...

Lockheed Martin, Government Investigate Satellite Accident.
September 10, 2003... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], the contractor in charge of construction and testing of the NOAA-N Prime satellite, is working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...

Noteworthy.
September 10, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

DBS Complains About FCC's New Plug-And-Play Rules.
September 11, 2003... The limited political clout of the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) industry in Washington was evident Wednesday when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules for the manufacture of digital "plug and play" TV sets. Those rules,...

SES Astra Expands Broadband Footprint.
September 11, 2003... Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES Astra has signed five new contracts to expand the provision of Astra one-way satellite broadband service to additional territories in Europe and North Africa. The company inked a longterm contract with...

SkyFrames, ComGuard CTS Ink Deal.
September 11, 2003... SkyFrames [OTC: SKYU] has signed an agreement with ComGuard CTS to provide high-end VSAT equipment and broadband Internet services to ComGuard's operations in remote areas of Canada. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. For the first...

XM Completes Share Offering.
September 11, 2003... XM Satellite Radio Holdings [Nasdaq: XMSR] has completed its public offering of 11.3 million shares of its Class A common stock for sale to Baltimore-based institutional investors Legg Mason Funds Management, Legg Mason Capital Management and...

Alcatel Wins Contract To Supply XM Payload To Boeing.
September 11, 2003... Boeing (NYSE: BA) has selected Alcatel Space, a unit of Paris-based Alcatel [NYSE: ALA] to supply a multi-million payload for a satellite Boeing is build for XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR]. The payload will be built at Alcatel Space's...

M2sat Launches Broadband Service Using Thuraya Satellite.
September 11, 2003... M2sat has introduced a new portfolio of 384 Kbps mobile broadband services available through a Thuraya satellite using small and portable TakeAway terminals. These services will provide broadcasters, as well as government and corporate users,...

EBU, New Skies Reach Agreement.
September 11, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK], a Netherlands-based satellite services provider, has signed an agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to provide full-time satellite capacity and special events transmission services for live...

Noteworthy.
September 11, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

SES Global's Revenues Drop Due To Currency Fluctuation.
September 15, 2003... Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG] saw total revenues fall 10 percent in the first six months of 2003, dropping to 642 million euros ($725.5 million) from 712 million euros ($804.6 million) in the period last...

Intelsat Launches Broadband Network In West Africa.
September 15, 2003... Intelsat has launched a new broadband network in West Africa, expanding its total number of operational broadband networks worldwide to six. The new West African Ku-band network, offered using the Gilat 360E platform and Intelsat's new 907...

Harris Delivers Multiband Satellite Terminals To Marines.
September 15, 2003... Harris Corp. [NYSE: HRS], a Melbourne, Fla.-based multiband satellite communications terminal supplier, has delivered 13 of 28 transit case-configured lightweight multiband satellite terminals (LMST) to the U.S. Marine Corps. The terminals will...

iDirect, Netdish Team Up.
September 15, 2003... iDirect Technologies, a Vienna, Va.-based bi-directional satellite-based IP broadband access solution provider, and Italian infrastructure network provider Netdish have announced the successful launch of two virtual private networks in Italy...

Skycasters Offers New SatVox Service.
September 15, 2003... Skycasters, an Akron, Ohio-based satellite Internet service provider, has announced the release of SatVox, a business quality telephone and fax communications technology for broadband satellite Internet users. The technology connects satellite...

InfoWave To Supply Satellite Tracking Devices For Singapore Taxis.
September 15, 2003... Singapore-based InfoWave has won a contract to equip 5,000 Singapore taxis with in-vehicle touch screen devices that use GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data and voice communications, coupled with GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite...

Trimble Unveils Mini-GPS Receiver.
September 15, 2003... Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Trimble [Nasdaq: TRMB] has introduced its smallest embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for timing applications -- the Lassen PT module. The Lassen PT modules will add precise GPS time and synchronization...

Noteworthy.
September 15, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

Number of Global Broadband Subscribers Grows 72 Percent, Says ITU.
September 16, 2003... The number of worldwide broadband subscribers grew 72 percent in 2002 to approximately 62 million, according to a report issued Tuesday by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Korea leads the way in broadband penetration, with...

Globecomm Wins $13.8 Million Contract.
September 16, 2003... Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Globecomm Systems [Nasdaq: GCOM] has been awarded a $13.8 million contract to provide an unidentified foreign customer with a satellite-based communication solution for the transfer of wide-band data and telephony...

