Focus: Telecom

By Jason Bates The factors that led some of the largest fixed satellite service operators to abandon satellite insurance providers and rely more on self insurance look to be easing, according to industry officials. Improvements in satellite quality, increases in utilization rates and new satellite technologies may have many operators seeking coverage from providers in...

Has the small satellite wave crested? Despite many predictions of industry trending to smaller, lighter, cheaper, more standardized, off-the-shelf space segment components, both fixed satellite service (FSS) and mobile satellite service (MSS) operators continue to opt for large, at least partially custom-built, geostationary (GEO) space stations at roughly the same rates as in recent history....

Saint Joseph Seminary College, a small Roman Catholic undergraduate institution in St. Benedict, La., celebrated its 115th commencement this year. But for its communications infrastructure, it was like opening day. As a result of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the Northshore, where Saint Joseph Seminary college is located, suffered serious flooding. The most basic of...

Satellite operators are leading the charge in the Interactive TV Advertising arena, according to top executives from direct-to-home operators BSkyB and Multichoice. The companies are being very progressive, providing strong platforms for advertisers to exploit, the executives said during the Interactive TV Advertising show, held in London May 23. BSkyB Sky Media, which has more...

An industry-first offering from England’s Royal Mail is set to revolutionize the same day postal delivery market by offering customers the ability to track the progress of their goods in real time. Royal Mail’s same day service allows customers to see the exact location of the vehicle carrying their items, even the speed it is...

From June through November, residents along the Southeast and Gulf Coast regions of the United States brace for nature’s furry. Government officials already predict that the 2006 hurricane season is on track to be as active as last year’s, creating fear and uncertainty among many that would not want a Katrina devastation repeat that left...

There are about 30 million U.S. households currently using broadband, according to a recently released report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). However, this news is bringing no joy to the GAO, because “Although the deployment of broadband is widespread, some areas are not served, and it can be costly to serve highly rural...

The U.S. wireless carriers generated revenues of $174.7 billion in 2005, according to the Telecommunications Industry Association. With numbers like these, it is no wonder that Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) providers have decided to enter the market by developing hybrid satellite/ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) wireless services. Their goal is to compete with cellular carriers like...

Tandberg Television CEO Eric Cooney believes direct-to-home (DTH) operators are faced with difficult decisions when looking at making the transition from MPEG-2 to MPEG- 4. With DTH players leading the way in terms of providing high-definition (HD) services, the pressure is on, particularly as Internet Protocol (IP) TV and cable alternatives are looking to strengthen....

Boeing Co. looks to have come to terms with the U.S. government on settling a pair of government investigations into the company’s business practices. But the deal did not receive across the board praise from U.S. lawmakers. Boeing agreed to pay the U.S. government $615 million to settle charges of ethical misconduct surrounding the U.S....