Focus: Telecom

[Satellite Today 07-17-08] Hughes Communications Inc. will provide the broadband satellite backbone America’s Emergency Network Inc. (AEN)’s video-Internet emergency communications network, Hughes announced July 17.     Hughes’ Spaceway 3 satellite will allow AEN to transmit up to three simultaneous video streams from any location in the United States, southern Canada, Puerto Rico and several major...

[Satellite Today 07-17-08] Orbital Sciences Corp. reported revenues of $301.2 million in the 2008 second quarter, a 15 percent improvement over revenues a year ago, the company announced July 17.     The company posted a profit of $25.8 million in the quarter, which closed June 30, compared to earnings of $13.8 million. The earnings reflected...

[Satellite Today 07-17-08] Dish Network’s EchoStar 2 satellite “experienced a substantial failure that appears to have rendered the satellite a total loss,” Dish said in a July 14 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.     EchoStar 2, launched in September 1996, has been operating at 148° West primarily as a back-up satellite but...

[Satellite Today 07-17-08] The government of Cyprus granted OverHorizon (Cyprus) PLC a second orbital slot, the government announced July 17.     OverHorizon, which has offices in Arlington, Va., and Solna, Sweden, was the only company to apply for the slot. OverHorizon plans to use the slot as well as one Cyprus granted the company in...

[Satellite Today 07-17-08] Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) appointed Susan Miller senior vice president for satellite services, the company announced July 17.     Miller, who previously has served as president and chairman for Intelsat General Corp., in a variety of leadership positions at Comsat Corp. and at Lockheed Martin World Systems, will manage and direct MSV’s...

[Satellite News – 07-17-08] Hellas Sat has ambitious plans to attack both the direct-to-home (DTH) and residential broadband arenas, as the Greek national satellite operator looks to transform its business and play a greater role in providing communications and video services to households throughout Greece and Cyprus.     Hellas Sat, which operates the five-year-old Hellas-Sat...

[Satellite Today 07-16-08] Microsemi Corp., a manufacturer of analog and mixed signal integrated circuits and semiconductors, has acquired Semicoa, a provider of semiconductors and smart munitions optoelectronics for the military and satellite markets, Microsemi announced July 16.     Microsemi, located in Irvine, Calif., paid about $25 million in cash for substantially all of the assets...

[Satellite Today 07-16-08]  Thuraya is launching a new small broadband terminal with advanced video streaming capability, the company said July 16.     The terminal, developed by Hughes Network Systems LLC, has a built-in antenna and provides a rapid maximum reception speed of 444 kilobits per second (Kbps) and a maximum transmission speed of 202 Kbps....

[Satellite Today 07-16-08]  Sea Launch launched the EchoStar 11 broadcast satellite, the company’s fourth mission of the year, Sea Launch announced July 16.     Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) manufactured the satellite, which will be placed at 110° West to support the expansion of Dish Network’s capacity throughout the United States.     The satellite deployed its solar...

[Satellite News – 07-15-08] John Higginbotham has been involved in the space industry for decades as an investor and now returns to the field with plans to serve as a hands-on CEO.     Higginbotham was named CEO of Integral Systems Inc. July 9, bringing an extensive background in the space industry. He founded private equity...