Focus: Telecom

By Peter J. Brown By the time this goes to print, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff should have the results of his comprehensive departmental review in hand. So, where will the DHS place satellite technology in this emerging grand scheme to drastically overhaul and improve interdepartmental efficiency and operational coordination? Probably...

By Jason Bates Signal interference is a costly and growing problem for the satellite industry, but companies have had difficulties in collecting concrete numbers that portray the scope of the problem. A group of satellite operators and other industry players have launched an effort to document interference issues, which they hope will spur the industry...

As we went to press with this issue of Via Satellite, executives of Wildblue Communications Inc. made the long-awaited announcement about launching their service. Nearly a year after the Anik F2 spacecraft reached orbit, Wildblue’s deployment of its much-anticipated satellite Internet service entered the commercial arena. How successful Wildblue’s service will be remains to be...

By Nick Mitsis With new management entering the communications satellite industry, business is centering more on exploiting its current assets and less on introducing new hardware. Once again, Via Satellite takes a closer look at the industry developments that shaped business endeavors in 2004. Allowing the numbers to tell the tale, the research results, along...

By Peter J. Brown During the process of preparing my accompanying feature article on rich media delivery via satellite, it was difficult at best to avoid the bright lights cast by such things as personal video recorders, interactive TV and advertising, multimedia home platform (MHP), video-on-demand, Internet protocol TV (IPTV), DVB-H-based mobile video services and...

It wasn’t too long ago when hybrid networks using satellite and terrestrial technologies were not an option for corporate communication infrastructures. It was either one or the other, but never the two met. Times have changed. Today, hybrid networks that include a mix of wired and wireless technologies offer robust, competitive and sound network environments...

By James Careless Today more than ever, secure communications matter; whether for maintaining homeland security, protecting privacy or just keeping competitors’ prying eyes at bay. This is why businesses and governments alike constantly seek the most secure transmission paths for their communications and why they continue to choose satellite-enabled networks as their medium of choice....

By Peter J. Brown In a world where interactivity and mobility matter, consumers see entertainment and communications as ice cream, and they want every flavor imaginable right at their fingertips, while businesses must cope with a diverse range of information as well as access and distribution requirements, which impact operations. Add it all up and...

Managing a global business is a daunting task, especially for those in charge of corporate training and communications. Making sure all employees, regardless of geographic location, remain up to date on the latest information coming from corporate headquarters is paramount for success. Satellite-delivered communications and training are becoming an even stronger asset, giving companies an...

In today’s fast-pace business environment, most organizations cannot operate without a reliable communications platform. Such is the case for Conservation International (CI). Founded in 1987, CI is a U.S.-based, nonprofit international organization composed of roughly 1,000 scientists, economists, communicators, educators and other professionals. Their mission is to reconcile biodiversity and human welfare goals in 40...