Focus: Telecom

[Satellite Today 10-20-08] Al Yah Satellite Communications Co. (Yahsat) will launch a new satellite broadband service in the Middle East, the company announced Oct. 18. Yahsat 1B will deliver the YahClick service through its Ka-band multi-spot beams. The service will be available in countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Southwest Asia....

[Satellite Today 10-20-08] Hughes do Brasil, the Brazilian operating entity of Hughes Network Systems, will implement services on new Ku-band capacity on Intelsat’s Galaxy-28 satellite, Hughes announced Oct. 20.     The new capacity will be used to meet growing demand for HughesNet broadband services throughout Latin America, Hughes said. Hughes will offer customers in the...

[Satellite Today 10-20-08] WorldSpace Inc. has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the companies announced Oct. 17.     WorldSpace and U.S. subsidiaries WorldSpace Systems Corp. and AfriSpace Inc. filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.     WorldSpace’s board unanimously agreed to file...

[Satellite News 10-20-08] CEOs from the satellite industry’s largest companies remain largely optimistic about their prospects despite the current worldwide economic crisis.     “The good news is, nobody blames the telecom industry for the crisis and satellite is in a pretty good position right now,” Michael Targoff, CEO of Loral Space and Communications said Oct....

[Satellite Today 10-17-08] SES has confirmed three new launches as part of its multi-launch agreement with Arianespace.     Ranging from 4,400 kilograms to 5,800 kilograms, the three satellites are slated for launch between 2009 and 2012 using Ariane 5 rockets from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.     The first mission will be...

[Satellite Today 10-17-08] Globalstar Inc. signed a contract with Ericsson Federal Inc. to develop, implement and maintain a ground interface or core network system that will be installed at Globalstar’s satellite gateway ground stations, Globalstar announced Oct. 17.     The IP-based core network system is wireless 3G/4G compatible and will link the Globalstar radio access...

[Satellite News 10-16-08] Commercial satellite operators used the Satcon 2008 conference as a forum to push and develop military partnerships to provide communications services to combat forces and military command centers. Intelsat has been a frequently mentioned player in this field, not only from industry analysts, but from military officials who have expressed interest in...

[Satellite News 10-16-08] The U.S. military’s desire for a dedicated, exclusive military communications network has turned into a future partnership and dependency on commercial satellite operators. But that paradigm shift will not come easy.     On a military satellite communications panel at Satcon 2008, Inmarsat Vice President Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch called the relationship between the U.S....

[Satellite Today 10-17-08] Christopher Hoyle resigned as a director of Norsat International Inc., the company announced Oct. 17.     William Witten, vice president of sales, and Pervez Siddiqui, vice president of marketing also have left the company.     Norsat did not provide any information about replacing the departed executives.

[Satellite Today 10-17-08] International Datacasting Corp. (IDC) received an order from SSI Micro, a Canadian regional Internet service provider, for receivers to upgrade satellite-delivered high speed Internet service to remote communities across Northern Canada, IDC announced Oct. 17.     SSI Micro is upgrading its network to include DVB-S2 technology by purchasing IDC’s SFX3101 DVB-S2 satellite...