Focus: Telecom

Hughes Network Systems launched its HughesNet high-speed satellite internet service in Colombia on Sept. 28, marking the company’s second international deployment of the service outside North America after Brazil. Operating over the EchoStar 19 High Throughput Satellite (HTS) — which offers more than 200 Gbps of capacity — HughesNet service coverage reaches 75 percent of Colombia’s population,...

Globalstar and IPmotion have partnered to create a new joint subsidiary, Globalstar Japan, which will offer a suite of Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) and products with voice, data, asset monitoring, tracking and emergency S.O.S. capabilities for the consumer, enterprise and government markets. Jay Monroe, chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Globalstar, said the company...

The record-breaking winds of Hurricane Maria decimated most of Puerto Rico’s communications infrastructure, leaving just 100 or so cell towers working out of 1,600. But one resident who runs a pharmacy in Guayama discovered that her satellite phone never stopped working. Since then, the pharmacy has become the town’s only link to the outside world....

Orbcomm announced that it has acquired Blue Tree Systems, based in Galway, Ireland, along with its subsidiaries in the United States, Germany and France. Blue Tree provides transportation management solutions across multiple classes of assets that include trucks, refrigerated straight trucks as well as refrigerated and dry trailers. The company serves more than 300 customers...

As Puerto Rico grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s widespread destruction, network managers in the country are working around the clock to restore critical communications avenues. In this article from 2006, we explore how businesses can leverage satellite technology to stay connected and quickly recover their networks in the wake of a large-scale disaster....

Carnival has announced MedallionNet, a connectivity service enabled by SES Networks that will provide guests with high-speed and high bandwidth Wi-Fi aboard its cruise ships. The service will collectively leverage SES’ Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) constellations, managed services, antenna and shipboard technology to provide broadband connectivity at sea. MedallionNet leverages...

Unlike the aftermath of Hurricane Celia in 1970, the last major storm to hit South Texas, satellite technology played a major role in Hurricane Harvey. Satellite imagery was significantly important, both before and after the storm. In addition, on-the-scene news reporting, ad hoc data communications to support government and relief organizations, and the restoral of banking and retail point of sale networks couldn’t have happened without satellite technology. Sometimes you have to view life through the lens of a disaster to appreciate how much we rely on satellite communications.

Regulators at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are concerned that SpaceX’s proposed broadband megaconstellation could lead to interference with competing systems. The constellation, dubbed “StarLink” according to trademark filings, will comprise more than 4,000 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The FCC, however, has deferred to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to determine the...

Iridium announced a new long-term agreement with Hitachi Construction Machinery to bring Iridium network capacity to Hitachi’s Global e-Service construction machinery management system. By integrating Iridium connectivity, Hitachi will now be able to expand the service to regions and markets previously not possible, the company stated. Hitachi’s Global e-Service construction machinery management system provides customers...

The government of Luxembourg has deployed its emergency.lu Rapid Response Kit to provide vital satellite-enabled connectivity to the coordination center in Dominica following the devastation brought by the Category 5 Hurricane Maria. The connectivity provided on an SES satellite is used for broadband and voice communication to ensure that emergency services and first responders can...