People

CSR Appoints Senior VP, Marketing And Sales

Canadian Satellite Radio (CSR) announced that Colin Bettam was appointed senior vice president of marketing and sales.

Bettam will be responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing functions of CSR, including retail and automotive distribution channels. He also will lead marketing, promotion and advertising strategy for CSR’s launch and ongoing operations.

Bettam has more than 15 years of experience in the marketing industry. Most recently, he spent nearly a decade with Coors Canada in various marketing roles, including vice president of marketing.

EMS Satellite Networks Appoints Federal Sales Director

EMS Satellite Networks (SatNet), a division of EMS Technologies Inc., announced the appointment of Michael Pollack as director of federal sales. Pollack will work with the EMS Satellite Networks Federal Sales team and be supported by Zelinger Associates Inc., which was hired in May 2004 as EMS SatNet’s sales and marketing agent to the U.S. government.

This announcement will bolster SatNet’s government sales capability in North America’s open-standard, two-way DVB-RCS hub and terminal market.

Pollack brings to EMS more than 15 years of professional sales and marketing experience in the satellite communications equipment and services market and extensive knowledge in satellite network architecture and related technologies. Prior to this appointment, Pollack was director at Hughes Network Systems.

Near Earth Names Dan Ramsden To Lead Banking Effort, Promotes John Stone To Partner

Near Earth LLC. named Dan Ramsden to build the company’s growth-oriented investment banking practice. Previously, Ramsden was a managing director at Bentley Associates, where he was involved in sourcing, banking and distribution of private placements for telecom and media companies as well as handling mergers and acquisitions.

Near Earth also promoted John Stone from director to partner. Stone joined Near Earth in November 2004 after a career as a sell-side equity research analyst and satellite engineer.

Services

Globalstar Develops Emergency Management Communications Systems

Globalstar LLC announced Oct. 6 the development of an emergency management communications system that combines a satellite backhaul network and a miniaturized cellular system.

The emergency management system allows first responders connect to the public telephone network and includes Globalstar satellite phones built into the portable unit to provide service when land-based communications are unavailable.

Using standard cell phones, emergency workers can call anyone available on the public telephone network via the Globalstar Emergency Management Communications System, or Gemcoms. Wired phones can be plugged into Gemcoms through standard telephone jacks.

Globecomm Systems Joins Samacom To Launch Middle East Service Operation

Globecomm Systems Inc. has teamed with Samacom, a provider of satellite communication services in the Middle East, to launch a new Middle East service operation.

The agreement facilitates the launch of VSAT services, utilizing iDirect technology to support voice, Internet and data solutions. Service is scheduled to begin before the end of the year. The hub for operations will be located at the Samacom teleport facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

SCC To Deploy Satellite Geolocation System

Space Communications Corp. (SCC) announced it would deploy a satellite interference detection system manufactured by Qinetiq. The satID satellite geolocation system will be operated by SSC at Superbird Platform East in Ibaraki, Japan, in order to help ensure operation of the Superbird satellites.

Worldspace Expands Service To Seventh Indian City

Worldspace Satellite Radio announced that its subscription satellite radio service is now available in Pune, India. Pune, with an estimated market of 3.5 million people, is the seventh Indian city to be served by Worldspace.

Contracts

CPS Partners With LogicaCMG For Galileo Project

Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. (CPS) announced that it would partner with LogicaCMG for a project intended to drive development of new mobile location technology and applications for the Galileo satellite program.

The Application of Galileo in the Location-based Services Environment (Agile) will create a development roadmap for high-accuracy location-based services leading up to the launch of the first Galileo satellites in 2007. Initially, LogicaCMG and CPS will focus on trial systems for European network operators based on the integration of CPS’ Matrix location technology with LogicaCMG’s location-enabled server and applications portfolio.

Datapath Nabs $96 Million U.S. Army Contract

Datapath Inc. announced that the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command awarded the company a $96 million sole source contract to deliver 157 trailer-based satellite terminals to support the Army’s Joint Network Node initiative.

The initiative is a network-centric communications architecture that provides portable communications to the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division, 101st Airborne Division, 4th Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division. The latest award provides terminal deployments to the 1st Calvary Division, the 25th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division and multiple Army National Guard units.

Datapath also will provide engineering design and certification services to customize the terminals to meet the Army’s mission requirements. The contract also includes provisions for technical support, training and spares.

The terminal is built on two custom versions of Datapath’s ET Model 3000 Portable for battlefield communications. The system provides a mobile satellite telecommunications platform configurable for operations in the Ku-band and for simultaneous single channel per carrier/time division multiple access carrier transmission.

Eutelsat Tapped by Poverkhnost For Ukraine DTH Platform

Eutelsat announced that Poverkhnost Satellite Communications would broadcast the first direct-to-home pay TV platform in the Ukraine using Eutelsat’s W4 satellite. The W4 satellite, located at 36 degrees East, also will provide Poverkhnost the potential to expand its offering into surrounding countries, including Moldavia, Belarus and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

W4 is optimized for providing high-power capacity over Eastern Europe, enabling direct reception of digital television channels by 60-centimeter antennas.

