Focus: Broadcasting

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  Ofcom, the U.K. communications regulator, said Oct. 4 that it wanted to look closer into BSkyB’s plans to offer pay-TV services via the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform. BSkyB has more than eight million DTH subscribers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Ofcom has published a public consultation on BSkyB’s plans...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today] Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Ltd. (AsiaSat), Al-Dawri and Al-Kass Sports Channel of Qatar will be leasing C-band capacity on the AsiaSat 2 satellite in order to broadcast an Arabic language sports channel to Asia and Australasia, AsiaSat announced Oct. 4. Al-Kass is the official channel for Qatar’s football league, but the...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today] SeaMobile Enterprises has been awarded two contracts to provide global VSAT services to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the company announced Oct. 3. SeaMobile will provide voice and data access to up to 21 ships in the NOAA fleet. The network enables broadband connectivity between the ships and NOAA...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  SkyWave Mobile Communications has sold more than 110,000 units throughout the company’s 10 years in business, including more than 30,000 units this year alone, the company announced Oct. 3. The recent launch of the DMR-800D terminal and the SkyWave IsatM2M network service helped sales grow 40 percent this year.  

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  Intelsat Ltd. has signed a new multi-year contract with Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (SBS), the company announced Oct. 4. SBS will use Intelsat’s network of satellite, teleport and fiber in order to distribute programming to cable operators, direct-to-home providers and free-to-air affiliates throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. SBS will transport...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  IMS Research said Oct. 3 that satellite operators will propel growth in the hybrid set-top box market, which while still small today will grow significantly, and in the next few years will represent a quarter of all set-top box shipments. In its latest forecast, IMS Research said that hybrid set-top boxes...

[10-5-07 – Satellite News]  Shin Satellite, the Thai-based satellite operator, will likely launch its groundbreaking ‘HD Cinema’ service outside of Thailand in the next year. The operator announced this week that it was launching ‘HD Cinema,’a full HDTV service, to customers in Thailand through its subsidiary,     Shin Broadband Internet (SBI). Shin is bullish about the...

[10-04-07 – Satellite Today]  Arianespace has restarted the countdown for the launch of the Intelsat 11 and Optus D2 satellites, with the mission slated to take place Oct. 5, Arianespace announced 3. The launch was delayed at the request of one of the customers for additional checks, and both customers have said their satellites are...

[10-03-07 – Satellite Today]  Advent Communications has signed two new agreements with Chinese broadcast companies, Advent announced Oct. 2. Advent signed an agency agreement with Beijing Century Sage Scientific System Ltd. (CSS), a systems integrator in China, to provide Advent’s uplink products to sectors of the broadcast market. Advent and Chinese distributor and solutions provider...

[10-03-07 – Satellite Today]  BSkyB may have to sell its stake in leading U.K public broadcaster ITV, after U.K. Competition Commission said the deal "restricts competition.” BSkyB acquired a nearly 18 percent stake in ITV in November for 940 million British pounds ($1.9 billion). But in an Oct. 2 announcement, the Competition Commission said that...