Hughes, ChinaCast Ink Network Deal.
September 16, 2003... Hughes Network Systems, a Germantown, Md.-based satellite broadband unit of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH], has signed a deal to provide Chinese satellite service provider ChinaCast with a DirecWay broadband satellite network, including a...

SCM To Provide CI Modules To CanalDigitaal for Netherlands Pay TV Market.
September 16, 2003... Fremont, Calif.-based SCM Microsystems [Nasdaq: SCMM] has signed a contract to provide common interface (CI) modules to CanalDigitaal, a satellite pay TV operator in the Netherlands. The CI modules from SCM include the Canal+ Technologies'...

Nomadix, Hughes Team Up.
September 16, 2003... Nomadix, a public-access solutions provider, has signed a deal with Hughes Network Systems to supply key technology for the company's Wi-Fi access service. HNS is using Nomadix's access gateways running the Nomadix service engine software. The...

Meridian IQ Acquires U.S. Operations of GPS Logistics.
September 16, 2003... Meridian IQ, the Overland Park, Kan.-based transportation management subsidiary of Yellow Corp. [Nasdaq: YELL], has acquired GPS USA, the U.S. operations of Hong Kong-based logistics service provider GPS Logistics, for an undisclosed...

Noteworthy.
September 16, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

Intelsat Bullish Over Broadband.
September 17, 2003... Washington, D.C.-based Intelsat believes the time is right for the satellite operator to make an impact in the broadband arena. Erich Fischer, senior director of global broadband services at Intelsat, told SATELLITE TODAY this week: "Broadband...

Harris Awarded $7.7 Million Boeing Contract.
September 17, 2003... Harris [NYSE: HRS] has won a $7.7 million contract from Boeing [NYSE: BA] to provide systems engineering, integration services and satellite communications equipment for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's sea-based X-band (SBX) radar program....

Inmarsat Signs Acquisition Deal with Investment Firms.
September 17, 2003... London-based mobile satellite services firm Inmarsat Ventures has entered into an agreement with Apax Partners Worldwide LLP and Permira Advisers Limited to work with them exclusively in finalizing terms of an acquisition offer for the company....

Spot Image Signs New Data Agreement in Mexico.
September 17, 2003... French satellite imagery provider Spot Image and the Mexican government have signed an agreement for Spot to provide satellite image data through a new receiving station in Mexico. Financial terms were not disclosed. Spot Image will...

Telenor Satellite Services Launches 'Advanced' E-Mail.
September 17, 2003... Telenor Satellite Services has unveiled a new satellite-based "e-mail advanced" system that will help cut the cost and improve transmission efficiency through web-based e-mail. The new system helps users reduce e-mail costs by up to 80 percent...

ORBCOMM Signs Agreement With ALDATA Software.
September 17, 2003... ORBCOMM, a Dulles, Va.-based satellite communications company, has signed an agreement with ALDATA Software Management to provide data communication services for ALDATA's on-board truck and heavy equipment computer system, known as TAGASIS...

Novra Technologies Names Two Board Members.
September 17, 2003... Novra Technologies, a provider of broadband technologies for satellite, cable and wireless networks, has named Peter Wintemute to its board of directors and David Wolinsky as board chair. Novra offers broadband products, applications and...

Noteworthy.
September 17, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join SATELLITE NEWS, SATELLITE...

Gilat To Buy Rest of rStar.
September 18, 2003... Gilat Satellite Networks [Nasdaq: GILTF] is currently contemplating a purchase of all outstanding shares of common stock of rStar Corp. [Nasdaq: RSTRC] not already owned by Gilat at a price not yet determined but expected to be between $0.60...

PanAmSat Expands Presence in Washington.
September 18, 2003... PanAmSat Corp. [Nasdaq: SPOT] has announced the continued expansion of its presence in Washington, D.C., through its G2 Satellite Solutions division (G2) by the acquisition of Esatel Communications, a Virginia/Maryland telecommunications firm...

EMS To Supply Advanced Satellite Antenna To Astrium.
September 18, 2003... EMS Technologies [Nasdaq: ELMG] has received an authorization to proceed (ATP) on advanced antennas for a new military program currently in production at European satellite manufacturer Astrium. Full contract signature is expected shortly....

Globalstar Establishes New European Headquarters.
September 18, 2003... Globalstar, the U.S.-based provider of handheld satellite telephone service, has established a new European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. The new headquarters provides dedicated sales and service support to Globalstar dealers and customers...