SpeedCast Announces Buyout of Pactel International

SpeedCast has boosted its position in Asia by acquiring Pactel International, a satellite communications service provider based in Australia.

Pactel provides satellite communications solutions throughout Australia and the Pacific, focusing on Internet and private networking and voice services for telecoms, large oil & gas operators, governments and multinational mining companies.

Gigasat Executes Contract with New Zealand MoD

Gigasat has announced the signing of a contract with the New Zealand Ministry of Defense. This new deal is for the supply of Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) certified flyaway satellite terminals for use as part of the New Zealand Defense Force Strategic Bearer Network.

Gigasat was ideally placed to meet the exacting tender requirements due to the extensive experience supplying WGS certified terminals to other nations in the program, according to the company.

S. Korea’s Satrec Initiative and UAE’s EIAST Partner for DubaiSat-3 Program

Satrec Initiative (SI) of South Korea and the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) of United Arab Emirates have jointly announced the development program of the DubaiSat-3 Earth observation small satellite system. SI has already signed an agreement with EIAST to provide technical consultancy for the DubaiSat-3 program this January.

Weighing less than 350 kilograms, DubaiSat-3 will carry an electro-optical camera with 0.7-meter resolution imaging capability.

The DubaiSat-3 program is the third space program of EIAST in collaboration with SI following the DubaiSat-1 launched in July 2009, and DubaiSat-2, which is expected to launch in the third quarter of this year. DubaiSat-2 will provide 1-meter resolution image data.

RigNet Expands Business in APAC Region With iDirect Network

RigNet, a provider of managed remote communications solutions to the oil and gas industry, has successfully installed an iDirect Series 15100 Universal Satellite Hub in Adelaide, Australia, to extend its services to the country and the Asia Pacific region. The business expansion will enable RigNet to offer services to growing market segments such as onshore natural gas and oil exploration, energy, mining and maritime. The investment follows RigNet’s installation of a hub in the Middle East to extend the company’s VSAT coverage in the region and enhance its satellite service portfolio for customers in the oil and gas sector.