Focus: Telecom

Trimble has launched a multimedia layer of GPS-based adventure details for Google Earth, Trimble announced April 12. The premium GPS-based information incorporates information from the Trimble Outdoorscatalog of GPS-on-cellular applications as well as premium content from contributing magazines. The data will be available as a Google Earth Featured Content Layer. The information targets the outdoor...

The commercial space industry can provide significant space technology advanced if nurtured, Alex Tai, vice president of operations for Virgin Galactic, said. “Technical expertise is much better than what’s being demonstrated” in the space industry, he said April 12 at the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. “…“I’m very optimistic” about the market as...

Raytheon Co.’s Space and Airborne Systems business named Travis Slocumb vice president for strategy and business development. Prior to joining Raytheon, Slocumb has held executive positions at Science Applications International Corporation since 1993.

Globalstar Inc. has launched a satellite airtime rate plan, which will provide customers in the United States with unlimited satellite voice minutes for calls to the United States, Canada and Caribbean, the company announced April 10. Under the Globalstar Unlimited Loyalty, customers will pay $49.99 per month for the remainder of 2007 for Globalstar satellite...

Hughes Network Systems LLC has supplied a broadband satellite system to Galaxy Broadband Communications Inc., Hughes announced April 11. The system will enable Galaxy Broadband, an authorized Hughes service provider based in Ontario, Canada, to extend its satellite service offerings for the enterprise, small business and government customers.

SpaceDev Inc. finalized a memorandum of understanding with United Launch Alliance to pursue launching the SpaceDev Dream Chaser aboard an Atlas 5 rocket, SpaceDev announced April 10. The vehicle is intended to provide a reusable and reconfigurable platform to ferry humans and cargo to space, with initial flight launch demonstrations are scheduled for 2009. SpaceDev...

Eumetsat, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, confirmed that Meteosat-9 is now the prime satellite operating at 0°, replacing Meteosat-8. Meteosat-9 was placed into orbit in December 2005 and has been operating as backup to the Meteosat-8 satellite since July 2006. The transition marks the end of an extended validation period to...

Intelsat officials met with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States April 10 to discuss steps to halt the unauthorized use of one an Intelsat satellite by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Sri Lanka-based terrorist group, Intelsat announced. The U.S. State Department lists the LTTE as a foreign terrorist organization, and the...

Alcatel-Lucent completed the transfer of Alcatel’s shares in Alcatel Alenia Space and Telespazio to Thales, and Thales and Finmeccanica have combined their space operations under an entity dubbed the New Space Alliance, the companies announced April 10. The moves follow the European Commission’s April 4 approval of Thales’s acquisition of Alcatel’s 67 percent share of...

Hughes Network Systems LLC will provide satellite broadband network equipment and services to the federal government as a subcontractor on Qwest Communications International Inc., winning bid for the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Networx Universal contract, Hughes announced April 9. The 10-year program, valued at an estimated $68 billion, is designed to support federal mission-critical...