Focus: Telecom

By Owen D. Kurtin This column has focused extensively over the last two years on the transformation of the satellite sector by private equity purchasers in 2004 and the initial public offerings and merger and acquisition activity of 2005. While the events of these years demanded coverage, that focus has come to some extent at...

With the expiration of its two-year no-compete deal with Intelsat, Loral Skynet is once again offering Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) services to customers in North America. " We have resumed offering basic space segment services to U.S. customers," Jon Kirchner, Loral Skynet’s vice president of global marketing and business development, said. "We’re able to do...

Ciel Satellite, which recently announced that Alcatel Alenia Space will build its Ciel-2 satellite, does not expect any further satellite initiatives until at least 2007. David Lewis, president and COO of Ciel Satellite told Satellite News, "We really don’t have any other satellite construction plans apart from the Ciel 2 satellite," he said. "Industry Canada...

Convergence between satellite broadcasting and telecom service took another step forward as the United Kingdom’s British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB) acquired a nationwide broadband network, Easynet. Recently, the satellite pay-TV operator BSkyBunveiled details of its plans for the telecom market and what customers will gain in the coming year. BSkyB, when it first disclosed its...

When it comes to buying emergency satellite communications before disaster hits, governments have yet to fully embrace purchasing complete systems. "They don’t want to pay for it if they’re not using it," said Kirby Farrell, executive vice president of Segovia. "Emergency managers at the state level, even after the hurricanes that destroyed the Gulf Coast,...

Thanks to more efficient encoding and compression, look to an ever expanding flow of rich media. The sheer amount of content in this category that is available is only going to increase with time. All of this makes metadata essential for successful rich media transfers. "On the supply side, it is very important to be...

It has been a busy year for the major satellite pay-TV operators across Europe. All seem to have been involved in major initiatives as they bid to keep the pressure on the cable, terrestrial and in some cases the IPTV rivals. Despite the increased competition, satellite pay-TV operators still had a strong 2005, with those...

PA Panamsat Holding Corp. recorded a profit of $72.7 million in 2005, rebounding from a loss of $79 million in 2004, the company announced March 9. The 2004 loss was impacted by pre-tax charges of $155.1 million, a $99.9 million satellite impairment charge and a $29.6 million write-off related to a customer transponder lease termination....

KVH Industries Inc., which manufactures satellite antennas for boats, cars, and recreational vehicles (RV), continues to expand its efforts in the mobile market, and executives feel confident about the future despite a patent lawsuit filed against the company. During February, KVH surpassed the 100,000 mark for shipments of its mobile antennas, which allows moving vehicles...

Showtime CEO Peter Einstein has not ruled out the possibility of conducting an initial public offering (IPO) in 2006, as the operator, which is one of the main pay-TV providers in the Middle East, weighs all of its financial options. "As we continue to grow, the financial situation has continued to become more healthy and...