Focus: Telecom

[Satellite Today – 3-19-08] Norsat International Inc. reported a decrease in revenue and net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2007 but an overall increase for the year, the company announced March 19.     Norsat’s satellite systems segment earned 2.6 million Canadian dollars ($2.6 million) for the quarter ending Dec. 31, a 16 percent decrease...

[Satellite Today – 3-19-08] Iridium Satellite signed agreements with Lockheed Martin, Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) and Thales Alenia Space to design concepts for Iridium’s next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium announced March 19.      The three companies will develop the concepts for the Next system throughout the next five months, and Iridium will award a pair of system...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] Despite the uncertain status of the AMC-14 satellite, Dish Network Corp. said plans to enhance its high-definition (HD) programming line-up this spring remain on track, Dish announced March 18.     A March 15 Proton launch failure left the SES Americom satellite, which is intended to provide Dish service, short of its...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] Sea Launch will launch the DirecTV-11 broadcast satellite March 19, the company announced.     The launch, originally scheduled for March 17, was put on hold in order to examine an “issue,” the company said. The launch window opens at 6:48 p.m. EDT.     DirecTV 11, the second of three satellites Boeing...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] James Gerow has been named president of Swe-Dish Satellite Systems Inc., the company announced March 18.     Gerow has served as senior vice president for Swe-Dish’s U.S.-based operations since 2003.     "Jim has been working in the industry for a long time and is well established within the defense and government...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] Spacenet Inc. is introducing its commercial grade broadband and digital voice services to Alaska and Hawaii beginning in April, the company announced March 17.     Spacenet is extending the service markets in response to customer and reseller demand for business-class satellite communications, the company said.     “By extending Connexstar to Alaska...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] SES Astra said that more than 80 percent of the satellite TV households in Europe and North Africa are now digitalized, according to “SES Astra Satellite Monitor,” an annual research study released March 18.     Of the 239 million analog and digital TV households counted across 35 countries in Europe and...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] Russian network operator Web Media Services, which operates under the name HeliosNet, has implemented iDirect Inc.’s satellite communication platform, iDirect announced March 18.     HeliosNet installed a pair of iDirect satellite hubs and multiple remote routers to establishes a broad satellite network that can support a range of applications and maximize...

[Satellite Today – 3-18-08] U.K.-based ship management company Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd., is equipping its fleet of 125 vessels with Iridium OpenPort satellite terminals under a service agreement with AND Group, Zodiac announced March 18.     Zodiac originally fitted its fleet with Iridium systems and AND software in 2006. Installations of the new system will...

[Satellite Today – 3-17-08] RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. has initiated services with its new high-definition (HD) playout facility, the company announced March 13.     The facility will expand the playout services RRSat can provide to more than 90 channels as well as the global distribution services to more than 400 TV and radio channels....