Focus: Telecom

[Satellite Today – 1-15-08] SES Astra continues to sign contracts related to its Astra2Connect satellite broadband initiative, adding partners in France and Italy, the company announced Jan. 15.     In France, the product will be distributed by communications service provider Auvea Ingénierie, an engineering and network installation specialist based in Toulouse. In Italy, the product...

[Satellite Today – 1-15-08] Eutelsat Communications will provide its Tooway satellite broadband Ka-band service to Swisscom customers, Eutelsat announced Jan. 15.      According to the agreement with Swisscom, Eutelsat’s service is the satellite component of a universal broadband program for all Swiss homes. Swisscom won a tender from the Swiss Ministry for Telecommunications to make...

[Satellite Today – 1-15-08] Arianespace will launch the Yahsat 1A communications satellite in late 2010, Yahsat announced Jan. 15.     The satellite, being manufactured by the consortium of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, will provide satellite Internet, data networks and TV transmission services for government and commercial customers in the Middle East, Africa, Europe...

[Satellite Today – 1-15-08] Sea Launch placed the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite into orbit Jan. 15, the launch provider’s first mission since its January 2007 failure.     Thuraya-3 was launched at 6:49 a.m. EST, and a ground station in Fillmore, Calif., acquired signals from the satellite nearly two hours after launch, satellite manufacturer Boeing Co....

[Satellite Today – 1-14-08] Orbcomm will be taking advantage of new regulatory approvals and begin offering low earth orbit satellite services in El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama, the company announced Jan. 11. Orbcomm has already received regulatory authorizations in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.  “Latin America is a very...

[Satellite Today – 1-14-08] iDirect has signed a deal with Australian Satellite Communications, which will help the operator expand its services into other parts of the Asia, the companies announced Jan. 13. Australian Satellite Communications will install an iDirect 5IF satellite hub on the U.S. west coast to expand its services in the Asia Pacific...

[Satellite Today – 1-14-08] The Sea Launch Commander and the Odyssey Launch Platform have arrived at the launch site and initiated a countdown, Sea Launch announced Jan. 12.     Liftoff for the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite is planned for 3:49 PST Tuesday, Jan. 15.     Sea Launch was forced to abandon an earlier attempt to...

[Satellite Today – 1-14-08] Boeing Co. has been awarded a contract to build a commercial direct-to-home satellite television satellite for ProtoStar Ltd., Boeing announced Jan. 14.     The 601 HP-model spacecraft, which will also deliver broadband Internet access, will feature high-powered capacity and expand ProtoStar’s capacity throughout the Asia-Pacific region.     "With the addition of...

[Satellite Today – 1-11-08] Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. appointed Janet Gillespie vice president of marketing, the company announced Jan. 10.     Gillespie has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and sales, most recently holding overall sales and account management responsibility for Treo smartphones to Canada’s leading wireless carriers, including Bell Mobility, Rogers...

[Satellite Today – 1-11-08] Globecomm Systems Inc. has been awarded a $2.1 million infrastructure contract from an unnamed telecommunications operator in Honduras, the company announced Jan. 10.     The network will include a hub and 15 remote sites to enable the transmission of IP-based data and voice traffic via remote GSM cellular backhaul.