Nile News Joins Asiasat 2

Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (Asiasat) and the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) announced the signing of a new lease agreement for the use of C-band capacity on Asiasat 2. The capacity will be used to broadcast the Nile News television channel and two radio channels, El-Bernameg Al-Aam and El-Quran El-Karim, across Asia and the Australasia region.

Orbital Recovery Gets First Customer For Space Tug

Orbital Recovery announced it entered into a memorandum of agreement with an unnamed customer for a telecommunications satellite life extension mission using the company’s CX- OLEV (ConeXpress Orbital Life Extension Vehicle) "space tug" as an in-orbit service vehicle.

This reservation guarantees a launch slot in 2009 for the CX-OLEV to prolong the operation of a major international operator’s communication spacecraft. The CX-OLEV will provide propulsion, navigation and guidance to maintain the satellite in the proper orbital slot for a minimum of five additional years.

SI International Nabs Air Force Contract

SI International announced it was awarded a contract to provide technical support to U.S. Air Force Space Command, Directorate of Requirements, Space-Based Military Satellite Communications Branch.

Under the task order, SI will provide information technology systems engineering and integration, systems analyses, system/specialty engineering and architectures for a variety of military satellite communication programs, including Transformational Communications, Advanced EHF, Global Broadcast Service, Milsat Terminals and the Wideband Gapfiller System.

The competitive task order has a one-year base period with four option years. The total value of the contract, if all options are exercised, is $20 million.

Space Imaging Middle East To Provide Coverage Of Lebanon

Space Imaging Middle East (SIME) was awarded a contract to deliver a full-country map of Lebanon using the Ikonos imagery satellite, the company announced. The satellite images were collected in 2005 and will be used to update maps of Lebanon.

Funded by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Growth, the project is managed by the Lebanese Ministry of Administrative Development under the direction of the Directorate of Geographic Affairs at the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. SIME won the contract in collaboration with its Lebanese business partner, Bureau Stephan.

SIME will also help the directorate staff to integrate imagery with their existing information system and provide technical support and training.

SS/L Taps Harris For Unfurlable Antenna Reflectors

Harris Corp. will design and construct four unfurlable mesh reflectors for three commercial satellites under construction by Space Systems/Loral.

Harris will build a pair of reflectors for XM Satellite Radio’s XM-5 and a reflector each for ICO Satellite Management LLC’s Mobile Satellite Services communications satellite and Terrestar Networks Inc.’s Terrestar-1 mobile communications satellite.

TCS Selects Wavestream For Power Amplifier

Telecommunications Systems Inc. (TCS) is integrating Wavestream Corp.’s 25-watt Powerstream Deck Power Amplifier into TCS’ Swiftlink DVM-90 Ku-band VSAT deployable communications system, Wavestream announced. The DVM-90 is a man-portable broadband satellite flyaway terminal used for commercial and military applications.

Technology

Echostar Launches Portable Media Player

Echostar Communications Corp. and its Dish Network direct-to-home satellite television service unveiled a new line of portable media players.

Dubbed Pocketdish, the media players allow users to download and play back audio and video files, including programming saved on certain Dish Network digital video recorders that have a USB connection.

Echostar will be offering three different Pocketdish devices. The largest will carry a 7-inch screen and 40 gigabytes of storage capacity, which can hold up to 40 hours of Dish Network programming. This model will carry a $599 suggested retail price. Echostar also will offer a pair of smaller versions, one with a 4-inch screen and 30 GBs of storage capacity for $499 and a device with a 2.2-inch screen and 20 GBs of storage capacity for $329. (Echostar, Tel: 1-888/732-6401; Web: http://www.dishnetwork.com).

Tampa Microwave Introduces Portable KA-Band Loop Test Translator

Tampa Microwave announced the availability of the Portable Ka-band Loop Test Translator, a new field communications testing tool that provides both a test translator and a block down converter in a single transportable package.

This combination testing unit enables transmit-to-receive, receive-to-L-band, and transmit-to-L-band frequency translations. The Portable Ka-band Loop Test Translator delivers translations with a minimum of amplitude and delay distortions. The unit is housed in a rugged, weather-resistant portable case, making it easy to stow and move the translator between test locations. Tampa Microwave loop test translators are designed to allow a satellite to be "short circuited" so that terminal output can be fed to downlink monitoring equipment. (Tampa Microwave, 12160 Race Track Road, Tampa, FL 33626-3111; Tel: 813/855.2251; Fax: 813/855.7741; Web: http://www.tmli.com).

Transcore Unveils Globalwave Upgrade

Transcore unveiled two new terminals for satellite-based asset tracking the company describes as smaller, faster and more power-efficient. The two new Globalwave terminals, one for basic tracking applications and one that enables tracking and monitoring with a full suite of sensors, would allow Transcore to expand further into the trucking, rail security and marine markets.

The upgraded technology centers on a new core modem that reduces the size of terminals and extends battery life from the usual three years to up to seven. Eliminating the need for frequent battery replacement or using unreliable and expensive rechargeable batteries removes a key impediment for widespread untethered tracking applications. (Transcore, Tel: 800.923.4824; Web: http://www.transcore.com).