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Belgian direct-to-home operator TV Vlaanderen has surpassed the 30,000-customer milestone, the company announced. The service was launched in the Flanders region of Belgium in June. TV Vlaanderen hopes to ramp up subscriber additions further in 2007 and already has unveiled a new subscription package that provides reception on multiple TV sets, new hardware and plans...

The uplink and downlink phased-array antennas developed by Northrop Grumman Corp. for the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) military satellite communications payload have been integrated onto the first flight structure, the company announced. Delivery of the payload to Lockheed Martin, prime contractor for the Advanced EHF program, remains on track for late January, Northrop...

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. will supply its SkyAbis CDMA2000 to provide satellite backhaul for an unnamed African telecommunications operator’s network, Gilat announced Jan. 23. Gilat will install more than 150,000 fixed phone lines based on a variety of backhaul technologies. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Sea Launch has set the launch of the NSS-8 communications satellite for SES New Skies for Jan. 27, Sea Launch announced.  The 37-minute launch window remains as previously planned, opening at 6:22 p.m. EDT. For a second day, launch was delayed due to sea conditions at the launch site. Sea Launch performs its missions from...

France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications (FTMSC) signed a new deal with Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) to develop an emergency mobile satellite communications system. The deal was announced at International Aid & Trade, a trade show dedicated to humanitarian aid, relief and development meeting in Geneva. FTMSC already is an official partner to TSF, which specializes...

Sea Launch has set the launch of the NSS-8 communications satellite for SES New Skies for Jan. 26, Sea Launch announced. The 37-minute launch window opens at 6:22 p.m. EDT. The launch had been delayed by a day due to sea conditions slowing delivery of the payload. Sea Launch performs its missions from a floating...

William Freeman will be named chairman of TerreStar Networks Inc., Robert Brumley, president & CEO of parent company Motient Corp. said Jan. 24. A formal announcement will be made Thursday morning. Freeman has served as TerreStar’s director since May 2005 and has been chairman of the company’s audit and compensation committees.   Jared “Jerry” Abbruzzese...

Spanish industrial group Abertis has completed the purchase of a 32 percent stake in Eutelsat Communications 1.1 billion euros ($1.4 billion), Abertis announced Jan. 23. Abertis subsidiary Abertis Telecom acquired minority holdings in Eutelsat from investment funds Texas Pacific Group, Spectrum, Cinven and Goldman Sachs. The combined stake makes Abertis the largest shareholder of Eutelsat,...

Globecomm Systems Inc. has received a $13.1 million notice of award from NATO to provide additional systems in support of a multi-national GPS friendly force tracking system, the company announced Jan. 24.   Globecomm previously earned a $7.8 million contract from NATO to design and install the system, bringing the total combined value of the...

The Svobodny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East will be closed after a launch scheduled for later this year, the commander of the Russian Space Forces said Jan. 22. The facility in the Amur region will be closed and its missile silos either detonated or filled with concrete, according to Russian news agencies.