Focus: Telecom

[10-08-07 – Satellite Today]  Hexagon AB has agreed to acquire Novatel Inc. and all their outstanding shares for $50 per share, Novatel announced Oct. 8. The total purchase price of the transaction is approximately $390 million, a 31 percent premium to Novatel’s cash balance as of June 30, 2007. Novatel’s board of directors has approved...

[10-08-07 – Satellite Today]  Arianespace has confirmed the successful launch of the Intelsat 11 and Optus D2 satellites. The launch took place late on Oct. 5 from Kourou, French Guiana. Both satellites were built by Orbital Sciences. For Arianespace, the launch was the latest to take place in what has been a successful year for...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Loral Space and Communications and its partner’s acquisition of Telesat Canada, Loral announced Oct. 5. Loral and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) remain on schedule to close the transaction later this month. The joint venture company agreed to acquire 100 percent...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today] SeaMobile Enterprises has been awarded two contracts to provide global VSAT services to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the company announced Oct. 3. SeaMobile will provide voice and data access to up to 21 ships in the NOAA fleet. The network enables broadband connectivity between the ships and NOAA...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  SkyWave Mobile Communications has sold more than 110,000 units throughout the company’s 10 years in business, including more than 30,000 units this year alone, the company announced Oct. 3. The recent launch of the DMR-800D terminal and the SkyWave IsatM2M network service helped sales grow 40 percent this year.  

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  Thales Alenia Space has transferred the Star One C1 satellite to the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, the company announced Oct. 4. Star One C1 is dedicated to the Brazilian satellite operator Star One, owned by Embratel (80 percent) and GE International Holdings (20 percent), and will provide telecoms, multimedia...

[10-05-07 – Satellite Today]  Boeing has shipped the third Thuraya communications satellite to the Sea Launch Home Port in Long Beach, Calif., the company announced Oct. 4. Thuraya 3 is the most recent spacecraft built for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Co. The satellite will serve businesses in key markets such as China, Australia, Japan and Korea....

[10-04-07 – Satellite Today]  Orbital Sciences Corp. awarded a contract to GMV to provide the flight dynamics system for the Measat-1R spacecraft being manufactured for Measat Satellite Systems, GMV announced Oct. 3. GMV’s system, dubbed focusGEO, will be used in conjunction with another legacy system to monitor several Measat satellites. The software will provide optimal...

[10-04-07 – Satellite Today] The  U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a request by  TerreStar Networks Inc. for an extension of the launch milestone for its TerreStar-1 satellite from November to September 2008, TerreStar announced Oct. 3. TerreStar requested the extension because of manufacturing and delivery issues experienced by satellite manufacturer Space Systems/Loral, which notified...

[10-03-07 – Satellite Today]  Wegener Corp. has renewed its $1.8 million distributor agreement with Mega Hertz, Wegener announced Oct. 1. The long-standing agreement grants Mega Hertz exclusive distributor status for cable industry related products such as Wegener’s Unity 4600 professional satellite receivers sold to U.S. cable operators.  Mega Hertz is a value-added reseller of multi-vendor...