Mobile Connectivity

The U.S. Air Force awarded Intelsat a firm-fixed-price contract modification for commercial satellite communications services. The contract supports Option Period Three on task order GS-35F-0478U/HC1013-16-F-0020 for commercial satcom service. The contract is in direct support of the U.S. Air Force’s Central Command network architecture, which includes fixed and mobile platforms. Additionally, this includes remotely piloted...

Speedcast International revealed that it will replace the Cook Islands’ existing international hub termination service with a new domestic hub for data, voice, domestic terrestrial television distribution, and cellular backhaul. The hub replacement aims to improve connectivity services for residents of the Cook Islands’ remote outer islands. Speedcast will deliver the service with Bluesky, a...

UltiSat, a Speedcast company, was awarded a multi-year, multi-million dollar subcontract in support of Sierra Nevada (SNC) to provide Airborne Satcom-on-the-Move (SOTM) solution design, selection, and systems integration for Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR) programs onboard a King Air 350ER aircraft. This airborne system kit will support delivery of Multi-Intelligence (INT) sensor payload information through...

Viasat, fresh from an impressive deal with European airline Neos, saw significant Q3 revenue increases across the board. Overall, its revenues for the quarter ended Dec. 31 reached $554.7 million, a 45 percent increase compared to the same stage last year. It also showed a strong performance in key areas like its satellite services business, which reached...

Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo and Thales, and the Grimaldi Group recently signed two contracts for the upgrade of the Neapolitan Shipping Group’s satellite communications capacity on its fleet of cargo and passenger vessels. The first agreement provides for managing on-board communications for Roll-On (RO)/Roll-Off (RO), RO/RO multi-purpose and Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels...

Iridium Communications revealed that it completed the $3 billion satellite constellation upgrade campaign known as Iridium Next, during a press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. During the press conference, the company also introduced a new small-form-factor transceiver known as the Iridium CertusSM 9770, which will enable creation of new consumer...

Hughes Network Systems carried out the first shipments of its specialized, multiband HM400 SATCOM modems to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). These modems will power the beyond-line-of-sight communications for their next-generation Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) known as the MQ-9B SkyGuardian. Customized to meet specific operational requirements, the specialized Hughes HM400 delivers satellite-based communications for remotely piloted...

In-flight internet provider SmartSky Networks closed a total of $104 million in funding, including $75 million in debt commitments from funds managed by the global credit team at BlackRock, and equity investments by private equity firms Tiger Infrastructure, WP Global, Platform Partners, and Meritage Investors. The funds will be used in the on-going rollout of SmartSky’s...

Newtec partnered with satellite communications solution provider Paradigm, which has become the first company to host its Newtec Dialog SMB3310 high-throughput modem board. The two-way, high-throughput SMB3310 satellite modem board is now successfully embedded into Paradigm’s Paradigm Interface Module (PIM) terminal controller, which provides a common terminal interface for fixed and quick deploy terminals operating...

Global satellite solutions company the AST Group (AST) undertook the first commercial installation of Iridium Certus with its long-term partner Alphatron, onboard Oceanwide Expeditions‘ Rembrandt Van Rijn vessel. The vessel, originally built as a herring lugger in the last century, is now used for cruise expeditions in the polar regions. During a recent upgrade of...