Mobile Connectivity

SES has a busy year ahead in 2022. The global operator has multiple new satellites scheduled for launch during the next 12 months and its success depends on balancing new growth opportunities in data, maintaining its video business segment, and finding new customers. It also finds itself competing with a growing number of new satellite...

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) launched the first of two satellites in Inmarsat’s Inmarsat-6 fleet (I-6 F1) on Wednesday. This satellite marks the start of a refresh of Inmarsat’s L-band network.  The H-IIA launch vehicle took off from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center in Japan at 2:33 p.m. GMT. Inmarsat confirmed...

OneWeb is working with Kymeta through a joint development agreement to develop a flat panel antenna for land fixed applications, the companies announced Wednesday. The antenna will be based on Kymeta’s u8 terminal, which debuted last year.  The companies said the flat panel electronically steered user terminal will be compatible with the OneWeb network for...

Intelsat is expanding its FlexMaritime service to reach vessels traveling in Indian territorial waters, the global satellite operator announced November 22. The expansion, which gives Indian-registered vessels access to Intelsat’s high throughput maritime network, will take place after the operator commences operations at a new gateway in Noida, India with its regional partner, Cloudcast. Intelsat...

Iridium launched the Iridium Certus 100 midband service this week for maritime, land mobile, IoT, aviation, and government customers.  The midband speeds can support email, messaging applications, media sharing, telemetry reporting, file transfer, internet/VPN access and up to two simultaneous high-quality voice calls. Iridium said the service can also support low-resolution video transmission for surveillance...

There could be more than 100,000 satellites in orbit in the next ten years as the satellite communications industry significantly increases its footprint. More satellites could provide seamless coverage, extended longevity of constellations, and ultimately drive the cost of deployment down. In short, the satellite customer base could expand from the traditional maritime, cruise, and...

Isotropic Systems reported Tuesday that the company’s terminal linked to a Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite while simultaneously connected with a Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite during tests with SES.  This is validation of Isotropic Systems’s optical beamforming technology that has been in development for years. The company says this demonstration makes satellite connectivity more attractive to...

The newest SES satellite SES-17 is on the way to its final placement in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) after a successful launch by Arianespace over the weekend.  Arianespace launched SES-17 on Sunday, Oct. 24 on an Ariane 5 rocket from the Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 11:10 pm local time. The satellite will reach...

Viasat launched a direct and customizable Ka-band In-flight Connectivity (IFC) service for business aviation on Monday called Viasat Select. The Carlsbad, California-based satellite and telecommunications operator said that Viasat Select’s connectivity plans include: global and regional unlimited plans; custom-tailored plans to meet a business aircraft’s specific operational needs; and entry-level service and regional plans that...

Inmarsat has signed another maritime deal, its third in a matter of days. The UK satellite operator announced Sept. 30 that Italian crude oil tanker owner Navigazione Montanari (Navmont) will renew and extend the use of Fleet Xpress services across 13 ships and envisages the transfer of five more tankers from competitor services to Inmarsat’s...